Yu-Gi-Oh GX: Gender Generation!
by Mage of Hope
Summary: Starts in Season 1 rewritten! What if fate could change had Jaden been born a girl? Not just any girl, but a naive tomboy with an awesome Elemental HERO deck? Join her as she duels bad guys, save the world, and have overprotective Duel Spirits protecting her from a harem of hot boys who wants to win her heart! Fem!Jaden pairing undecided! Abridged jokes from Little Kuriboh!
1. The Next King of Games!

**Letting you folks know, there are going to be differences in the episodes coming up! I may or may not do all of the episodes of GX, but I might put in extras! Oh, and the abridged version parts are in too, combined with some lines!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"Damnit, damnit, damnit! I'm late! Never again am I staying up till 4 in the freakin' morning watching tutorials on how to build a pancake helicopter! Especially since the exam is today!' muttered Jaden, running past a few people as she tried to get to the entrance exams on time.

Jaden was an average young teenage girl, although she doesn't really have the looks of a girl considering how tomboyish she is, so many people mistake her as a boy. She had Kuriboh-like hair, with two strips of color in her hair, one of mostly dark brown, the other a bit of the orange side. She had regular jeans and a dark jacket over a red shirt to show off, making her appearance much more boyish.

Meanwhile, a young tri-colored man was walking down the park when he heard a voice coming from behind. He turned around in time to see a young, feminine-looking boy crash into him before falling to the ground, his duel disk and cards scattered all over the ground.

"Oww...the pain!" complained Jaden as she tried to gather her cards all together. "Sorry about that!"

The tri-colored man noticed the things the young teenager had dropped. "You're a duelist, aren't you?"

"Huh?" Collecting the cards on the ground, Jaden glanced back at the man and smiled. "Yup! I'm just going to try out at the Academy!"

The man chuckled, fetching a card out of his deck by his belt. "You don't say."

"Yup!" Standing up, Jaden giggled to herself before realizing who the man was in front of her. "H-hey! You're-!"

"Why don't you take this? Something just tells me that it belongs with you." The man handed Jaden the card and began to walk away right pass her.

"Wow! For real?" Before Jaden could turn it around to see what card she got, she realized she had to thank the man first. "Oh! Thank you! I-I'll make you proud!" she called, bowing her head in full respect.

The mysterious man stopped, only enough to give her a thumbs-up before leaving. If that card was in that youngster's hands, well, he could see that she had a bright future ahead of her.

Jaden took a good luck at her card, which happened to be a monster card no less. His name was Winged Kuriboh, and despite how he looks, which happens to be a small furball with wings, he was...he was...

"EEEEEEEKKKKKKKKK! HE'S SO CUTE!~" Jaden let out a loud scream, unable to contain her excitement and eagerness. In fact, her scream could be heard for miles, considering how loud she is.

The man, aka Yugi Moto, was still walking around when he heard a familiar fangirlish squeal. He smirked a little to himself, chuckling. So, looks like Winged Kuriboh's got himself another fan, huh? He almost felt bad for the guy.

 _Almost._

Just when Jaden was about to put away her new card into her deck, she heard a strange voice nearby, making her glance at her card. Call her nuts, but she actually thought she saw Winged Kuriboh blink at her.

 _'Eh, he's cute, but I doubt I saw him blinking,'_ thought Jaden, giving an eerie grin to her card. Her eyes widen when she saw the time on her watch, causing her to run even more faster than before.

 **"Your entrance exam is in five minutes. Move your ass,"** spoke the automatic watch clipped onto Jaden's wrist.

 _'Well, lucky I have this reminder function on my watch!'_ thought Jaden, picking up the pace towards her destination.

 **"Move faster."**

"I am, you goddamn sprick!" _'Note to self, throw away annoying watch function.'_

* * *

 **"Once again, all academy applicants who already passed their entrance exams, please proceed to registration. To those who failed, better luck next year."**

 _'And have fun at Duel Monsters Community college!'_ thought a feminine-looking male teacher, looking unimpressed by all the dueling going on. His name was Professor Crowler, always perfering to be called Professor first, and hating Slifer Reds second.

 **"Also, attention students! A Mokey Mokey has been found! If you are the owner, please come collect it at the office!"**

"Oh, that's mine!"

"No it's not! It's mine!"

"Are you kidding me?! I lost it when I was 7!"

 _'Watching people playing card games is like punching a small squirrel,'_ Crowler thought to himself. _'It's funny at first, but...then you start to lose interest.'_

During one of the duels going on, one of the proctors summoned a worm-like monster to the field and directly attacked a candidate for Duel Academy, a light blue haired young boy with glasses named Syrus, who flinched from the assault.

 _'Ah man! I can barely concentrate with all these academy students staring at me! Judging me!'_ thought Syrus nervously as he glanced at the crowd. _'What I wouldn't give to be enrolled in a school like them!'_

 **"Last call for all academy applicants! If you have not checked out for your exam, please do so now!"**

Meanwhile, outside in the parking lot, there were two young women and a tall man standing guard in front of the entrance, waiting for anymore applicants to arrive. "Well, ladies! That's it!" said the man, checking his watch. "Mark all the no-shows, no-shows!"

"WAIT! I'm no no-show!" Grunting as she struggled to climb up, Jaden grabbed hold of the railing, brushing past the tough, thick bushes in her way. Twigs and pieces of grass and parts of the bushes were all over her face, hair, and clothing. Still, Jaden managed to keep a grin up. "You can...count Jaden Yuki as present, thank you! Well, so long as I don't lose my grip! Haha!"

* * *

Syrus wiped away any sweat of doubt from his forehead as he watched the last remaining match. He was lucky enough to pass his entrance exam, but he barely made it! The proctors around here sure don't show any mercy!

Suddenly, Jaden rushed in right besides him, excited to see the match. "Wow! Look at them go!"

 **Bastion Misawa - 3200 LP**

 **Proctor - 1900 LP**

"Alright, new guy! Multiple choice!" called out the proctor, who had two very high defensive monsters on his side of the field. "You've got two monsters staring you down! You got A) Throw in the towel; B) Beg for mercy; or C, Run home to Mama! Then again, it doesn't matter! Face it, kid! You've got no chance winning!"

"Hmm...I'll go with D) None of the above!" said Bastion, looking stern and confident with only one monster and one facedown card. "Besides, what if I play Ring of Destruction?"

"Well then, you'd probably win. But it's a good thing you don't-"

At that moment, Bastion flipped over his facedown card, which so happens to be Ring of Destruction.

"Aw, come on!"

"Exactly," Bastion nodded. "You see, with Ring of Destruction, I can destroy any monster that's in Attack Mode, and we take damage equal to that monster's Attack Points!"

A small collar with red lights triggered when it came contact with Bastion's monster's neck. Not only was his monster destroyed and created a huge explosion onto the field, but both opponents lost Life Points equal to his Attack Points, which so happens to be 1900.

 **Bastion Misawa - 1300 LP**

 **Proctor - 0 LP**

 **Winner: Bastion**

"Clever move, applicant! Welcome to the Academy!" welcomed the proctor, by all means, impressed.

Bastion bowed his head in total respect for his opponent. "Thank you, oh wise proctor."

Among the audience, three guys wearing blue uniforms were sitting together, having witnessed the whole duel. Needless to say, two of the guys were extremely impressed, but the one in the middle with spiky black hair, wasn't amused one bit.

"Wow, that guy's pretty good. Don't cha think, Chazz?" the glasses-wearing guy spoke.

"Guess the rumors about him being a wiz kid were true, huh Chazz?" said the other guy, turning to the guy in the middle, who's name was Chazz Princeton.

"He's a punk. We went to Duel prep school for the last three years. We're ready for the Academy," scoffed Chazz. "These kids just don't know what they're getting into. But they'll learn. The hard way. The Chazz Princeton way."

"Wow! That last guy really tore it up!" said Jaden, smiling happily.

"Yeah," Syrus spoke up, turning to her. "Bastion Misawa. They say he's got the highest score in the written exam of all us applicants!"

"Wow, I just barely passed." Jaden didn't ever wanted to take the written exam again, especially with all the tough questions, like 'What Card allows you to Ritual Summon White Paladin?'

Even Syrus had to agree, his expression not so good so far. "Yeah, me too. My name's Syrus, by the way. Nice to meet you. I kinda have a thing where I get test anxiety.I dunno how I won my match."

"So you're in! Congrats!" Jaden patted Syrus on the back, an affection he was not so easily used to. "I'll be in too as soon as I win my duel!"

"Wait, you haven't dueled yet?"

"Nah!"

Looking concerned, Syrus added, "Then, you might have a problem. I think this was supposed to be the last one."

"HUH?!" Taken aback, Jaden started to panic, grabbing onto Syrus's shoulders and shaking him frantically. "Then what am I supposed to do?! I don't wanna take the stupid written exam again!"

"A-a-a-a-ahhh! C-calm down Jaden! And stop shaking me!"

"Oh! Sorry!"

On the other side of the arena, another audience took place, all seated and examining how skilled the new duelists were this year. It seemed that they were impressed, judging by the happy looks on most of their faces.

"Looks like a pretty good crop this year!" spoke one of the proctors.

"Yes, indeed!"

Meanwhile, Crowler was fixated on his poetry, trying to recite some words and rhythm into his mind. _'Hmm...What rhymes with Golem? Yolem? No...Trolem? No...Mary Poloem? That's not even a word...Solemn? Solemn! Yes! Solemn! I must write it down!'_

As Crowler was writing down something in his notepad, one of the adults walked up to him. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but one more applicant has arrived to take his exam, Mr. Crowler."

Crowler twitched his eye. "Did you just call me 'Mr.?'"

"O-Oh! I'm sorry, I'm new here, Mrs."

"I'm a PhD in dueling; I've earned the title of 'Dr.,' thank you! Now, tell the applicant he'll just have to come back next year!"

"Oh, come on, Dr. Crowler! We have time for one more!"

"Yes, let's give this duelist a shot!"

"He was just a bit late, that's all!"

"LATE IT RUDE!" snapped Crowler, his frustration finally being let out and startling the people around him. "You people just don't understand what it's like, being artistic and a great poet like myself!"

"Uh...I don't think poetry is really important right now."

That set off Crowler once more. "POETRY IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT YOU FREAKIN'-!"

At that moment, Crowler's cell phone began to ring loudly, causing the owner to gather his phone and answer it. "Hello ? And who may I ask is-"

 _"It's Sheppard."_

"Ah! Chancellor Sheppard!"

 _"Just calling to make sure everything's running smoothly, Crowler! Wouldn't want a repeat of what happened last year! When you cut a third of our student applicants for some ridiculous reason-what was it? Calling you Mr. or Mrs.? Whatever! Just make sure everyone gets a fair shot!"_

"Absolutely!" Crowler hanged up, a frown written all over his face. _'Doesn't he realize there are enough talentless flunkies at this Academy? But he's the boss, and if he wants to give this punk a duel, fine!'_

Seeing how the proctors were waiting for his answer, Crowler announced, "Pardon me, gentlemen! I'll be right back!"

"But, who's going to be the applicant's dueling proctor, and what exam deck shall we use?" wondered one of the proctors, picking up a case full of decks meant for the exam.

"Hmph! Oh, leave that to me!" said Crowler. "Also, wasn't there something else before I was interrupted?"

"Um...something about poetry?"

"Oh yes, you're absolutely-POETRY IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT YOU FREAKIN'-!"

* * *

"...And that's the real reason why the chicken crossed the road!" finished Jaden, who was done explaining something to Syrus. When she saw Bastion sitting on one of the seats below her level, she commented, "Tight duel, Bastion!"

"Huh?" Bastion glanced back, thinking it was just another applicant who saw his duel just now. "Thank you."

"Fomr the looks of it, you just might be the SECOND best duelist here!"

Both Syrus and Bastion seemed surprised, and before they could question Jaden anymore of what she was saying, the announcer reported on the loud speakers, **"Jaden Yuki, please report to Exam Field 4."**

"Go time! Wish me luck, guys!" said Jaden, excited as she started to race down the stairs.

"Hey, wait!" Jaden turned to Bastion, who was just as confused as she was. "If I'm second best, then who's first?"

Jaden smirked, pointing to herself. "Yours truly! It's what I'm best at!"

Watching Jaden leave, Syrus pondered outloud, "Wow, he's so sure of himself! I wonder if he's that good!" He clenched at his chest, also confused. _'And why does my heart beat when I was so close to him?'_

"He's going to need to be. Look who he's dueling," said Bastion pointing to the opponent on the field Jaden was heading towards. He had a strange feeling about Jaden, but it wasn't the evil suspicious kind of feeling.

* * *

"Oh, Professor Crowler! Your duel disk is so _big!_ "

"Yeah, you like that, don't cha, bitch? They don't call me 'professor' for nothing!"

"Why do they call you professor?"

"Why do you ask so many questions? Go do something girly!"

At that moment, Jaden arrived onto the field through some sort of grid which led her upwards to where the field was. Two girls who were flirting with Crowler also helped him assemble his strange-looking duel disk.

Crowler, who was ready to duel and take down the new applicant, was so full of himself as he stared at Jaden. "Well, you've come so far to lose to the great poet and duelist! Me! Professor Crowler! I assure you that you won't-WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP ACTING LIKE A BUNNY?!"

Jaden, who got annoyed by Crowler's 'long' speech fairly quickly, was trying to entertain herself by posing as a bunny. "Make me! Besides, I like cute bunnies!"

Already five seconds have passed since Crowler met this kid, and he hated her already, despite not knowing she was actually a girl. "Grr...your name?"

"Huh? Jaden Yuki, sir!"

"Well, Jaden Yuki! I'm Dr. Vellian Crowler, Department Chair of Techniques at Duel Academy!"

"Hmm..." Jaden eyed Crowler carefully before asking, "Hey, I got a question! Are you a guy or a girl?"

"W-WHAT?!"

Jaden scratched her head, unsure. "Yeah, I can't tell if you're a guy or a girl. My intutions are telling me you're a guy, but you're dressed like an old lady...sorry if that offends ya, teach!"

Okay, scratch that. Crowler not only hated this applicant, but DESPISED her as well. Oh, he clearly wasn't going to show her any mercy at all in this duel, not even a pint!

"Duel vest, on!" Jaden watched in astonishment as Crowler was ejecting five cards out of his duel disk which was worn horizontally onto his torso while humming a short tune.

"Whoa! Hey, that's pretty sweet, teach! How do I get one of those cool blue duel blazers?"

"Oh, a lot of hard work and extremely high marks!" replied Crowler, taking her response to be, at least a compliment. _'Of course, you first have to get INTO Duel Academy! And I intend to make sure that won't be happening!'_

"Let's duel!" both duelists cried out together, the game starting.

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Jaden Yuki - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Dr. Crowler - 4000 LP**

"Here goes!" shouted Jaden, drawing her first card. "Sweet! I'm gonna summon Elemental Hero Avian in Defense Mode!"

A bright light glowed upon the field as a muscular green man with feather-like wings sprang onto action, only kneeling down afterwards to provide some defense.

Elemental Hero Avian - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (1000/1000)

"I'll also throw down a facedown! Alright! Get your game on!"

"Yes, very good. Don't tell me what to do," grumbled Crowler as he drew his card from his automatic duel disk. "Alright, for this first move, I think I'll do this nice and easy! I choose to use the Spell Card, Confiscation!"

Feeling a bit nervous about the card, Jaden asked, 'Okay! So, what's it do?"

"What it does is allow me to pay 1000 Life Points for the chance to peek at your hand and toss one of your cards into the Graveyard!" Holographic cards visually appeared within Crowler's view, getting him a close look at the cards Jaden had. "Oh yes! I remember some of these when I was a naive rookie! Hmm...now which one shall I banish? Monster Reborn to the Graveyard!"

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **Crowler - 3000 LP**

Jaden grunted quietly to herself as one of her good cards was forced to be sent there. Man, she could have really used that card in case one of her monsters was sent to the Graveyard! Luckily, she laid Draining Shield as her facedown card, because that was really one handy card to use!

Crowler wasn't quite finished with his turn. "I'll place two cards facedown! And last, but not least, I'll play Heavy Storm! This Spell Card destroys every single Trap or Spell card that's out on the field!"

Jaden braced herself as several wind storms filled the entire area with so much gusts and winds that could literally blow away everything. Luckily, it was only a hologram, or Jaden and Crowler would be blown away.

"Oops! Did you forget that you had two Trap Cards on the field yourself!" reminded Jaden.

"Now, now! You mustn't speak out of turn, young scholar!"

Glancing at the field, Jaden realized that storm clouds and a dark, eerie mist were taking place in the background, and felt like something was sure to come. "W-what's happening?!"

Crowler smirked. "Nothing's happening. Not yet!" Two strange golden-like creatures sprang from the mist, serving as Tokens. "But that's about to change!"

While the audience gasped, Syrus seemed to be the only one in the row who was confused. "Uh...could somebody tell me what's going on?"

"The two Trap Cards that Dr. Crowler had on the field were called Statue of the Wicked," explained Bastion. "It's special Trap creates a ficious Token monster when destroyed. That's why he played Heavy Storm."

"A card that strong couldn't be in one of the test decks," spoke one of Chazz's friends. "Crowler must have been using his own."

"Then, this is over. No applicant can beat the deck of an expert like Dr. Crowler!"

"Yeah, it's impossible! Don't cha think, Chazz?"

"Yeah, what do you think, Chazz?"

"I think I'm gonna enjoy Dr. Crowler wipe the floor with our mouthy little friend down there," replied Chazz, a somewhat sadistic smirk forming onto his face. "I only wished that he treated the other second-rate duelists who applied to this academy the same way."

"What a snob, bullying some amateur with his very best cards," a girl in a blue schoolgirl uniform commented, looking down at the dueling field in disgust.

"You're too soft, Alexis," spoke the young man besides her. "I just hope we get to see that legendary rare card Crowler has stashed in his deck of his."

"Ready for your next lesson?" said Crowler, enthusiastic on finishing off the applicant with no mercy given.

Jaden laughed heartfully. "You bet! I can't remember the last time learning was this much fun!"

Crowler wasn't amused that Jaden wasn't the bit slightly scared of what move he was obviously going to make next. No matter, maybe after summoning his high-leveled monster will the applicant tremble. "Yes, well, I'm quite an excellent teacher. And now, I sacrifice my two Wicked Tokens and summon Ancient Gear Golem!"

While the audience stared, waiting for the huge monster to come out, Jaden was the only one watching with amusement and joy in her eyes. She had heard all about the powerful Ancient Gear Golem coming from one of the best teachers in the Academy, and now she was gonna face it right here and now!

"There it is!" gasped Alexis, astonished to see the appearance of the monster. "The legendary rare card!"

"I'd say we're about to see what makes it so legendary," commented Alexis's friend, who happens to be the cool, calm Zane Truesdale.

Coming from the ground, and also a bit torn apart, but still functional, was a huge machine-like monster who showed visible gears running courses throughout his body. His one red eye glowed as he stared down at his target, ready for battle.

Ancient Gear Golem - (EARTH/Machine) - LV8 - (3000/3000)

"Now, now! I'm sure you aren't scared of my legendary Ancient Gear Golem!"

"Nah, no way! I ALWAYS wanted to take one on!" dared Jaden, confidence rising onto her face as she stood her ground.

Avian glanced back at his mistress, a small smile written on his face. That's one of the special traits he liked about her; not only was she a bit cunning and adorable for a tomboy, but she always rises to the challenge no matter how tough it may seem.

The audience gasped when they heard Jaden declare that statement. "Either Jaden's brave or he's nuts!" said Syrus, unsure what the outcome is going to be just yet.

Even Zane himself had to admit, he was a little impressed by her courage. "He's staring down that legendary rare monster like he doesn't have a care in the world! I guess the youth and inexperience have their benefits after all. huh Alexis?"

"Oh, give it a rest, Zane," said Alexis, shrugging off his comment. "At least the kid's showing some backbone."

"There won't be much to show after this."

Crowler laughed like crazy as he was filled with confidence. Nothing could stand in his most powerful monster's way! No facedown cards on Jaden's side of the field, but only her pathetic monster! Plus, there was Ancient Gear Golem's special ability to boast about.

"Golem, attack! Mechanized Meleè!"

The golem machine complied his orders as he stood up straight and prepared to land a punch towards Avian, who braced himself for impact before being punched in the gut, ultimately destroyed.

"Ah, Jaden's monster didn't stand a chance! His Defense Points were way too low!" cried out Syrus, worried. "This isn't looking good!"

"And it's about to get worst," continued Bastion. "When Ancient Gear Golem attacks a monster in Defense Mode, the difference between its Attack Points and the defending monster's Defense Points are gets dealt to the opponent as damage."

"But that means...Jaden's Life Points are gonna take a hit!"

Jaden covered herself with her arms as the Golem's attack went right through, having piercing damage go through her Life Points thanks to the powerful monster's special ability.

 **Jaden - 2000 LP**

 **Crowler - 3000 LP**

"Hahaha! Aw, don't weep!" laughed Crowler, thinking Jaden was trembling with tears. "This is the top dueling school in the whole country! Some people aren't simply cut...out...for..."

Jaden glanced up, her face beaming with excitement instead of despair. "Boy, I really want to come to this school now! You really know your stuff, teach!"

Crowler gasped, then gritted his teeth in irritation. _'Can't he take a hint?! He will not be allowed to pass this exam! And her certainly won't make a mockery of my deck!'_

 _'Just look at him tremble! He must really be impressed by me!'_ thought Jaden, oblivious to the angry expression on the teacher's face. She drew her card, surprised to see the new card she received from Yugi Moto.

Winged Kuriboh barely knew Jaden for an hour, but already, he likes her, as evident that she was squealing with joy when she saw how cute he was. This caused Winged Kuriboh to be embarrassed, no doubt. At the same time, he admired her courage and oblivious and naive nature, just like him! Only, Winged Kuriboh thinks he's a bit more smarter than her. Still, he winked at her as a sign of good luck.

 _'Awww! He's so cute! I think that's a sign for me to play him!'_ thought Jaden, blushing a bit. "Okay! I play Winged Kuriboh in Defense Mode! Then I'll place a card facedown!"

A little monster with angel wings came onto the field, purring in response as he made his debut. He was sorta glad Jaden picked her, but he knew that Ancient Gear Golem was several times more powerful than him. Oh boy, this was gonna hurt next turn.

Winged Kuriboh - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV1 - (300/200)

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Jaden squealed so loudly, it nearly shattered everyone's eardrums and the windows nearby.

"What is your problem?!" yelled Crowler, thankful that his ears were bleeding. "Why are you suddenly screaming?!"

"I can't help it! Winged Kuriboh is just...SO...CUTE!~"

Everyone else sweatdropped. That was the reason why Jaden screamed? They had to admit, Winged Kuriboh was cute, but he was a weak monster. It wouldn't be strange if they thought a girl had Winged Kuriboh, but since they thought Jaden was a boy...well, who were they to judge who he thought was cute?

Winged Kuriboh blushed and hid his red face. Not only did she comment on how cute he was, but she had to say it in front of an audience! Could this day get any worse? Oh yeah, he was going to get pummeled next turn by a certain Golem.

"Hahahah! As if a Kuriboh will stop me!" said Crowler, drawing a card. "Ancient Gear Golem! Attack that Kuriboh with Mechanized Meleè!"

Winged Kuriboh cried out as the Ancient Gear Golem struck him down with one measly punch, not even considering using his entire strength due to how fragile and weak Winged Kuriboh was. It was like taking candy from a baby for the Ancient Gear Golem.

Jaden shielded herself as her Winged Kuriboh was blown to pieces. "Awwww! That was my cutest monster!" _'Sorry, Winged Kuriboh!'_

Crowler was a bit confused. "Huh. Check your gear. Your Life Points haven't changed."

"My turn's fine! On the turn Winged Kuriboh is destroyed, I take 0 damage," replied Jaden, silently thanking her little winged friend for the safepass.

"How about that? A technique the doctor didn't know," said Alexis, a bit impressed.

"No one can be expected to learn every technique, Alexis," Zane said, defending Crowler a little. "Especially one as obscure as that."

"Yeah? Well, that kid sure knew it."

"Fine, fine! I guess your lame little monster saved you there," said Crowler.

Jaden was a bit angry that Crowler would refer to her monster as 'lame.' "Hey! Don't call him lame just because you beaten him! He's adorable and fluffy and cute and would pound you if it weren't for your monster there!"

Crowler sweatdropped at her continued use of words to describe her Winged Kuriboh. "Ah yes, well I forget how attached you duelists get to your monsters. I'm sorry."

"Yeah? Well, you should be!" said Jaden. "Because you attacked my Winged Kuriboh, you set off a Trap card! One of my favorites too! Hero Signal! And that lets me play Burstinatrix!"

A fiery woman wearing a tight red jumpsuit flew into the field, ready to fight by her mistress's side with her own fire powers.

Elemental Hero Burstinatrix - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (1200/800)

"My turn!" declared Jaden, drawing a card. "Alright, Winged Kuriboh and Avian! This one's for you two! Okay! I'm gonna bring back Avian with the Spell Card, the Warrior Returning Alive! And now, I'm gonna summon him to the field!"

Joining his female ally, the wind-based Elemental Hero appeared once more, much more confident than ever to finish the villain in front of them: Ancient Gear Golem.

"Okay, another amateur mistake! But this is good! This is good!" taunted Crowler, not seeing the point to all this. "Now would anyone like to tell me what our little fri-"

"Actually, I wasn't done yet," cut in Jaden. "See, I know my two Heros aren't very powerful by themselves, but, if I can form them together, it's another story! And I have just the card to unite them! Polymerization! Joining together as the Elemental Hero Flame Wingman! I hope your Gear Golem is ready for the clash of the Titans!"

Both Avian and Burstinatrix flew together in the skies, merging together as one being; a much stronger looking monster with combined colors of red and green together. His right arm had the jaw of a monster as His one wing fluttered, his left claw sharpened, and his tail whipped at the ground in response to his power.

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

"Hmm...not bad for an average amateur," said Crowler, slightly amused by a powerful creature such as the Flame Wingman. "But next time, try to summon a monster with more Attack Points than it's already out."

"What's he mean?" wondered Syrus.

"He means that Wingman's Attack Points are no match for his Golem's 3000," answered Bastion. "Shame too, because when the Wingman destroys a monster, that monster's Attack Points are dealt as damage to its owner."

"Wait, so you mean they're deducted right out of his Life Points? Oh, that would have been a great way to turn things around!"

"Well, if your friend says he's as good as he says he is, he might still find a way."

"Wow, did we really seem like friends?" wondered Syrus, unsure. Once again, his heart pounded at the thought of him and Jaden becoming more than...What was he thinking about just now?!

"Alright, young scholar!" announced Crowler. "I don't mean to rush you, but I am a busy man! Are you done yet?"

"Of course I'm not done!" said Jaden, her field card slot opening. "And of course, I knew my Wingman had less Attack Points than your Golem! That's why I have this! Skyscraper! Go!"

Buildings surrounded the entire field as the night sky shined down upon both of them. It looked too much of a grand city to be anything of a battlefield. Then again, a huge city is always perfect for a hero's day, like Elemental Hero Flame Wingman. Speaking of which, the Hero was standing on top of a building, staring down at Ancient Gear Golem.

"Alright, Flame Wingman! Go show those heroics an attack on Ancient Gear Golem!" commanded Jaden happily. _'It's all or nothing now!'_

"Fine with me! Bring it on!" challenged Crowler. "This silly little Skyscraper Field Card hasn't lowered my Golem's Attack Power by one point!"

Flame Wingman jumped off the building he was in and flew downwards towards the Golem machine, swiftly turning left and right instantly as he made his way at the ground. He jumped off the ground and flew up, ready to strike.

"You know what, teach? You're right!" said Jaden. "Your Golem's Attack Points haven't lowered, but it does raises my Wingman by a a grand total of 1000!"

Crowler practically shrieked like a woman when he heard that. "WAIT! TIME OUT!"

"Go! Skydive Scrotcher!"

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (3100/1200)

Cloaked in blazing red and yellow flames, Flame Wingman flew down towards Ancient Gear Golem, pummeling down with enough force to take down the machine villain of the day. Once again, the grand hero of the field takes down a villain, the catch of the day.

"This can't be! He was my very best card!' cried out Crowler right before a chunk of rock slammed down on his head from the ruins of his Ancient Gear Golem.

Flame Wingman landed besides his mistress, glad to accomplish his goal in defeating his opponent. "And because of my Wingman's special power, the Attack Points of that Golem are dealt straight towards your Life Points. Sweet, huh?" said Jaden.

"N-no way!" Crowler panicked and tried to run away as his defeated Ancient Gear Golem collapsed and fell right on top of him, creating dust all over the field while his Life Points started to deplete fast.

 **Jaden - 2000 LP**

 **Crowler: 0 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden Yuki**

"That's game! Thank God I'm absolutely flawless!" cheered Jaden, giving off a victory hand gesture as the monsters and field disappeared. "So, I guess I pass the test, huh teach?"

Crowler was still in a shock state over what just happened. "T-there's no way this...delinquent could defeat me!"

Chazz and his two buddies were just as shocked as everyone else who witnessed everything. "I-It must be dumb luck! No way that Crowler could lose to some flunky!"

Alexis seemed happy that Jaden seemed to pass. "That kid's got a future here! Wow!" She turned, seeing her friend Zane leave before she could catch up to him.

"Alright! Yeah, Jaden!" Syrus was cheering happily for his new friend while Bastion smiled in acknowledgement.

 _'Nice, I could use a little competition,'_ thought Bastion, finding newfound respect for Jaden.

Jaden was gladly taking in all the credit and applause for herself as the crowd cheered for her, making her do a little victory dance. "Yeah! I did it! Believe it!" She giggled to herself and stared at her Winged Kuriboh card, silently thanking him for his help.

Winged Kuriboh winked at her again. Sure, difficult times may come, but he'll be looking forward to being partners with a tomboyish girl like Jaden Yuki!

* * *

 **Whew! Finished! Hope you like it, because there'll be more where this is coming from! Read and review!**


	2. Welcome to Duel Academy!

**Wow, just one day and I got like, I dunno, about 14 reviews for just one chapter? Yeah, okay. Anyways, introducing characters like Chazz and Chumley and Alexis!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

 **"Attention new Duel Academy students, if you look outside your windows, you'll see your new home away from home,"** annnounced the helicopter pilot in a monotonous tone as he was still piloting a large helicopter meant for transportating the new students towards Duel Academy. **"Now, now. I know you're excited, but don't shove. Quite a sight, eh? Now, fasten your seatbelts and send your seats back to a right position. We're going up to land. Next up, Academy Island."**

Many of the students weren't really paying that much attention to the announcement as they were leaning their faces against the glass windows, amazed at the sight of Duel Academy, an academy for professional dueling and located in such a huge island. Who knew that a famous academy could be in a resort-like island?

Syrus was one of the students who was too eagered to sit back down. "Wow! Duel Academy Island! I can't believe it! Can you, Jaden? Huh?"

Jaden was curled up in her seat, snoring softly as she nuzzled close to her seat. Despite a seat not being the most comfortable place in the world, Jaden found the cushion park of the seat as soft as a sheep. Besides, she was too excited to sleep last night, so during the ride, she had fallen asleep with her seatbelt on.

Realizing he might have woken up Jaden, Syrus quickly covered his mouth. _'Oops! Hope I didn't wake Jaden up,'_ thought Syrus as he looked at her sleeping state. _'Still, he kinda looks...cute while he's sleeping...I mean cute in a friendly kind of way! Not in a gay way! No way!'_

* * *

Once the helicopter landed down, the new students were being escorted by some teachers inside the huge academy building. Once inside, they were taken to the auditorium and were told to wait for Chancellor Sheppard, aka the principal in Duel Academy.

Each of the students had different colored jackets on; some being blue, yellow, or red. Even if some of the students didn't know what these colors symbolized, they would find out soon enough.

The screen right in the middle of the auditorium had a little bit of a static problem, but was quickly overwhelmed a few seconds later when a bald man with a beard popped into the screen.

 **"Good morning and welcome, my students! I'm Chancellor Sheppard, headmaster here! And you, are the best and brightest young duelists in the world! Now please, get yourselves settled in at your assigned dorms! I think you'll find them quite comfortable, depending on how you rank, of course!"**

A few minutes of organizing later, the new students dispersed to go do as they pleased. They were given instructions, their own assigned classes, and their own Duel Academy PDAs to for communication and other internet uses.

Jaden and Syrus were just outside the Duel Academy building, sitting on a stone bench opposite of each other. They were checking out their own PDAs, texting each other and trying to find out more about Duel Academy.

"Well, I dunno about you, Sy, but it looks like I'm in the Slifer Red dorm!" said Jaden happily.

Syrus nodded, glad as well. "That's cool! Same with me!"

Both noticed a figure approaching passed them, and realized it was the same kid who aced the highest in the written entrance exam;Bastion Misawa.

"Hey, Bastion! You in red, too?" wondered Jaden, oblivious to the colored jacket Bastion had on.

"Oh, let's see now...yellow sleeves, yellow buttons...I don't think so," said Bastion, a little annoyed, but happy as well. He was a bit annoyed because it was too obvious that he wouldn't be in Slifer Red because of his color, and he didn't get how Jaden failed to see that. Then again, they were all new here, so it's bound to happen like that. Besides, Ra Yellow was second best in Duel Academy, and Bastion felt proud, even if he wasn't in Obelisk Blue.

"Oh, so that's why Sy and I are in red!" Jaden seemed to finally realized what the difference was in their colored jackets. Not just for the color, but also for the dorms as well.

"Just as I thought," the Ra Yellow student sighed, shaking his head in a little bit of disappointment.

Jaden seemed to have been offended by Bastion's low comment. "So? Ever thought I was colorblind?"

"Well no, actually. I didn't. Are you colorblind?"

"No, but I could have been! See ya around the dorms!" called Jaden, waving to him as he started walking away.

Bastion stopped and turned to her, pointing towards a different direction. "I doubt that. Your dorm's way over there."

It didn't take too long for Syrus and Jaden to locate their new Slifer Red dorm, which looked like a rundown shack with several rooms. It didn't look too bad, but it was nothing compared to Ra Yellow and Obelisk Blue dorms, who had much bigger and higher quality dorms.

"This isn't a dorm! It's like a outhouse with a deck!" complained Syrus as he and Jaden were standing on the second floor level of the Slifer Red dorms.

While Syrus wasn't in the slightest amused, Jaden was glancing out at the sea, smelling the fresh air and looking at the huge blue sea. "Are you kidding me? Check out the view! This place is great!"

Looking at the numbered doors, Jaden and Syrus found the room they were staying in. "Alright!" said Jaden, unlocking and opening their door. "This one's our room, Sy!"

"It's kinda small, huh?" muttered Syrus, stepping inside the dark room. The only light provided was when Jaden opened the door.

Some corners of the room was still dark due to the lights not turned on, but they could still notice a three layer bunk bed inside with some desks and chairs. Across the room was the windows, completely covered with some green curtains.

"Hey, you're a small guy!" replied Jaden cheerfully, patting her little friend on the back. "Anyway, I like it! This'll make a sweet pad for our first year here!"

"Yeah, kinda weird meeting at the entrance exams and now roommates!" agreed Syrus, getting a little excited. "Think we were connected in some ancient life together, Jaden? You know, like you were an Egyptian Pharaoh, and I was the guardian, Seto?"

"No offense, but that's just lame." Truth be told, Jaden had no idea what a Pharaoh is, or who Seto was, but she did know Syrus said the words. "Egyptian," so those words must have come from Egypt. Too bad she doesn't know anything about Egypt except about mummies and deserts there.

"Well, could be true!"

"Forget it! They broke the mold when they made the two of us!" said Jaden, shrugging off the previous comment.

Syrus looked a little discouraged. "Yeah...for different reasons."

Knowing how displeased Syrus was, Jaden tried to cheer him up. "Sy, we're gonna have to work on that confidence. But first, let's work on this pad!" She yanked on the curtains, pulling them apart to show sunlight.

"Hey! Those were closed for a reason!" An angry voice bursted out, surprising Jaden and Syrus and making them glance at the top bunk bed.

"Huh? Oh, sorry!" apologized Syrus.

"Yeah, we didn't see you up there!" excused Jaden, scratching her cheek.

"Well, can you see me now?!" A ficious-looking boy pulled off his bed covers to glare angrily at the two Slifer Reds below. Actually, he was more like a ficious panda or a bear-looking boy than just a regular human.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Syrus had jumped onto Jaden's arms as the two of them hugged each other tightly, screaming out of fear. Syrus's slim arms tightened around Jaden's neck as Jaden hugged his legs, both still screaming after two minutes later.

"Would you stop screaming?!' snapped the panda-looking boy, already irritated.

At last, both of them managed to quiet down and calm themselves, though Syrus was still clinging onto Jaden. He didn't know why, but the more he was close to Jaden, the more softness he felt as well as warmth. Maybe it was just body heat?

"S-sorry!" said Syrus, jumping off of Jaden's arms.

"It's okay!" Jaden stretched her arms, rolling her shoulders back for a bit of an excercise. Syrus was mostly light, but he was a bit heavy for her. She barely noticed his weight until after they stopped screaming.

"Hey! Who are you guys? And what are you doing here in my room?" demanded the mysterious boy once more.

"Oh! Sorry! My name's Jaden Yuki!" introduced Jaden. "And this is my pal, Syrus! We're your new roommates!"

The boy's response was a rather rude one as he turned his back on them and laid his head comfortably in his pillow, confusing the two new roommates. "You're new, alright. So, let's me tell you how things work around here."

"Like, what things?"

"Duh! Like how the whole color thing works? That's more important than anything! You've got three different kinds of students here! Obelisk Blue students, Ra Yellow students, and Slifer Red students. Now, the Blues are the highest-ranked students; some kids are blue because of their grades, others through connections. The Yellows are second highest;mostly younger students with lots of potential. Then, there are us: The Red Wonders."

Syrus seems a little glad about the nickname. "The Wonders! That's a cool name."

However, Syrus's happiness went down the drain after the boy spoke, "As in, 'I wonder how flunkies like us ever got this far,' maybe. Yeah, sorry. But we're bottom of the barrel down here. Dueling duds. Oh, I'm Chumley by the way."

After exploring around the Slifer Red dorms, Syrus and Jaden decided to take a walk together around campus. While Syrus seemed disheartened by the fact that he was placed in the lowest rank of all, he was sorta glad his new friend, Jaden was with him. Also, he couldn't help but feel his heart pounding the more he spent close to Jaden.

Still, that doesn't change the fact that he's a low leveled Slifer Red.

"Come on! Don't tell me you're still depressed!" said Jaden with a smile on her face.

"But Chumley said we Reds are the worst!"

"Forget that! Besides, red's a sweet color!" Jaden encouraged, with pride swelled inside her chest. "Red's my favorite color anyways! And anyways, think about it! Where do you think the term, 'red hot,' comes from? From red, obviously! Besides, the year hasn't even started yet, so how can we be the worst?"

Hearing that made Syrus feel a little bit better. Actually, it got him pumped up!

"Yeah! You're right, Jaden!" agreed Syrus before putting on a brave face as he burned with pride of his color. "Yeah! Red is for 'red hot!' And scorching, dangerous, HOT! I'm like a furnace! Or like a bottle of really hot spicy-huh?"

Syrus saw Jaden rushing towards the Duel Academy building before sighing. It's only been a short while since he met Jaden, and he could tell that he's the curious, cheerful type that wants to go wandering off and explore something.

"Hey, Jay! Wait up!"

"There's something going on in there!"

"How do you know?"

"I just do! I'm like a...dueling psychic! Oh wait! I gotta go to the bathroom!"

"Okay! Okay! We'll ask directions! Just wait up, Jaden!"

* * *

"Okay, we take a left and uh...wait a minute! This isn't the bathroom!" said Jaden, walking right into some sort of small stadium with a Duel Arena around the middle. Seats surrounded the entire room and it was obviously this was a small Duel stadium area.

"That's...the last time...we take directions from a blind guy..." panted Syrus, who was tired from all the running from chasing after Jaden. Who knew Jaden was THAT fast?

Both of them stopped to glance around the Dueling Arena, astonished by how big it was. It wasn't as big as the other Dueling Arenas seen on TV for competitions, but it was still astounding and breathtaking.

"Whoa...too cool! Wow...This is the sweetest Dueling Arena I've ever seen!" gasped Jaden, still looking around the area with her own eyes.

"Yeah, no kidding! It looks completely state of the art!" agreed Syrus, honored to be in such a huge place such as this. "I bet it would be amazing to duel here!"

Jaden turned to her short little friend. "Well, let's find out!"

"Do you think we're allowed?"

"Sure, we're allowed! We're students here! This is our campus here, right?"

"Wrong! This is the Blue Obelisk's campus!" A loud, heavily accented voice interrupted. Both Syrus and Jaden glanced up and saw two boys in blue uniforms looking back at them, all confident and high mighty. So, they were Obelisk Blue members, huh?

"And you Slifer Red rejects aren't welcomed here! You got that?" The spiky brown-haired guy told them, scoffing at their ignorance of knowledge before pointing upwards. "Check out the crest!"

Turning around, Jaden and Syrus saw a blue crest-like symbol on the wall, symbolizing Obelisk the Tormentor, one of the most famous Egyptian God cards.

"This arena's our turf!" said the blue-haired Obelisk Blue.

Syrus seemed nervous. If Obelisk Blues were really high ranked, then they must be skilled duelists! There's no way he'd stand a chance against the two Obelisk Blues and then get humilated.

"S-sorry! We were just looking around! But we'll leave now, right Jaden?"

"Hmm...nah! We don't have to leave!" replied Jaden, still oblivious to the importance of the color system. "Not as long as one of you agrees to duel me!"

The blue-haired Obelisk Blue widen his eyes, now recognizing who Jaden is. "Hey, you're that kid!"

"Hey, Jaden, right? The boss wants to have some words with ya!" said the brown-haired Obelisk Blue.

"Look, if it's a snobby rich kid, I don't wanna know," informed Jaden, not afraid to speak her mind.

"Hey! I'm right here, you know!"

Looking up, Jaden and Syrus saw a young, handsome spiky black-haired boy, presumably Chazz Princeton. He did not look happy about Jaden's insult or the fact that he wasn't showing any respect for him! Chazz freakin' Princeton!

"His name's Chazz Princeton!" defended the blue-haired Obelisk Blue, who was just as mad and insulted as Chazz. "And he was the No. 1 duelist back in prep school, so you make sure you give him the proper respect, got it?"

"Yeah, he's gonna be the future King of Games! The best duelist in the world!" added in the brown-haired Obelisk Blue, acting all smug and confident about the fact.

Jaden frowned, crossing her arms. "Impossible."

"Say what?!"

"You see, it's impossible for him to be the future King of Games because that's exactly what I'm gonna be!"

The two Obelisk Blues glanced at one another before crackling up with laughter. "A Slifer slacker? King of Games? That'll be the day!"

"Can it, you two!" shouted Chazz, already having heard enough. "Maybe the new kid's right!"

"Uh...what do you mean there, Chazz?"

"He did beat Crowler after all. And that legendary monster of his," pointed out Chazz. "I suppose it takes _some_ skill to pull it off."

Jaden seemed happy about the short reminder, then realized something he said. "Got that right! Oh, and I'm not a he-"

"Or was it luck? I say we find out right now!"

Completely forgetting about the gender mistake and seeing the determined look on his eyes, Jaden nodded, smirking. "Bring it!"

Both Jaden and Chazz stared at each other, intent on winning, the both of them. Before the two of them could take out their duel disks and rush towards the Duel Arena to begin dueling, a voice stopped them in their tracks.

"This sure is a mocking crew."

A beautiful young girl with long blond hair showed up, her arms crossed with a calm look on her face. She was an Obelisk Blue judging from her color, but it seemed she was wearing the girl's uniform. Jaden wondered why she never got the girl's uniform for the Slifer Reds.

Syrus was blushing, amazed by the beauty the girl possessed. "Whoa! Who is that?"

"Hey, Alexis," purred Chazz in a somewhat flirtatious tone, trying to look good for the girl. "Have you come to watch me mop the floor with my new little friend, Jaden, over here? It'll be a short duel, but an entertaining one, for sure."

"I'm here to remind you about the Obelisk welcome dinner you're late to!" scolded Alexis lightly.

"Oh, right. Come on, guys." Chazz jumped off his seat, successfully landing on the ground before he began to leave, the other two Obelisk Blue males following after him like dogs.

As soon as they left, Alexis turned to Jaden and Syrus with an apologetic look on her face. "Sorry if Chazz rubbed you the wrong way. All of us Obelisks aren't like that. He's just a jerk. Especially with Slifers!"

"That's no big deal!" replied Jaden casually, surprising the Obelisk female. "Those types might be annoying, but they don't bother me much! Besides, I could beat them in one turn!"

"We gotta work on that overconfidence!" said Syrus, taken aback by how easygoing Jaden still is.

"Okay, maybe two turns! Maybe two and a half!"

Alexis giggled, finding Jaden to be quite entertaining. "The Slifer welcome dinner is about to start, too."

"Right! We better go, Sy!" Jaden ran ahead first, causing Syrus to groan.

"Hey! Wait up!"

Screeching to a halt, Jaden turned around, taking a few breaths. "Hey! What was your name again?"

"Huh? Alexis Rhodes! And yours?"

"The name's Jaden Yuki, future King of Games! And I'm absolutely flawless! Well, see ya around!" Winking at her, she ran for it once more, with Syrus tailing after her.

"Hey! Aren't you gonna introduce me!"

"Oh! Right! Sorry, bud!"

"That's al-hey! Put me down! Put me down! I'm not a kid!"

"You kinda do, actually!" Jaden rushed back to Alexis, holding Syrus by the waist like he was a baby while he was frailing around, trying to break free. "This is Syrus! Syrus, meet Alexis! Hopefully, you two will make a good couple because Syrus is so cute!~"

"JADEN!" Alexis had to admit, Syrus was cute when he was all flustered like that. He was even more cute as he was struggling to break free while Jaden was carrying him while still running.

"Oh, come on! I've read it all about it in comic books! For some reason, some guy who blushes around a girl really loves them!"

"I know I wanted you to introduce me, but I didn't say anything like that!"

"I bet Alexis thinks you're cute! Even if she doesn't, I still say you're cute!"

"Well, my Mom always did say I had the looks!"

* * *

About half an hour later, it was already dark out in the early evening for the first day of Duel Academy. While the other dorms were enjoying their five-course meals and happily chatting with one another in their fancy dorms, the Slifer Red dorms weren't so lucky with their own welcoming dinner.

All the Slifer Red members had for dinner was a simple, plain old dinner. Just some rice, soup, and small sardines; a dinner meant for commoners. Needless to say, most of the Slifer Reds were not amused and even complaining.

"This is our fancy welcome dinner?"

"This sucks!"

"I can't believe this!"

"So, we got into a fight today, and my friend got killed!"

"That's harsh, dude!"

"Well, maybe not killed, but more like humilated!"

"Did someone take my beans?"

"What kinda dinner is this?"

"Forget that! Check out our headmaster! It's a cat!"

Right across the room, laying on a table, a plump-looking cat with brown stripes was stretching his body, yawning after waking up from a small nap. Some of the students were wondering whether or not their dorm Headmaster was a cat or that the original Headmaster was just late.

"Dude, go touch the cat!"

"I'm not touching that cat!"

"Come on, go touch the cat!"

"I'm not touchin' the damn cat! It might have something!"

"I'll give you a Mokey Mokey if you do it!"

"Gimme that damn cat."

Stepping out of the kitchen and into the dining room, a tall, asian-like man appeared with squinty eyes and a smile on his face. "Hello, children! I'm Professor Banner! Now, before we eat, I'd like each of you to tell us something about you-"

"Mmm! This stuff's good!"

Everyone diverted their attention towards Jaden, who was enjoying her dinner and munching on some sardines mixed with rice. Syrus was frantically trying to stop her before their Headmaster would notice.

"Jaden! We're supposed to tell something about ourselves!" whispered Syrus nervously, not wanting to get into trouble.

"No thanks! How about this? I'm starving!" She used her chopsticks to scoop up some more rice before swallowing it.

"He's walking over here, Jaden!" Syrus kept glancing back over his shoulder and at his female friend. "I mean it! He's right...there..."

Jaden gulped down the contents of her food, trying to hide any evidence of her eating when it was clear she was halfway done. She sheepishly grinned at Banner, who was giving her a somewhat creepy smile.

"Um...the cat ate half my food!"

Syrus facepalmed himself, groaning. Yup, Jaden was in huge trouble now. He could already think of three flaws in Jaden's plans, and he wasn't _trying._

Flaw #1: The cat was already far away from Jaden's seat, thus impossible for him to eat her food.

Flaw # 2: Jaden's mouth was crusted with pieces of rice and little bits of soup and sardines from scarfing down.

Flaw # 3: As if her manners weren't rude enough, she made very bad table manners.

"Well...since some of us don't feel like waiting..." started Banner, making Jaden and Syrus uneased. "...Let's just eat!"

Both Slifer Reds sighed in relief before they started to gobble down their food like the rest. That was too close! Well, at least their teacher was really nice, unlike a certain blond-haired flamboyant teacher.

Later that night, Syrus began some tea into three mugs for his roommates as they rested peacefully in their room. Chumley was still sleeping in his bed, and Jaden was rubbing her stuffed stomach.

"Man, I'm stuffed! I gotta tell ya, Professor Banner sure can cook! Wow!"

"Yeah, and he seems like a pretty nice guy, as well!" Syrus smiled and walked over to her, handing her a cup of tea. "Tea?"

"With you there, he's a pretty good person! And yeah, thanks!" Jaden gladly accepted the tea; a perfect hot drink for a cold night.

Syrus looked at Chumley's figure on top of the bunk bed. "Hey, Chumley! Want some tea?"

"Did I ask for some tea?" Chumley snapped rudely as he turned his body and covered himself more with his blanket.

Seeing Syrus's hurt expression, Jaden frowned at his rude response. "Hey, he was just asking! No need to snap at him like that!"

"That's okay, Jaden. I'm used to it."

"Duh! Tea makes you wet the bed! Not that I do! I mean-whatever! Trying to sleep!"

Hearing a ringing tone and her pocket vibrating, Jaden pulled out her PDA, which revealed an upcoming recording message from an unknown caller. Pressing onto the small envelope picture with wings on her PDA screen, it was replaced by a message coming from Chazz.

 **"Hey, Slifer slacker! Don't think you're off the hook! Tonight, at midnight, it's on! Oh, and why don't we make it interesting? Whoever wins gets the other guy's best card and-oh crap, about to run out of time-"**

Apparently, there was a time limit towards recording a message and sending it to someone. In the past, there were some complaints about this issue from the students, so Duel Academy decided to extend the time limit, but it wasn't enough for Chazz's message to run through. These record messages were similar to voice mail messages, except not as advanced as the voice mails.

"Cool! I guess I get to duel in that arena after all!" Instead of being fazed, Jaden grinned of excitement as she hurried to gather her deck and prepare herself.

Having overheard the recording conversation, Chumley glanced down his bed with worry. "If that's Chazz you're dueling, all you've got is trouble!"

* * *

"I'm not so sure this is a good idea, Jaden," whispered Syrus, uneased as he and Jaden were walking down the dark hallways. Syrus was clinging onto Jaden's arm as both of them tried to find the Duel Arena in the middle of the dark. If they weren't careful, they could trigger an alarm, and they'd be in serious trouble!

"Good or bad, when someone challenges you to a duel, you gotta step up! Heh, there's no choice! Oh! There it is!"

Finally, after wandering around the darkness for a while, Jaden and Syrus spotted a room full of light, and judging from the huge dueling platform, they figured it was the Duel Arena. Sure enough, Chazz and his two Obelisk Blue friends were there, waiting for their arrival.

"Well, well, well! He shows!" snickered Chazz.

"You better believe it! There was no way I was gonna miss this!"

It didn't take long for the two duelists to take their positions onto the platform, their duel disks ready at hand while they stood in opposite sides of the arena.

"Time to find out whether you beating Crowler was a fluke, or a fact!" taunted Chazz.

"Yeah, well you're gonna find out something else too! Like which one of us is really gonna be the next King of Games!" reminded Jaden, still remembering their last short conversation.

"Yeah, yeah! Just make sure you're ready to hand over your best card when you're ready to lose!"

"You too, now game on!"

Both duelists stared at each other with determined intentions, wanting to win. Both were obviously very strong, but just which one would win? The outcome of this duel would determine it all. After waiting for a few seconds, both duelists declared the start of the duel with one word.

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Chazz - 4000 LP**

"Alright, slacker!" Chazz drew his first card and looked at it, deciding on his strategy already. "For my first move, I'll play Reborn Zombie in Defense Mode!"

Kneeling down, an old skeleton-like monster with barely any skin and clothing appeared on the field. His empty eye sockets proved fatal to his appearance as a zombie creature, plus the wrinkling hair and skin was more effective to his monstrous part.

Reborn Zombie - (DARK/Zombie) - LV4 - (1000/1600)

"And I'll also place one card facedown!"

"I guess that's one way to start a duel!" commented Jaden. "But I'm gonna go a little bigger! And here goes!" She drew her own card, which happened to be Elemental HERO Avian. As she looked at her cards, one of them happened to be Winged Kuriboh, who moved his own card slightly to greet his mistress.

Jaden wanted to squeal with joy at seeing her little furry friend again, but decided against it this time. She had a duel to focus, and kicking Chazz's ass was the first priority on her list!

"Hey, it's good to see you, Winged Kuriboh! Maybe I'll see you later! But now...I'll play Polymerization, using Elemental Hero Avian and Burstinatrix! So come out and show everyone your light show, Flame Wingman!"

The dual-colored monster bursted into action from the fusion of his dear close duel monsters, Burstinatrix and Avian. He might have one wing, but it shows for scary, and his monster-like arm has more than meets the eye.

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Fusion/Warrior) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

"I told ya I'd start big, didn't I?" teased Jaden, acting all cocky as she held one of her favorite fusion monsters.

However, it was Chazz's turn to smirk. "I was hoping you would!"

"Why's that?"

"Because that card I just placed facedown was a trap, slacker! That you set off! Chthonian Polymer, do your stuff!"

When the card sprang from the ground and revealed its cover, a dark purple-like aura surrounded it, making Syrus uneased. "W-what's Chthonian Polymer?"

"I had a feeling I'd find you guys here." Alexis walked up to Syrus, watching the duel with interest. "Chthonian Polymer is a nasty Trap. It allows you to take control of an opponent's fusion monster by sacrificing one of your own creatures."

"Oh no! Jaden already fusion summoned, though!" gasped Syrus, looking at Flame Wingman worriedly.

"I sacrifice Reborn Zombie to gain control of your Wingman!" announced Chazz without hesitation.

Reborn Zombie roared in pain as it glowed and exploded shortly after. Next, Flame Wingman flew over to Chazz's side of the field, grunting quietly. He already didn't like his new controller, as it was used to Jaden's command.

"How did Chazz know when to play that?!' wondered Syrus.

"You're so predictable, Jaden!" said Chazz. "You wouldn't stop talking about that Wingman at the exam! So, I knew you'd use him sooner!"

"Still, since the Wingman was still a Special Summon, that means I'm allowed to summon another monster during my turn!" reminded Jaden, looking at the cards she had left. _'Not that anything in my hand is a match for Wingman.'_

 _'Go ahead, play another monster! I haven't forgotten about Flame Wingman's super power,'_ thought Chazz, still carrying a confident smirk on his face.

Inside his own card, Winged Kuriboh was bouncing up and down, trying to catch Jaden's attention with his purrs and cries. _**"Choose me! Choose me!"**_ While he does seem weak, any battle damage delivered to Jaden turns to 0 once the furball himself is destroyed in battle.

"I'll play Clayman in Defense Mode! There, all set!"

Winged Kuriboh fell down anime-style before it huffed and cried out in anger. _**"No! Not him! ME! ME!"**_ Unfortunately for him, even though Jaden could speak to Duel Spirits, not all communications could go through successfully. Well, at least Clayman could provide some defense.

Clayman kneeled on one knee as he blocked his body with his rock-like arms. While he was weakest in strength, his body built and high defense makes up for it. After all, he may as well be the defender of all the Elemental HEROES.

Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

"Yeah, set up to get knocked down!" said Chazz, playing a different monster. "Rise, Chthonian Soldier!"

Standing right next to Flame Wingman, a devilish human-like soldier wearing dark, thick armor came into the cavalry. He was just as ficious as Flame Wingman, with a apower of 1200.

Chthonian Soldier - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1200/1400)

"And now, Flame Wingman! Attack with Skydive Scrotcher!"

Flying up into the air, Flame Wingman was engulfed with flames as he was charging himself for an attack, though he was trying not to. Although he hated to, he had to attack his other comrade, Clayman, who didn't stand a chance against him.

"And now, thanks to Wingman's super power, your Life Points take damage equal to your destroyed monster's attack points!"

Eyes widening, Jaden turned to see her controlled former monster standing right in front of her, trying desperately to hold back his super power ability, his monster-like arm charging up flames to strike at her Life Points.

"Uh...have mercy-AAAAAAAAHAHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Jaden!" cried out Syrus as he watched his friend being trapped in what seems to be an endless supply of flames. Luckily, that wasn't the case and Flame Wingman retreated back to Chazz's side.

 **Jaden - 3200 LP**

 **Chazz - 4000 LP**

"And don't think for one second that I'm done, slacker!" shouted Chazz, looking at his Chthonian Soldier. "Chthonian Soldier! Attack! Windstorm Slash!"

Swiftly, Chthonian Soldier obeyed his owner's orders by slashing his blade at the defenceless Jaden's chest, causing her to cry out and fall to her knees. She clenched her fists together as she hugged herself, seemingly in pain.

 **Jaden - 2000 LP**

 **Chazz - 4000 LP**

"Are you starting to know your place here at the academy yet?" questioned Chazz, much more smug and overjoyed than ever. "Maybe you were somebody back home, but here in the Big Leagues, you're nothing but a pathetic little amateur, Slifer slime!"

Flame Wingman looked over his shoulder at Chazz, growling in irritation, though Chazz didn't seem to notice. It was bad enough that he controlled him and used him to attack his own mistress, but insulting her as well? He hoped that Jaden would find a way to get him back so he could teach this spiky-haired punk a thing or two!

"I'll end my turn with a facedown! Go ahead, slacker!"

Unexpectedly, but rather amusing to Chazz, Jaden started to tremble, and what seems like sobs started to come out of her.

Syrus, Alexis, and Flame Wingman were rather concerned for the girl since she was crying. Alexis felt like she wanted to rush over there and comfort her, while Syrus and Flame Wingman just wanted to beat up Chazz for making Jaden cry. Syrus because Jaden was his friend and he felt protective of her for some reason, and Flame Wingman for being overprotective of her.

"Aw! What's wrong, baby? Are you crying?" taunted Chazz. It was people like him that made Syrus want to punch the living daylights out of. Too bad he wasn't courageous enough to do so.

Actually, Jaden was snickering, then laughing with joy as she stood up. "This is too fun! Just what I came for! Man, I mean, the trash talking, the action! It's all so great!"

Everyone else besides Chazz was glad that Jaden was alright and not sadden. However, they all knew Jaden had a long way to go if she was going to beat Chazz at his own challenge.

"I summon Elemental Hero Sparkman in Attack Mode!" shouted Jaden after drawing her card.

The electric-type Elemental Hero popped onto the field, standing so tall and strong as he stared right at his opponent and waited for commands from his mistress.

Elemental Hero Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1400)

"Alright, Sparkman! Now! Attack with Static Shockwave!"

The blue masked hero powered himself up with electricity before shooting a blast of lightning right at Chthonian Soldier, wiping him out completely before dust hit the entire field.

 **Jaden - 2000 LP**

 **Chazz - 3600 LP**

Suddenly, flying out of the field, a sharp-edged sword came crashing down and landed accurately at Jaden, hitting her in the chest and going over her body due to an holographic effect.

Jaden yelped with pain as she tugged at her shirt, trying to get over the pain as Sparkman looked at her with worry, even though he wasn't showing it.

 **Jaden - 1600 LP**

 **Chazz- 3600 LP**

"Still think it's great, slacker?" called out Chazz. "Because when Chthonian Soldier is destroyed, you receive the same amount of damage as I did! Difference is, you hardly have any to spare! It's just a matter of time, slacker! Your best card is about to be all mine!"

"Ugh...I'll set one card facedown and call it a turn," said Jaden, finishing her turn.

"Play what you like! My next attack will finish off your Life Points!" said Chazz, drawing his card. "And that attack's coming right now! Go, Flame Wingman!"

"Not so fast! That was a Trap Card I just threw!"

"It's Mirror Gate!" gasped Syrus, just as shocked as Chazz is currently.

"Then this duel's still on!" said Alexis, knowing the meaning of the card. "When Mirror Gate is played, it makes two monsters in a battle switch which side they're on! So now, that Wingman's back with Jaden!"

Since Chazz declared an attack, both monsters sprang up in the air, locking hands with each other for a fight of struggle and survival.

"Oh, yeah! Go, Flame Wingman!" ordered Jaden, determination filling her up.

As Sparkman tried to fight back by electrifiying his hands, Flame Wingman took the upper hand and backfired his blast back on the Sparkman, destroying him.

 **Jaden - 1600 LP**

 **Chazz - 3100 LP**

"And, just like you told me a while ago, don't forget my Wingman's super power! You take damage equal to the destroyed monster!"

Chazz was soon face-to-face with the monster he tried to control before, being forced to taste his wrath. "Uh...have mercy-AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

Nobody had any idea the great amount of pleasure Flame Wingman took when he roasted the young man with his fire ability. They couldn't see it, but he was holding a sinister smile on his face. Nobody messed with Jaden and gets away with it.

 **Jaden - 1600 LP**

 **Chazz - 1500 LP**

"That's the way to play, Jay! Now give him an offensive hand sign!" cheered Syrus. Jaden smirked, giving off a V-sign.

"Lucky move, Slifer school scum!" scoffed Chazz, getting over the attack he was forced to endure. "Alright, I activate Chthonian Blast! Now, since you destroyed one of my monsters, I can destroy one of yours, and you take damage equal to half its Attack Points!"

"Flame Wingman..." muttered Jaden, not liking where this was going. That was her strongest monster on the field! Now she has no monsters to defend with!

 **Jaden - 550 LP**

 **Chazz - 1500 LP**

"Now I attack the Trap Card, Call of the Haunted! It lets me select one Monster Card in my Graveyard and summon it back on the field in Attack Mode! Rise, Chthonian Soldier! But he won't be around for long, because I'm sacrificing him to summon Mefist the Internal General!"

A black knight covered in midnight-colored armor showed up, wielding a long axe weapon and riding on a ram creature like it was his own horse.

Mefist the Infernal General - (DARK/Fiend) - LV5 - (1800/1700)

"Not bad!" said Jaden, impressed.

"Not bad?" Chazz smirked. "You're something else, you know that, slacker? Acting all confident! But your lousy monsters won't get ya outta this jam!"

Hearing a humming sound, Jaden saw Winged Kuriboh in his card, trying to cheer her on and give her support, causing her to let a tiny squeal.

"I know he's wrong, Kuri!" said Jaden, grinning at the cute nickname as she readied to draw her card. "What Chazz doesn't know is that my monsters and I...have a bond!"

With her sharp ears, Alexis heard footsteps echoing in the hallways and approaching very close to the Duel Arena. "Ah! Guys!" she yelled, trying to warn them. "Campus security! If they find us all in here, we'll get seriously busted!"

"Why? I mean, we're all students here!" said Jaden, tilting her head. That small action was...pretty cute to Chazz and Syrus. Realizing how gay they must have thought, they shook their heads of any such thought.

Alexis sighed and took out a handbook from her skirt pocket. "The rules say, 'No off-hour arena duels!' Chazz knows that! And let me guess, he didn't tell you!"

"Come on! Let's go!" called out one of the Obelisk Blues.

"W-well, looks like you lucked out this time," said Chazz, turning around to leave as the monsters and other remaining cards on the field vanished.

"What are you talking about? The match isn't over!" Jaden said, wanting to duel more.

"Yeah it is. I've seen what I came here to see. You're a sorry duelist! You beating Dr. Crowler was just a fluke!"

Watching Chazz and his friends leave, Jaden grew mad with cute puffed cheeks. "Oh yeah? Well, screw you too, Chazzy!"

"Don't call me, 'Chazzy!' What are you, gay?"

"What does gay mean?"

"Jaden! We gotta get outta here!" said Syrus, running up to her and tugging on her arm.

Alexis nodded. "Yeah! He's right!"

Jaden groaned, stomping on her foot like a frustrated little child. "This sucks! I had this guy on the ropes!"

Arriving outside the Duel Academy building, Syrus, Alexis, and Jaden panted for breath as they stopped to rest, successfully escaping campus security.

"You certainly are stubborn, Jaden," admitted Alexis, poking Jaden's forehead as she laughed happily.

"Only about my dueling!"

"Thanks for showing us the back way out, Alexis!" thanked Syrus with a blush.

"Sure! I'm sorry you didn't get to finish your match with Chazz."

"It's okay! I know just how it would have ended anyways!" replied Jaden, holding a Monster Reborn card in her hands and showing it to her two new friends.

* * *

 _Jaden's imagination..._

 _"With Monster Reborn, I summon Flame Wingman from the Graveyard!" declared Jaden bravely as the card shined with glorious victory._

 _Thanks to the magic card, the mighty fusion monster made his appearance onto the field, much more happy to serve on his mistress's side than on the ugly one's._

 _Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Fusion/Warrior) - LV6 - (2100/1200)_

 _"And now, Skydive Scrotcher!"_

 _As quickly as he could, Flame Wingman delivered righteous justice upon Mefist before he was completely obliterated by the wind and fire combo of his attack. And due to his special ability, Chazz not only took damage when his monster destroyed, but also his monster's Attack Points._

 ** _Jaden - 550 LP_**

 ** _Chazz - 0 LP_**

 ** _Winner: Jaden_**

 _"Yay! I won!" cheered Jaden as Chazz bowed down in front of her._

 _"You win, Jaden! I'm sorry I ever doubted you and insulted you! Please forgive me!" Chazz pleaded, offering a bowl of freshly cooked fried shrimp. "Here, a bowl of fried shrimp! I am your servant, mistress Jaden!"_

* * *

Jaden giggled with joy at her own imagination. Sure, it would be fun to have Chazz as her manslave, but the deal was for him to hand over his best card. But still, wouldn't it be rad if he also betted about slavery as well? Still, she would have shown mercy on him and just taken his card as payment in the end.

Syrus and Alexis sweatdropped as they watched Jaden laughing to herself. Sure, she could be imagining about her victory, but there could be more to her mind than meets the eye. Syrus felt his heart strangely beating faster the moment he heard her giggling cutely. Wait, what was he thinking again?!

"Well, see ya!" Jaden took Syrus's hand and forced him to run with her back to the Slifer Red dorms.

"Hey! Hold on, Jay! I can't run as fast as you!"

Alexis smiled, watching her two new friends retreating. _'This sure is going to be an interesting school year!'_

* * *

 **Yes! I'm done! I tried all I could to be as descriptive as possible in this chapter, which took a long while, if you ask me. A lot of changes had to be made, and so on. Quick things!**

 **A poll has been made in my profile to determine which pairing Jaden should go with. If you want more love candidates on the list, just say the word!**

 **I'll do my best to make as many changes as possible! Don't worry, Jaden's friends and everyone else will figure out her gender...eventually.**

 **Read and review and please give me ideas or suggestions for the story!**


	3. A Duel of Love!

**Yeah, I love you guys for so many reviews! Well, I have to keep Jaden's gender a bit classified for now due to jokes and references in the future! Don't worry, while Jaden's still a tomboy, she's still a little feminine.**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"Duel monster cards can be grouped into Normal monster cards, Fusion monster cards, Ritual monster cards, Effect monster cards, Trap cards, and Spell cards. Trap cards can be divided into Normal Traps, Counter Traps, and Continuous Traps. Spell cards can be separated into Normal Spells, Continuous Spells, Equip Spells, Quick-Play Spells, Ritual Spells, and Field Spells," explained Alexis, answering a question for the classroom.

"Perfect!~" sang Crowler. "Well done, Alexis! Of course I wouldn't expect anything less from one of my Blue Obelisks!"

"Yes, Dr. Crowler!" With that said, Alexis sat back down.

"Hmm...Now, who should we question next...?" Crowler scanned the entire classroom, trying to find the perfect candidate to humiliate with. His attention was drawn right towards the Slifer Red section of the room.

There were so many Slifer Reds to choose from, but one person came to mind; Jaden Yuki. Of course, he could always pick him, but last time he did, he actually entertained the class with a joke, making him likable than laughable. Then again, there was always Option # 2...

"You! Syrus Truesdale!"

Hearing his name being called harshly, Syrus quickly stood up. "Y-yes?"

"Explain to the class what a Field Spell is!"

Feeling so many eyes on his, Syrus's mind was in a jumble. "Uh...um...A Field Spell is...Um...The thing that affects the thing that um..."

"Even preschoolers know the answer to this, Slifer slacker!" ridiculed one of the Obelisk Blues, which caused most of the other Obelisk Blues to start laughing like he did. Alexis sent a sharp glare at them, making some of them stop their laughing in fear.

"N-no! I know! It's um..." Even though some of the laughter stopped, Syrus was still embarrassed, as evident of his red face.

Everyone waited for his response, even Bastion, who was concerned for the red-faced boy. Jaden reached out and placed a hand on his arm. "Relax, Sy! You've got this!" she whispered, trying to give him encouragement.

Overhearing Jaden, and losing his patience, Crowler said, "I think not! Sit down! Now, would someone please give me the answer? Presumably someone not wearing _red,_ thank you!"

Most of the Obelisk Blue students laughed like before, though some immediantly shut up when Alexis gazed at them with a much more fierce look than before. She did not like bullying in this school, and nobody wanted to mess with an angry Alexis.

Syrus took a sudden interest in his shoelaces, trying not to show his face to the class. "I blew it...I made all the Slifers look bad."

Jaden didn't seem fazed by Syrus's small mistake as she faced the teacher. "You know something, teach? You really shouldn't go and make fun of us Slifers like that. I mean, I'm a Slifer, and I beat ya, so when you make fun of us, you're really making fun of yourself!"

That unavoidable fact was more than enough for Crowler to become frustrated as he bit down on his handkerchief, trying not to yell out curse words towards the Slifer scum. How dare he embarrass him like this, especially in front of his own class, no less!

Jaden grinned as she held up a V-sign towards her fellow Slifer Red classmates. They seemed glad that at one of their members was able to beat Crowler, especially with his own deck!

Syrus felt relieved and looked up at Jaden with a reassuring smile on his face. He felt heartwarming that Jaden stood up for him and the fact that she tried to encourage him when he was nervous. His chest felt warm and his heart was beating madly.

 _'That's it! I will not tolerate this slacker at my school for another second!'_ the blond-haired Obelisk Blue thought. _'I'll see to it that he's taken down!'_

Later, after Crowler's lesson was over, Banner took control of the classroom for a brand new lesson. He was currently stroking Pharaoh, the Slifer Red dorm's cat, as he was giving a lecture.

"So, as some of you students know, my name is Professor Lyman Banner! I specialize in some of the lesson known tactics and some strategies in the world of Duel Monsters. Some that are considered to be unnatural."

Jaden yawned tiredily, forced to have to listen to another boring introduction speech. Crowler's speech was already bad enough and lasted for about half an hour, but it wasn't as boring as this! At least this was nice old Banner taking over instead of another strict teacher.

"Oh, by the way, thanks Jaden!" whispered Syrus at the half-sleepy girl.

"Sure...what for?"

"Sticking up for me!"

Banner frowned, seeing as how two of his students weren't paying attention to him. Oh well, they are first-year students after all, so what can one expect?

Noticing the frowning look on Banner's face, Jaden whispered, "Uh oh. I think I might have to do it again in a second."

"Syrus?"

Yelping, Syrus rose to his feet, hearing his name from the professor. "Y-yeah?"

"Do me a favor and grab Pharaoh, would you? He is right by your feet."

Feeling something being pressed by his feet, Syrus glanced down and saw Pharaoh nuzzling his head against his boots while the other students laughed. It seems that out of all the students' shoes, Pharaoh favored Syrus out of all.

"P-Pharaoh!"

* * *

 _In Crowler's office..._

 _'How dare that Slifer slacker Jaden Yuki make a mockery of me?! Especially in front of my class like that?!'_ pondered Crowler as he was writing down something with his quill pen. _'Now then...since I'm done with the love letter, how about some poetry?'_

"Ah! Here we go! 'Love is like a big Ancient Gear Golem!'" Crowler paused, realizing how stupid and weird that sounded. "No wait, that doesn't work!"

After placing the love letter inside an envelope and sealing it with a big kiss full of lipstick, Crowler sneaked his way into the co-ed locker room, where he found that Jaden's current class right now was gym.

Apparently, both boys and girls had to share this co-ed locker room, but the girls had to dress first before the boys were given a chance. That way, it would be fair and appropriate for both genders.

 _'Now, to plant the bait!'_ Crowler thought, searching through the lockers. If he could find Jaden's name in any of the things inside the lockers, he could also place the love letter inside.

This task was simply too easy for the Obelisk Blue teacher as he found Jaden's name written all over the insides of his sneakers as a name tag. Even more interesting were his clothes! Sure, there were regular jeans, the Slifer Red jacket, and a shirt, but there was also panties inside!

 _'Why and how did Jaden Yuki, of all people, get girl panties?!'_ thought Crowler, picking them up carefully while looking around. _'This is perfect! He'll be in more trouble for having girl panties! But how can I expose him without revealing myself? Damnit! I should have brought a camera! Well, at least I know the slacker is a pervert.'_

* * *

"Wonder where Syrus is..." muttered Jaden, waiting in a group full of her fellow gym classmates. Everyone, even the girls, were wearing the same colored uniforms which consisted of zipped up jackets and long pants which aren't very suited for exercise.

Some students began whispering to each other, mostly the males. "Dude, did you hear? We've got a female teacher! And she's hot!"

"The I-wanna-play-card-games kinda hot?"

"The very kind!"

"Just how hot are we talking?"

Just then, a beautiful woman with auburn colored hair tied up in a ponytail showed up in the same uniform as everyone else."Hi, everyone! My name is Fonda Fontaine, and I'll be your gym instructor for the rest of the gym semester! Ready to sweat?"

"Dude, you were right! She is hot!"

"Wow! For someone in her 20s or 30s, she is smokin'!"

"You were right, dude! She is the I-wanna-play-card-games kinda hot chick!"

Not knowing the sexual references going on, Jaden smiled, thinking that this teacher was just as good as dueling as the rumors went by. Winged Kuriboh didn't seem to approve what was going on and huffed angrily, wanting to protect Jaden from the perverted boys.

* * *

"Lousy girls! Gym! They should make the signs bigger!" cried out Syrus, panting from so much running. He was so late to gym class due to not knowing where the locker rooms were. He sat down on a bench and started to take off his shoes before opening his locker.

Inside, he saw clothes that didn't belong to him, including Jaden's sneakers, since her name was written on them. Like usual, Jaden had borrowed his locker, but Syrus didn't seem to mind much. What was more interesting was the envelope on top of the sneakers.

"Wait a minute! This isn't Jaden's!" After seeing a kiss stamp on the envelope, Syrus grew suspicious and opened it as carefully as he could, almost like treating a delicate flower.

Nobody was around to see, since they were all still in class, running laps or something of the sort. Sure, Syrus would be more late if he continued to spend time in the co-ed locker room, but it was worth it if he could figure out what was on the envelope probably meant for him! A love letter, to add to that!

"'Love is like a big Ancient Gear Golem.' ...That's so weird! Oh wait, that's the wrong side!" Flipping over the paper, Syrus read the real message. "Since the moment that I first saw you, I've been in...love with you?! I love you even more than card games?! Meet me behind the girls' dorm, endearingly...Alexis Rhodes?!"

Syrus stood up unconsciously and stumbled back, causing him to fall on his back due to tripping on the bench from behind. However, he was too much in his imagination to bear any pain whatsoever.

Alexis Rhodes! The most popular and beautiful girl out of all the Obelisk Blues! Him and Alexis, together! A forbidden, but possible love pairing! He could already imagine it! Him and Alexis, kissing, then getting married, and having kids! Ah, a dream come true!

It was decided! Syrus decided to meet Alexis so he could proclaim his crush for her! He was going to do it, and the letter was proof for his encouragment!

* * *

 _Syrus's imagination..._

 _"Syrus!" called out Alexis, her beautiful figure running towards Syrus with her arms wide._

 _"Alexis!" Syrus was rushing towards her with his own arms wide as well. Both were running towards each other in a field of lovely flowers in which petals were flowing around the air, making the air as tensed as their love._

 _Both came to a stop when they locked hands together, with Alexis staring at Syrus with a lovesick look on her face as her eyes gleamed with love and affection._

 _"Please be mine..."_

* * *

 **PLOP!** Hearing something soft plop on the ground, Syrus sat back up and saw some white frilly panties on the ground, making him blush. "A-A girl's panties?! Could they be Alexis?! Oh man! This is a dream come true! I knew this blue hair was a chick magnet! I just knew it!"

To top it all off, Alexis's love letter must have come with a small gift; her panties! That must mean she wants to be more than just girlfriend and boyfriend! It's the only explanation! Wow, Alexis must really want him now!

* * *

 _That night..._

Jaden stretched her arms widely before ruffling her wet, aroma-scented hair with a towel, trying to dry it. It felt refreshing, being in a clean bathtub for a change, especially after all that running and sweating back in gym class!

There was one thing that puzzled Jaden, though. Where did her extra pair of panties go? She was sure she put it in her pile of clothing in Syrus's locker. Okay, granted, she sorta forgot her locker number, so out of desperation, she had to use Syrus's locker again. Was Syrus the one who took her panties? She'll have to ask later.

"Hey, Sy! The outhouse is all yours if you want it!" called Jaden, entering her bedroom.

"Sy's gone," interrupted Chumley, laying on his bed. "Yeah, he just left. And he was in a real good mood too. Something about Alexis or something."

"A good mood? Alexis?" Jaden sat down on a stool, pondering in confusion. "That really doesn't sound like Syrus. And what does Alexis have anything to do with this?"

Chumley shrugged his shoulders, playing a small video game. "Hey, if I knew, I'd tell you."

Curiously, Jaden went on her tiptoes, seeing what sort of game he was playing. "Is that Dragon Duels? I love that game! Hey, how about we play a round?"

Surprised, and feeling somewhat impatient about having to grind his levels, Chumley nodded. "Okay, but I gotta warn ya, I'm a Level 68 Vampire Lord with high Speed!"

Jaden smirked, getting her video game out of her bag. "Oh yeah? I'm a Level 75 Warrior with kickass martial arts skills!"

"There's no such thing!"

"Oh yeah? Get your game on, Chumley!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Syrus was happily humming a tone while he was rowing a boat all the way to the Obelisk Blue Girls' Dorms. "I'm coming for you, my darling! I'm coming!"

Cutting off the chains that were connected to a lock that sealed the Obelisk Blue Dorms, Crowler glee with excitement. He was dressed in a black ninja-like outfit to hide himself within the darkness.

He was slowly putting his plan into motion, hiding inside the bushes which provided more of a cover for him. All he had to do was lay low, wait for Jaden, and not get caught by any of the girls.

"Hey, Alexis! Wanna chill out in the Obelisk waiting pool?" called out one of the girls.

Alexis was heard chuckling from the outdoor bath. "No thanks. We'll wait, and the guys will rage. I'm not in the mood for Tackle-Marco-Polo."

"Hello? Girl's Dorm? No guys allowed, remember?"

"This will be perfect! Thanks to that phony love letter I wrote!" snickered Crowler quietly as he waited. "Jaden will show up, looking for Alexis, but he'll be looking for trouble instead! Once he arrives, I'll snap a picture of him! And then, I'll have caught him red-handed breaking campus rules! And the picture will be enough to get him expelled! Hell, probably even arrested!"

Syrus finally made it towards the Obelisk Blue Girls campus, docking his small boat near the shore before getting off. He rushed towards the back of the female dorms in a hurry, not even noticing the broken lock on the ground as he passed by the open gates.

"Can you believe what that Jaden kid said to Dr. Crowler at class today?" wondered Jasmine. "He's got some nerve, talking to a teacher like that! Completely disrespectful! Don't you think, Alexis?"

She and her two best friends, Mindy and Alexis, were all naked and bathing in the outdoor female baths, which looked more like a five-star spa area. It was only the three girls inside, so there were no intruders, plus the bath water was fresh and warm.

"Mmm..." Alexis was rubbing her towel against her cheek, lost in thought with Jaden in her mind. "Yeah...I actually thought it was kinda cool..."

Jasmine was shocked to hear her friend say that about a Slifer Red. "What?! Him, cool?!"

"He could be, if he had the talent to back it up, maybe!" teased Mindy.

"I think he just might! Although, I can't be too sure unless I duel him myself," muttered Alexis, still thinking about Jaden. She couldn't stop thinking of him; her heart beated faster than her mind could. Despite being a little older than him, he sure was interesting, even if he was a Slifer Red.

Crowler heard faint footsteps approaching closer, then grinned maliciously, thinking it was Jaden. He hid himself deeply in the bushes, moving a bit of the shrubs out of his face to see if he could pinpoint Jaden's location.

"Alexis?" called out Syrus, entering the scene.

Seeing Syrus caught Crowler off-guard and causing him to scream out, "THAT'S NOT JADEN! IT'S THAT STAMMERING FIELD SPELL NITWIT!"

"Huh?" Some of the girls who were taking a walk spotted Crowler, though they couldn't identify him due to his dark clothing in the dark.

"It's a boy!"

"Is that a ninja?!"

"Eek! Look away!"

"Get him!"

Crowler covered his face and made a run for it, only to quickly slip and fall down towards the water, slowly sinking in and hiding from plain sight. Well, at least he was able to escape. Had any of the girls caught him, he would not only be fired, but arrested as well!

Syrus, however, wasn't so lucky, since he was out in the open, an easy target, and the girls quickly surrounded him. Syrus's happiness turned to panic as he was pinned down to the ground with his face shoved into the grass.

"L-let go, please!"

Wearing towels, Mindy and Jasmine stood over the light blue-haired Slifer Red. "Not until you tell us why you're here! And it better be good!" said Jasmine strictly.

After the girls changed clothes, they tied up Syrus so he wouldn't escape and lead him to the lounge to interrogate him. Mindy, Jasmine, and even Alexis listened to Syrus's explanation on why he came trespassing.

"A love letter from Alexis? You've got to be kidding!" scoffed Mindy, not believing a single word this perverted Slifer slacker had to say.

"Yup! Ask her!" Syrus said, winking flirtatiously at the beautiful girl.

"Um, hello? Alexis is really tall, and you're really short!" ranted on Jasmine. "She's really good at dueling, and you're really not! She's really hot and-"

"But it's true! Just tell them, Alexis! I even have the note and your panty gift right here!" Even though his hands were tied in front of him, Syrus managed to shuffle through his pockets and take out the two items before handing them to Alexis.

Jasmine grabbed the two items, a disgusted look on her face. Sure, she could handle the piece of paper, but panties? This just confirms it: Syrus is a pervert.

"Where did you even get the panties?" asked Mindy, also disgusted as Jasmine and Alexis read the note to themselves.

"I found it along with the note!"

"Yeah, right! You probably snuck in some girl's room and stoled them!"

"I didn't! I was outside the entire time, and besides, even if I did steal them, I wouldn't have enough time or even know which panties to take!"

"Hmm...That is a good point," said Alexis, defending the petite boy a little. "But, Syrus, my name isn't even spelled right. Plus, these panties are a little too small to be my size. I don't even know whose these are."

"Sorry, Syrus! But I think someone's yanking your chain here!" taunted Mindy, her tone a little sarcastic and rude.

"So then, you don't love me?" gasped Syrus.

Reading the letter carefully, Jasmine's eyes widen. "Hey! Wait a second! This note is made out to Jaden Yuki!"

Syrus's eyes widen in shock. "What?! Jaden?! But..." Jasmine shoved the letter to his face so he could read it properly, and sure enough, somewhere along the lines, his best friend's name was written. "Aw...I can't even get a fake love letter..."

Alexis's face fell, feeling pity for the small boy. "I'm sorry, Syrus."

"Me too."

"I don't buy it! He could have written the note as an excuse to come here!" pointed out Jasmine.

"What are you saying? That we should report him for trespassing, then?" wondered Mindy, causing Syrus to freak out.

"B-but I was invited! I swear!" This was bad! If word got out that Syrus was trespassing in forbidden ground, he would expelled right on the spot! Then his days at the Academy would be over!

"Girls! Just what on earth is going on down there?" called Fonda, stepping out of her room in her bathrobe. She was performing her own manicure when she heard some loud voices shouting in the lounge before deciding to see what was up.

"Down! Hurry!" ordered Alexis quietly to her two best friends. The female trio shoved their bottoms on top of Syrus's face, planting him firmly on the ground and hiding him in plain sight.

"Alright, what's up?" demanded Fonda, still on top of the staircase.

"You guys are heavy!" Syrus's muffled voice cried out.

"Beg your pardon?!" hissed Jasmine, glaring daggers at the trespasser.

"Maybe you're just weak!" added in Mindy.

Never mind the fact that he was insulted upon, the important matter was that girls were sitting on his face! GIRLS!

"There are girls sitting on my face!" Syrus whispered, his muffled words too hard to understand. "THIS. IS. AWESOME! I gotta call Jaden and tell him about this later!"

Alexis shrugged her shoulders at her dorm headmaster. "Jeez, sorry, Miss Fontaine! We'll make sure to keep a lid on things!"

"Well, I had hoped so! It's nearly midnight, and I have things scheduled in the morning!"

After watching Fonda retreat back into her room, both Mindy and Jasmine looked at their female leader, Alexis. "So, what now?" asked Jasmine.

"I'll tell you what not, girls," announced Alexis, a plan formulating in her mind as she was crossing her arms. "I say we use Sy here as a kind of bait. To find out what we were wondering about before. Just to find out how good Jaden is, and I think I know how we can get him to do his best!"

* * *

"No! I'm losing! Gah!"

"300 move combo! Yes!"

Chumley and Jaden were furiously mashing their buttons as fast as they could, trying to beat each other in a fight with their video games. So far, Jaden was winning and not allowing Chumley a chance to attack.

Just then, Jaden's PDA rang, distracting her from the game for a few brief moments. That was enough for Chumley to make his comeback. His character threw a magical item at Jaden's character, who was heavily weak to magic, and was almost out of HP. Chumley grinned before finishing off her character.

"NOOOOOOOO! SirE-HEROAwesomeCuteness!" cried out Jaden, acting dramatically.

Chumley stared at her. "That seriously can't be your character's name."

"But it's so awesome! What's yours?"

"KoalaLoverVampireSlayer!"

"That's worst than mine!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is-"

Once again, Jaden's PDA buzzed for attention, making her grab onto it and listen to the recording. Whoever it was, his or her voice was masked with static, but still understandable.

 **"We have your roommate, Syrus. If you want him back, come to the girl's dorms NOW. Alone."**

"The girl's dorms?! Why would Syrus go there?! Boys aren't allowed!" said Chumley, freaking out a bit.

"Relax, Chum! I can go get him! No worries!" Jaden grabbed her deck and duel disk before heading out, not bothering to stay and listen to Chumley's protests.

"Wait! Jaden! If you get caught, you'll get expelled! Don't go! And what about our bet? You still owe me grilled cheese sandwiches for a week!"

* * *

Crowler gasped for air as soon as his head popped out of the water in the middle of a lake, still near the girl's dorms. He had been there for at least a few minutes, hiding just in case the girls tried to search the previous area he was in. Luckily he took swimming classes when he was younger.

"You tried to expell one kid, and the entire world's against you!" complained Crowler to himself, angry that his plan failed.

Or maybe not.

While Crowler was muttering gibberish, he saw Jaden rowing a boat, trying to reach the other side of the lake which happened to be the girl's dorms. "You're a little late," said Crowler, watching as he was struggling.

Jaden panted once she reached land where Syrus and some other girls were. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and took a few minutes to catch her breath. She was so worried for Syrus, that she never stopped for a break, plus physical exercise was never her thing, thus making a difficult task for the rowing, especially since she's never rowed a boat before.

"Hi, Jaden," said Syrus sadly. He was being held by the shoulders from Alexis and her two friends so he couldn't escape. Not that he could even if he did since lots of girls witnessed him on campus.

"Hey," greeted Jaden. "So, what exactly is going on here?"

"W-well, to make things short, I'm basically a big loser."

"Your friend here trespassed on the girl's campus!" corrected Jasmine, still in a bad mood.

Jaden blinked, surprised. "What? Is that true, Sy?"

Syrus shook his head. "Hey! It's not like that!"

"And now that you're here, Jaden, you're trespassing too!" added in Mindy.

Alexis nodded. "That's right! And if you don't want us to turn you in, you're gonna have to win your freedom by dueling me in a duel right now!"

"Okay."

Both Jasmine and Mindy looked at each other, then back at Jaden. "That's it? Just 'okay?'"

Jaden tilted her head in confusion. "Well, what else do you want me to say?"

"Uh...Alexis is like, the most strongest female Obelisk Blue student we have!" told Mindy.

"So?"

Jasmine was enraged. "So?! Show a little bit more respect, showoff!"

"Girls! Calm down!" shouted Alexis, trying to calm her two friends down. "Let's just take this outside-I mean, let's just duel."

A few minutes later, Alexis and Jaden positioned themselves for a duel in the middle of the lake by using separate rowing boats to help stand in the field. That way, nobody would notice a duel going on in the middle of a lake, and they were a bit far away from the Obelisk Blue dorms for anyone to notice.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Jay," muttered Syrus, sitting behind Jaden. Alexis and Jaden prepared themselves to duel as they placed their shuffled decks into their duel disks.

Crowler was watching not too far away, floating in the water with ease. "Well, well, well! A Slifer vs an Obelisk! Put him in his place, Alexis!"

"Ready?" called out Alexis towards Jaden.

"Oh, yeah!"

Both females from different dorms glanced at each other's eyes, full of hope and determination for the duel before shouting something to signal the start of the duel.

"DUEL!"

"Get your game on, Alexis!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Alexis - 4000 LP**

"Alright! Let's see!" Alexis made the first move by first drawing a card, her expression fully in thought as she tried to think of something good. "Etoile Cyber, rise!"

Spinning right into the field, a beautiful figure with mixed colors of stripped blue and red along with beautiful long hair rose with a beautiful stature.

Etoile Cyber - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1200/1600)

"Next, I'm going to place a card facedown!"

"Time to throw down!" Jaden drew her card and looked at it. "First, I'll summon the Elemental Hero Sparkman!"

Making his appearance in bold lightning, the LIGHT Attribute HERO monster rose up, his blue and bright yellow armor shining in the moonlight.

Elemental Hero Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1400)

"And now, I'll have him attack your Etoile Cyber with Static Shockwave!"

With his palm wide open and thrusted towards his opponent's monster, Sparkman unleashed a ray of electricity, all aimed straight at Etoile Cyber.

"Hold it right there!" yelled Alexis. "I activate the Trap Card, Doble Passe! Hnggghhhh!" The electricity attack bypassed Etoile Cyber and shocked Alexis literally, making her grunt in pain.

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **Alexis - 2400 LP**

"Doble Passe changes your monster's attack to a direct attack on me! And now, the monster you were about to attack gets to wage an attack on you! Oh, and when Etoile Cyber gets to attack someone directly, her Attack Points get to increase by 600!"

Etoile Cyber - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1800/1600)

Twirling around a little, Etoile Cyber ran past Sparkman and kicked Jaden right across the chest, hitting her Life Points directly before returning to her master's side.

 **Jaden - 2200 LP**

 **Alexis - 2400 LP**

"Jaden!" gasped Syrus as Jaden hugged her own chest, trying to get over the holographic pain that just occured.

"Ugh...that Alexis sure is something else. Sacrificing her own Life Points just so she can get to mine," said Jaden, impressed.

"So, you impressed?" wondered Alexis, acting all confident.

Jaden stood up, a bit wobbly, but still fine. "Yup! That attack really caught me off-guard! You're not bad, Alexis!"

Alexis smirked. "You're sweet. Too bad I have to crush you. Now then, where were we?" She drew a card and immediantly said, "I play Blade Skater!"

Dancing around and showing off a bit, the lavender-colored monster with blades on her hands appeared, standing next to her ally, Etoile Cyber's side.

Blade Skater - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1400/1500)

"And, I activate the Spell Card, Polymerization to fuse Etoile Cyber and Blade Skater to summon Cyber Blader!"

Both Fusion-Material Monsters spun around together on the water like they were ice-skating before spinning so fast, they created a small tornado, which soon dispersed and a new beautiful monster took their place on the field.

Cyber Blader - (EARTH/Fusion/Warrior) - LV7 - (2100/800)

"Now, Cyber Blader! Attack Sparkman with Whirlwind Rage!"

Spinning around rapidly, Cyber Blader grew closer and closer to Sparkman until she kicked him right across the jaw, utterly annihilating him.

 **Jaden - 1700 LP**

 **Alexis - 2400 LP**

"Well, so much for him," mumbled Jaden as her Life Points decreased. Now she had no more monsters on her field! But, at least Alexis's Battle Phase was over.

"Way to go, Alexis!" cheered Mindy with Jasmine.

"Yeah, you've got him now! I knew when this kid beat Dr. Crowler, it was just dumb luck!"

Overhearing the girls, Jaden just grew more determined to beat Alexis and knock some sense into those girls before drawing a card. "Well, it'll be my pleasure to prove you wrong! Alright, I activate the Field Spell Card, Fusion Gate! Now I can summon Fusion Monsters without a Polymerization card! And, I'm gonna summon this one! Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"

A monstrous being with one wing and colors of green, red, and black merged together appeared, grunting in response once arriving onto the field.

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Fusion/Warrior) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

"Okay! It looks like it's going to be one Fusion Monster against another, huh, Jaden? That's fine by me!" said Alexis, excitement hidden in her tone. "Although, since they have the exact same Attack Points, they're just going to destroy each other!"

"Not after I play this, they won't!" said Jaden. "I play the Spell Card, Kishido Spirit! Now Flame Wingman can take down any monster that has the same Attack Points as him and not be destroyed! And, thanks to his super power, once he destroys your blader, you take damage equal to her Attack Points! Now go, Flame Wingman! And attack Cyber Blader!"

 _'Someone hasn't done their homework,'_ thought Alexis, watching as the battle was about to commence. Flame Wingman charged forward as his right jaw arm began to fire a fire-like blast. However, Cyber Blader deflected that blow with a blast of her own, nullifying both her and Flame Wingman's attacks.

"What? How did she survive that attack?" wondered Jaden.

"Simple," Alexis began to explain. "Cyber Blader's special ability makes it so that she can't be destroyed by an opponent with only one monster. So that means, neither of us loses any Life Points!"

Jaden sighed, scratching her head. "Well, looks like you've got me."

"Oh, and I've got you, Jaden! Believe me, you'll know it!" Alexis drew her card. "Like right now, for example! I equip my Spell, Fusion Weapon, to Cyber Blader!"

With that Spell Card, Cyber Blader gained a trident-like gauntlet on her arm, not only to boost her morale, but as well as her Attack and Defense Points.

Cyber Blader - (EARTH/Fusion/Warrior) - LV7 - (3600/2300)

Syrus and Jaden gasped, seeing the high Attack Power of Cyber Blader. "Uh oh! I think you might want to brace yourself for this one, Sy!" advised Jaden.

"Go, Blader! Attack the Flame Wingman with Trident Shock!" ordered Alexis. Cyber Blade easily complied by charging up the middle tip of her trident-like weapon before it fired a lightning blast at Flame Wingman, destroying him.

 **Jaden - 200 LP**

 **Alexis - 2400 LP**

"Uh oh! Your Life Points are looking pretty low!" said Alexis. "Hope you didn't unpack your bags here yet!"

"Yeah, because if you both lose, you're both getting expelled!~" giggled Mindy from the back.

"We are?" gasped Syrus, fully understanding how serious the duel was costing them.

Jaden turned towards her little friend. "That's not going to happen, Sy. Promise."

Alexis narrowed her eyes. _'Hmm...you shouldn't keep promises you can't make.'_

A bit of sweat falling down her cheek, Jaden wondered, _'I hope I'm not making a promise I can't keep! The only card I have out is Fusion Gate! But there's still a chance I can win! It all depends on the next card I draw, right here, right now!'_

"Here goes!" Jaden drew a card, then smiled. "Perfect! I play the Elemental HERO Clayman! Rise up!"

The body-builder rock-like monster floated above the water, pumping his fists since he was rarely ever in Attack Position.

Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

"And now I activate Monster Reborn! So, come on back, Elemental HERO Sparkman!"

Elemental Hero Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1400)

Alexis was confused at the two weak monsters. Even with their combined Attack Points, they were still no match for her Fusion Monster! "What difference will he make? My Cyber Blader has way more Attack Points than him! Your Sparkman won't stand a chance!"

"He won't, but with Fusion Gate's special effect, I can fuse him and Clayman to summon someone who will!" said Jaden. "Rise, Elemental Hero Thunder Giant!"

Both Warrior-type Monsters spun together into a sort of thunderbolt which rained down on the field, replacing the two monsters into a huge giant monster with an heavily armored suit with an electric contraption inside. The lightning in the background was fitting for the monster's grand entrance, for he is certainly a giant of thunder.

Elemental Hero Thunder Giant - (LIGHT/Fusion/Warrior) - LV6 - (2400/1500)

"Hate to break it to ya, but my Cyber Blader's Attack Points are still higher at 3600," reminded Alexis.

"Yeah, I know, I know," said Jaden. "But one of Thunder Giant's abilities is that he can destroy any monster whose original Attack Points are less than his own."

"Wait, original Attack Points?"

"That's right! Attack Points without any kind of enhancement!"

"But...before I played Fusion Weapon, her Attack Points were at 2100!"

"Exactly! And that's lower than my Thunder Giant! So, your Blader is automatically destroyed!"

Rushing up to Cyber Blader, Thunder Giant shot lightning from his huge palm, making Cyber Blader shriek before she was destroyed. Not only that, but Alexis was left with absolutely no monsters.

"And the coolest part is, I still have his attack to use on you!" shouted Jaden. "Voltic Thunder!"

Eyes widening, Alexis couldn't do anything but be forced to take the attack head on and be electrocuted before she collapsed right onto the boat. The static electricity trailed in the water around the area, enough to give Crowler a little bit of a shock as well.

 **Jaden - 200 LP**

 **Alexis: 0 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

"Alexis!" her two best friends cried out, shocked. They couldn't believe it! Alexis, their Alexis, lost to a Slifer Red, no doubt!

"Alright! Looks like that is game!" cheered Jaden, doing her usual victory hand motion.

Rowing up towards the others girls, Jaden and Syrus waited until Alexis managed to calm down and regain herself, which didn't take too long. Jaden sighed, knowing how tough it really was. Honestly, she had only 200 Life Points left!

"Well, a deal's a deal," Jaden said to the girls. "I won, so we get off free!"

Alexis nodded. "Okay, guys! I won't back out! We'll keep quiet of what just happened."

However, Jasmine didn't seem cooperative. "Well, if you ask me, I think we should turn both of them in right now!"

"Well, no one asked you!" snapped Alexis, surprising her two friends at the sharp tone she had. "Jaden beat me in a duel, fair and square, and there's all to it! So, no more complaining!"

"Well, there's more to it, actually. It was close," Jaden had to disagree. "Yeah! You've got game! Well, see ya!"

Alexis gasped quietly, blushing a little at Jaden's comment at her. Normally, she wouldn't be fazed by a boy's words; especially since she's got so many love confessions ever since she came to Duel Academy, but Jaden's words made her feel happy for some reason.

 _'Even if I did win, I could never have turned those two in,'_ thought Alexis, admitting the fact to herself. _'This place is a lot more fun with them, than without.'_

Mindy and Jasmine looked at each other, puzzled. With Alexis's strange attitude, could she actually be falling for Jaden, a Slifer Red? No, it had to be some sort of trick!

Crowler was still mad that Jaden managed to beat one of his best pupils, Alexis Rhodes! Just how strong is he?! He managed to beat him, though he hated to admit it, and now Alexis? What's next? Zane Truesdale? It must come to a stop!

"Hmph! Lucky brat! He escaped this time, but I'll still find a way to expel him! ...After I find a way home."

* * *

"What?! Syrus went to the girl's dorms and got caught but when Jaden won against Alexis Rhodes?! You're kidding!"

After returning back to their room, Syrus and Jaden had to explain to a worried Chumley all about the events that occured that night. He was still shocked over what had happened, but was relieved that the two weren't being expelled. He did like the two, after all.

"No, we're not! It did happen!" said Jaden.

"Yeah! I even have the letter as proof!" Syrus held up the love letter along with some panties. "Oh, and for some reason, I found some girl panties as well."

Chumley's eyes widen. "Whoa! Panties?! How did you get them, you lucky dog, you?"

Syrus blushed, holding the two items close. "W-well, I found them in my locker, near Jaden's items. I have no idea where the panties came from, tho-"

"Oh! There are my panties! Sweet! I've been looking all over for them!" Jaden snatched them from Syrus's hands, happy to be reunited with them. At least she was glad a pervert didn't steal them.

"..."

"..."

"...Why are you guys staring at me like that?"

"...Jaden. Why do you have panties?"

"Hmm? Isn't it obvious? I'm a girl."

"..."

"..."

The first thing that happened was that Syrus's brain went overload with shock, thus causing him to lose consciousness. Second, Chumley's nose started bleeding, and he was practically drooling all over.

"Aah! Syrus! Chumley, help me out!"

"H-huh?"

"Do it or no grill cheese for you!"

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in the Spirit World..._

 _ **"EMERGENCY MEETING! EMERGENCY MEETING! EMERGENCY MEETING!"**_ screamed all three Hero Kids as they were running around the HQ of the Elemental HEROS. They had been screaming nonstop for about 20 minutes, trying to gather all Elemental Heroes from all the rooms and into the huge meeting room.

Once they arrived back, all members were present in a huge table, looking rather annoyed and displeased. Just what was so important that it had to interrupt their freetime?

 _ **"Why is there an emergency meeting?"**_ wondered Avian, glaring at the three Hero Kids.

 _ **"Don't ask us! They told us too!"**_ said the trio kids, pointing to Elemental Heroes Sparkman, Burstinatrix, and Flame Wingman.

 _ **"Guys, I was in the middle of taking someone down to downtown jail. What could be so important?"**_ wondered Clayman.

 _ **"Jaden."**_

Hearing the name of their mistress made everyone tensed and focused, even the three Hero Kids, who were normally talkactive and hyperactive.

Flame Wingman brought up a huge board, revealing pictures of Syrus, Chumley, Alexis, Crowler, Bastion, and Chazz. He, Burstinatrix, and Sparkman did not look happy.

 _ **"Ever since Jaden arrived in Duel Academy, all she's been doing is getting unnecessary attention. We think that attention will lead to love,"** _ explained Sparkman. _**"So far, the candidates are these people."**_

 _ **"...Okay, I can understand most of them, but the girl and Crowler? Unlikely,"**_ spoke Bubbleman, peering at the pictures. _**"Give us all a reason why these people should be suspects."**_

 _ **"Simple,"**_ said Flame Wingman angrily. _**"Crowler obviously doesn't like Jaden, and I know he's the type that will do anything to ruin her. Might not be a romantic reason, but we don't want Jaden to be upset. Alexis Rhodes is attractive amd might have a crush on Jaden. As for...Chazz, well, opposites attract. The bad boy always gets the good girl, poor little Jaden. Syrus is innocent and Jaden already thinks he's as cute as Winged Kuriboh. That Chumley fellow is already her roommate and might spend time with her, and like Chazz, Bastion and Jaden are both opposites."**_

 _ **"Okay, I have lots of facts to counter,"**_ spoke Avian. _**"First, Crowler wants to get rid of Jaden, not fall in love! Second, Alexis probably doesn't know Jaden's a girl! Hell, her bullies back at home doesn't know she's a girl, and they've been bullying her from a young age! Syrus is like a little brother to Jaden, and is very cute. Jaden...doesn't know much about Jaden, and as for Chazz and Bastion...well..."**_

 _ **"..."**_

 _ **"..."**_

 _ **"...Think of a plan to protect Jaden?"**_

 _ **"Agreed."**_

* * *

 _The next morning..._

Syrus woke up, yawning as he stretched his arms. He heard a weird and incredible dream last night, though it might have caused him to have a headache. He was in love with Alexis, and Jaden saved him, and he was actually a girl! How weird was that?

"Oh, morning Syrus!" Both Chumley and Jaden said, serving him breakfast in bed. They felt bad for the poor lad for all the trouble he went through yesterday, so they decided to fetch him a bit of breakfast.

"Oh, hey guys. I had this weird dream where I was kidnapped by Alexis and some girls after Alexis declared her love for me, and then Jaden saved me, but he was actually a girl!"

Jaden and Chumley looked at each other, baffled. So Syrus really haven't recovered from his shock.

"Um...Sy? That was real."

 **THUD!**

* * *

"Jaden! I had this weird dream-!"

"Syrus, I was a girl, you were kidnapped by Alexis and some girls and I had to save you."

 **THUD!**

"Did he faint again?"

"Yeah, Chum. I think this is the third time."

"Can't blame him for fainting...again. He did steal underwear from his own best friend, who's a girl and totally flatchested."

"Hey! Stop saying that!"

* * *

 **Alright! Done at last! Hope you enjoyed the changes, because there are lots more where that came from! More ideas please and read and review!**


	4. Raring to Go!

**Heya, guys! I'll try to put in a little bit of Jaden x Chazz in here, even if it isn't much!~**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

It's been at least a week since Jaden saved Syrus and revealed her true gender to her two roommates, much to their shock. It took about sixteen tries for Syrus to fully grasp the situation, since he kept fainting the last 15 times.

Of course, Syrus and Chumley still treated Jaden the same, only a little differently. Syrus was a lot more friendly with Jaden, and so was Chumley, except he wasn't afraid to speak his mind about Jaden being flatchested, which caused an uproar from the tomboy.

There were some slight changes with them sharing the same room. Whenever Syrus or Chumley changed clothes, Jaden was forced out of the room temporarily. However, the same could be said for the males whenever she changed. It was plenty obvious that they never went to the bathtub together either.

One morning, Chumley and Syrus were fully awake, while Jaden was sleeping without a care in the world. They were somewhat jealous seeing her all relaxed, especially when today was to important.

Today was the day of the promotion exams, where students take some writing and dueling exams to see if they get promoted up a dorm, or get demoted, depending on their grades and high skills. In short, it was exams like in middle or high schools, only it involved dueling.

Chumley decided to just stay in bed for a little bit longer, while candles were lit and surrounding Syrus's desk as he was kneeling down at the poster of Slifer the Sky Dragon, his hands in a prayer position.

"Please, please, PLEASE! Please let me ace my exams today! Or I'll be stuck wearing this red blazer forever!" pleaded Syrus, praying to Slifer the Sky Dragon as if he some God, which he was, at some extent. "N-not that there's anything wrong with red, it's great on you, Slifer! I wanna be in Ra Yellow! Please give me a sign that you'll help!"

 **RING! RING!** Syrus shrieked, hearing a loud ringing sound and thinking it was Slifer who came to heed his calls. However, turning around, Syrus saw it was just Jaden's alarm clock, all battered up but still functional. The reason why it was nearly broken was simple: Jaden sometimes threw it across the room to make it shut up.

"Oh, it was just the alarm clock," sighed Syrus, walking up and kneeling besides Jaden's bed. "And of course, Jaden sleeps right through it. How could she be so relaxed when there's so much at stake?"

"Mmm...victory is mine..." murmured Jaden, clinging closely to the blankets as a soft smile formed itself onto her face. She giggled softly in her sleep, making Syrus blush pink at her cute face.

Wait, cute?! Well, he had to admit, the position Jaden was in, it was almost like she was Sleeping Beauty from the stories, except she wasn't and this was Duel Academy. Still, her sleeping face was so fragile, small and cute. Her lips were so...dainty and pink-colored. He leaned in close, closing his eyes and...slowly...getting...closer...

"Wrong! 'Cause I played a Trap!" yelled Jaden, still in her sleep. She had moved so suddenly in her sleep, Syrus didn't anticipate that she would punch the air as well. Even worse, he got hit by that punch.

"Ow, the pain!" cringed Syrus, clutching his red cheek. He knew that Jaden didn't mean to, but owwww! She sure packed a punch! If this was how she was when she got angry...Well, Syrus shuddered at the feeling if the target was him next. "Why can't she ever play in Defense Mode when I wake her up?"

"Duh, Syrus! You shouldn't be waking her up at all!" advised Chumley, who was on top of his bunk bed. "Just think about it! After today's written test, we have our field test! And it would be totally 'licious for us both if we left Jaden slip right through it! You get what I'm saying?"

"Chumley, I never get anything that you're saying."

"Hello! The field test is where they pick class members against each other in a duel! And I don't want to duel the person who beat Dr. Crowler! So it we let the competition sleep in, then we make it out, you get it?"

Syrus snarled, fully understanding what he meant. There was no way he was just gonna abandon Jaden just like that! Not after she saved her from being expelled! If it weren't for her, he wouldn't be here!

"Oh, I get it, and I understand why you were held back two years!" Syrus shook Jaden's shoulders frantically. "Jaden! Get outta bed! We're already late! I'll save you a seat! Hurry!" He ran out the door, grabbing his deck along the way and leaving Chumley alone with the sleeping girl.

"...Fine! Way to be an idiot," said Chumley, sighing. He didn't mean to say that, but he just didn't want to be pulled back another year. Two years were bad enough, but he seriously wanted to graduate this year.

Syrus rushed back, barging into the door and startling the koala-like boy. "Oh! I know! Jaden! It's breakfast time! Your favorite chocolate chip pancakes are here!"

Jaden's eyes shot wide, quickly standing up straight and fully awake. "Pancakes?! Where?! WHERE?!"

 _'Wow, she might be more gluttonous than me/Chumley,'_ thought Chumley and Syrus, sweatdropping. Seeing the hungry, yet cute look on Jaden's face made them feel pity since they didn't actually have food for the girl.

"Uh...Chumley will make you breakfast! I'll save you a seat! BYE!" Syrus closed the door shut, not wanting to deal with a hungry Jaden.

 _'Syrus! Why you little-!'_ The next time Chumley got ahold of Syrus, he was in for it! For now, he had to make a bit of breakfast for Jaden. Besides, he was hungry himself anyways.

"Okay! Cram time!" said Syrus to himself as he raced towards the Duel Academy building. "Now let's see! A Normal Trap can counter a Normal Spell, a Quick-Play Spell can be a Ritual Spell, and-whoa!"

Tripping on a small crack on the concrete ground, Syrus found himself facedown on the ground. He groaned, first it was a punch to the face, now a faceful of concrete? Things couldn't get much worse!

* * *

"Boy! That Chumley sure can cook!" Jaden told herself, dashing past trees while trying to get to class. Considering how light-weighted and agile she was, she would get to Duel Academy in just a few more minutes. "A five-course breakfast! Wow!"

Along her way, she couldn't help but notice a woman in her mid-thirties or early fourties, trying to push a heavy van up a sandy and rocky slope along the path. The woman looked like she was having a hard time, since she was just only one person and her face was flustered red with sweat.

Feeling sorry for the woman, Jaden screeched to a halt before running back and pushed the back of the van with all her strength. "I-I'm here to help!" The small van was much much stronger and heavier than she thought! Seriously, what was inside, rocks?

The woman appreciated Jaden's help, but couldn't properly speak to her due to pushing a van. "T-thank you! But won't you be late for class, young man?"

Jaden giggled, though it ceased when the van was slowly moving up. "I'm no man! I'm a girl! And no worries, I hate written exams anyways!"

"Oh! You're such a sweet young girl!" praised the woman, smiling. "I'll remember this!"

Grinning, Jaden helped the woman push the van even further up, and it would take a while to make it all the way to a flat slope since they were practically taking a hill slope. "N-no prob! Man, this van's heavy!"

* * *

 _In class..._

"You have 45 minutes left to finish your test," reminded Banner, softly rubbing Pharaoh's fur as the entire classroom was still writing in complete silence. They were completely focused on their written exams, determined to pass or at least get a high enough grade.

Laying his head on the desk, Syrus had fallen asleep during his written exam, mumbling things quietly. Either people didn't pay attention to him, or they couldn't hear him. "So, Alexis...your skirt is so low...lemme fix that for you..."

"Ahem!"

"Ah!" Realizing he fell asleep, Syrus woke up and saw Jaden sitting right besides him. "W-what happened?"

"I just arrived, and you were saying something about Alexis's skirt being low."

Syrus blushed, looking at Alexis's direction. Luckily, she was too far away to hear their conversation, but the dream he had still kept him embarrassed. "Y-you probabl;y heard wrong! I said...Um...France's...smirk was row! Yeah!"

"Hey! Would you keep it down?!" snapped Chazz, veins popping from his forehead in frustration as he stood up from his seat and glaring down at the two with his hands on his desk. "Some of us plan to pass this test!"

Frowning, Jaden faced the Obelisk Blue, deciding to talk back. "Get bent, Chazz! You no-good, money-hogging, card loving, big egocentric, small-tempered, Ojama humping, butt-munching asshole! Even I haven't started my exam yet, and there isn't a lot of time left!"

Overhearing everything from the center room, Banner called out, "Oh, Jaden! Why don't you come down here and get your exam?"

Cheerfully, Jaden raised her hand and raised her voice. "Be there in a jiff!~"

Some people were a little irritated at how loud and rude Jaden was, interrupting them in the middle of an important exam. _'He better be!'_ thought Alexis, furiously trying to concentrate on her exam. _'We're already 15 minutes ahead of this thing! He'll be lucky to finish!'_

 _'Look at him, so tardy, so purile!'_ thought Bastion, watching as Jaden retrieved her paper playfully like it was some new toy. _'If only he applied himself, he could be a great duelist!'_

 _'I hope you know what you're doing, Jaden,'_ Alexis secrely pondered, worried for the gender-mistaken student.

During the exam, Jaden only made it through halfway before sleepiness took control of her. Syrus, who was tired himself, sluggishly tried to wake up Jaden before falling asleep right next to her, both Slifer Reds sleeping and snoring peacefully.

Meanwhile, Crowler cracked opened the doors a little, spotting Syrus and Jaden sleeping together while he quietly snickered.

"Hahaha! You may be able to dream you way through the written exam, Jaden! But when your field test starts, believe me, it will be a nightmare! Hahahaha!"

"Hey, who's at the door?"

"Hahaha-Oh shit! Gotta run!"

"Dude, just go back to writing."

"Dude, I swear, I thought I just saw Crowler!"

"You're probably still tired. Go back to the exam. *Yawn*"

* * *

"Alright, class! The written exam is now over! So please walk, do not run, to get in line for today's new cards."

"They're here?!"

"Oh, dear..."

Like a stampede of wild animals, the class rushed out of the classroom, yelling and screaming as they were shoving each other, racing to get to the card shop first. The new cards were said to be extremely rare, so it'd be useful to have such rare and powerful cards in their decks for the field test today. That, and because they just want new cards to beat other people.

Chazz was one of the only people left behind in the classroom. He didn't seem particularly interested in the new cards since he was just sitting down, looking over and reading what seems to be his exam papers.

"Chazz! Chazz!" cried out one of his Obelisk Blue pals.

"The new cards are here!"

"So go fetch," said Chazz, still busy checking over his work.

While Chazz's friends rushed out of the classroom in a hurry, Bastion was busy trying to wake up Syrus and Jaden, shaking them repeatedly. The entire classroom was already empty except for them, and he already felt awkward enough since it was just the three of them. "Say, you two may want some serious thought to waking up."

"Aaah!" Syrus shot up from his seat, fully awake, but not realizing his arm was wrapped around Jaden's shoulders. Animated tears streamed down his cheeks as he sighed in depression. "Aw! I flunked, didn't I? I'm a complete failure!"

Jaden yawned, fluttering her eyes as she tried to stay awake. From her point of view, the entire classroom was empty, so the test must be over. Good riddance too, because the written test was hard and boring!

"Sy...if they were grading on melodrama, you'd get an A..." muttered Jaden, still half-asleep. "Oh, and why is your arm wrapped around me?"

"Eep!"

Syrus pulled back, clutching his arm as a blush formed on his face. He couldn't believe it! He touched a girl's shoulders for the first time of his life! If Bastion weren't here to witness this, he'd feel like the luckiest guy in the planet. Unfortunately, since he was the only witness besides Jaden, Syrus felt dumb and embarrassed.

"N-nothing, Jay! But...where did everyone go?"

"That's what I was trying to tell you," spoke up Bastion. "The new rare cards arrived today and everyone's at the card shop."

"WHAT?! New cards?! How come nobody told us?!" exclaimed Syrus, wide-eyed. He seriously could use a new card or two to help his deck, especially for the field test today!

"Because everyone wants the best cards for themselves to use for the upcoming field test," explained Bastion calmly, holding out a hand.

"So, why aren't you getting some?"

"Please, one error card, and my deck's delicate balance would be thrown off."

"Mine wouldn't!" said Syrus, looking at Jaden. "Come on, Jay! We gotta hurry!"

"So, let's go!" Jaden couldn't agree more with her cute little buddy. "There's nothing like the smell of new cards in the morning! Thanks for the tip, Bastion!"

"Jaden! Wait up!"

Being as energetic as the other students, Jaden hustled up the stairs with Syrus running after her, calling out for her name as he tried to keep up with her speed. Bastion watched as the two left before getting out his deck and examining them just to make sure he was prepared.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, at the card shop entrance..._

"Give me new cards!"

"Open the damn door!"

"When is it open?!"

"Come on! Hurry up!"

The students were banging their fists and yelling impatiently at the one thing that blocked their way into the card shop: The iron door.

Actually, it was just an overhead huge steel door that was completely shut from the top to bottom, as well as the only entrance inside the card shop. Still, that didn't stop the students' impatience as they continued to try barging their way inside.

Outside, cars screeched to a stop before men in black uniforms carrying batons jumped out of them. Those men charged inside the school in a formal manner, marching like soldiers in a line as the students stopped and watched them surrounding them.

"Guards!"

"It's the F.B.I.!"

"No, the CSI!"

"What are they doing here?!"

The guards quickly stepped aside, lining up into two separate sides opposite of one another as a man in a white uniform, possibly the Navy, walked down the lane, carrying a black suitcase.

"Oh, children!" the Navy man announced, showing off the suitcase. "Looking for these?"

Cheering and wooing, the students began applauding for the arrival of the new cards and made way for their new savior as a token of their thanks. The man lifted up the huge door with ease before bending his body to enter the card shop.

"There might even be a naked Dark Magician Girl in here," said the man, eagered to see the happy looks of the young students. The students gasped with joy, and already, perverted thoughts clouded through most of the male students' minds.

While the overhead door was slowly lifting up, the students was becoming enthusiastic about getting new cards. Just what sort of cards will there be? Powerful Trap Cards like Mirror Force? Spellcasters? Warrior-types? New kinds of Fusion Monsters? Strong Dragons? Oh boy, the tension was just too much!

However, their hopes shattered when the suitcase was already opened, the insides already empty with a small sign right next to it, saying: **ALL SOLD OUT.**

"You've gotta be kidding me!"

"My Mom's gonna kill me!"

"Aw no! Someone took them all!"

"Hey, where'd they all go?"

"You know the rules! First come, first serve!" said the counter girl, gesturing to a strange figure in a black cloak. "He was the one who took them all."

'WHAT?!" The students glared at the cloaked figure, seething with frustration and complaint. This guy managed to get all the rare cards before them? How dare he?! He probably wasn't even a student, judging from the way he looked!

"And I was first, so I took them all!" admitted the cloaked figure, sneering without shame.

"I still needed to use those cards!"

"You can't do that!"

"You suck!"

"You're an asshole!"

"Boo!"

"That's not fair!"

* * *

"Come on, Syrus! Let's make tracks! And-whoa!"

Stopping abruptly in front of the card shop, Syrus and Jaden saw that the card shop was completely deserted. The card shelves were already gone and so were the overcrowding amount of students, who were supposed to be here. The only person remaining was the counter girl.

"Where is everyone?" wondered Syrus before gasping in horror. "They couldn't have...!"

"Did they run out of cards already?!" exclaimed both Slifer Reds before deciding to rush towards the counter, a glimmer of hope shining inside of them.

"Excuse me, counter girl?" called Jaden, catching her attention. "You have some cards left, right?"

"Of course we have some left. Just regular cards, though." The counter girl placed a small green pack on the counter, which didn't contain many cards. "Here ya go!"

"We said some, not one!" both complaining and distressed. No new cards, no upgrading deck, and a high chance of them failing the field test.

"I'm done for!" whined Syrus, growing more and more anxious and worried. "I slept through my written test, now I'm gonna flunk my duel test because I can't upgrade my deck!"

Jaden gave him an assuring grin. "So take the pack, Syrus."

Syrus gasped, a bit stunned by her small sacrifice. "Really? You'd give me the last pack they have?"

"It's cool!"

"But...what about you? You slept through the written test too!" reminded Syrus, more uneased and concerned about Jaden's current situation. "I mean, what if...what if you fail?"

Jaden smiled, ruffling Syrus's soft hair with her tender fingers, and man was it soft! It was almost like cotton candy! "No way, Sy! I may flunk there and then, but I never fail!"

"Jaden..."

Syrus was touched by Jaden's words, a bit of tears whelming up in his eyes. Never have he felt this way before! He's never been treated with such kindness before, especially from a girl! All girls usually admire his older brother simply for his status and skills. But Jaden was different, even though some of her antics were...odd.

"Hold on a moment, please!"

Walking up to the counter, a big-boned woman wearing the same uniform as the counter girl arrived with a polite look on her face. Her brown hair was tied in a French braid, and she had small glasses on with some wrinkles on her face, indicating how old she was.

Jaden instantly realized it was the same lady she helped out this morning. "Oh, hey! It's you! Do you work here?"

"Oh, I don't work here! I _owe_ here! Cool, huh?" The lady winked at Jaden as a friendly gesture.

Grinning, Jaden winked back. "Nah, that's not cool. That's totally sweet!"

"How do you know her, Jay?" asked Syrus, curious to know what was going on.

"Well, I was kinda helping her out with a van this morning and lost track of time!" Jaden turned to the same woman she helped out earlier and pointed to herself. "Oh, and I'm Jaden Yuki! Your average, super-confident Slifer Red who's absolutely flawless!"

"Oh! I'm Dorothy! Nice to meet you, Miss Jaden!"

Syrus stared at Dorothy, then back at Jaden in awestruck. "She knows your gender too? Wow, so women's intutitions do exist!"

"And what's that supposed to mean?" The counter girl, Jaden, and Dorothy all gave stern looks at the blue-haired duelist, causing him to shrink under their feminine gazes.

"N-nothing! I'm sorry!"

Dorothy cleared her throat loudly. "Anyways, I've got something for you, Jaden!" She giggled, taking out a different green pack. "Just call it a thank-you for helping me! Now, I know that we're out of cards, but I did stash away a few! For polite young students like yourself!"

"Sweet! We both got packs!" said Jaden, happily taking the free pack before ripping it open. She looked at the cards one by one, knowing these cards weren't half-bad.

Syrus quickly bought her own pack with some money before tearing the pack and taking a good look at his cards. They had some useful effects, and they might help him out with his deck.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Startled, Syrus dropped his cards and covered his ears. He glanced at Jaden, who was the one who screamed with a joyful look on her face. "Why did you scream, Jaden?! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"But I can't help it! I got White Magician Pikeru! AND SHE'S SO CUTE!~"

 _'Well, if there's one thing Jaden can't resist, it's cute things,'_ Syrus thought, sweatdropping. _'Poor, poor Winged Kuriboh. I wonder how he deals with someone like Jaden?'_

* * *

 _In the Duel Spirit world..._

Winged Kuriboh released a cute sneeze, sniffing afterwards. He was in a garden, playing Hide-And-Seek with the three Hero Kids since the other Elemental HEROS had other important business to take care of. The little winged furball felt like someone had mention him, but where...?

 _ **"Hey! I see him!"**_

 _ **"Yeah! Trio Tackle attack!"**_

 _ **"Get him!"**_

Winged Kuriboh yelped from being spotted by the troublesome trio. Every time they played this game, the Hero Kids would always try tackling him to practice apprehending criminals by tackling them down. He didn't know why he was always their target though.

Oh, right. Last time they did this to the other members, they were punished harshly. When they had done it to Avian, he had increased their pushups and pullups by about 1000. Bubbleman's punishment was a 30 page essay about what they did was wrong and what was Bubbleman's best traits. Sparkman's involved too many swimming exercises. As for Flame Wingman and Burstinatrix...well, they almost burned down the HQ.

 _ **"Kuri! Kuri!"**_ The little Fairy-type monster frantically tried to fly away as fast as he could, trying to avoid the triplets.

* * *

"...And then this guy shows up and stoled the new cards!" said one of the Obelisk Blues as he and his friend followed after Chazz in an empty hallway, talking about the previous event about the rare cards. "I mean, every one!"

"So, we couldn't get ya any, Chazz. Sorry."

"You know what's sorry? You guys, that's what!" Chazz stopped walking and turned to face his fellow friends. "But it doesn't matter! Because not one duelist here can beat me no matter what card he has!"

"Unless that duelist happens to be Jaden Yuki!"

Scowling, Chazz and his friends saw a cloaked man, the same one who bought all the rare cards. The Obelisk Blues, save for Chazz, gritted their teeth, recognizing who the so-called figure was; the guy who took the cards!

"Hey! That's the guy who took the cards!" pointed one of the Obelisk Blues.

"I wonder who that guys is!"

"Huh?" Chazz peered his eyes before rolling his eyes. "Oh, it's just Crowler."

"W-what?! I mean, no it's not!" sputtered the cloaked man.

"Yes, it is!"

"I'm not Crowler!'

"Oh, come on! How many other feminine weirdos do we actually know exist besides you, Crowler?"

* * *

 _At Duelist Kingdom..._

Pegasus was sipping some juice in a wine glass, reading some cartoon comics while having lunch. Ah, it was a perfect day once more! He had lots of free time after his hard work, plus he was enjoying it by reading cartoons!

"Ooh! I just love cartoons in the late mornings! They're just so thrilling! Almost as thrilling as...ooh...Kaiba boy..."

* * *

 _Somewhere in Domino City..._

"Excuse me!" called Espa Roba, walking towards a young lady with his brothers, holding a baby who looked similar to him. "Would you like this baby? We don't want it anymore!"

The lady looked surprised at how such young children were all alone with just one baby. "Aw! Where are your parents, little one?"

"I am not little! I am 47 years old!"

"...But you look so-"

"I have a congenital growth hormone condition! Now, would you like this baby? We don't want it anymore!"

"Umm..."

"Maybe you'd like some song? _Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy! But I'm Espa Roba! Would you like this baby_?"

"Big bro? She's gone."

"Fine! That woman doesn't deserve a spot in my deck! But she would make a good coaster for my drink!"

* * *

 _In Egypt..._

"Marik, just take your medicine!" urged Ishizu, trying to catch Marik, who was sneezing all over the place.

"Never! I am Marik Ishtar! I do not demand medicine, for medicine is the bane of all goodness! I-*Achoo* -will not take medicine!"

* * *

"Fine!" Crowler threw off his cloak and hat, revealing his true self to the three Obelisk Blues.

"You know, you look better covered up!" insulted Chazz.

Crowler fell anime-style but quickly regained himself. No matter, he'll allow Chazz's insult to go by, just this once, because he was a rich and powerful Obelisk Blue, as it should be for the rest of his Obelisk Blues students!

"Y-yeah, well, I have a plan to make us all look better and make Jaden Yuki look like the low-rank duelist he really is!" He pointed to Chazz and demanded, "I want you to be his opponent for the field test and use all the rare cards I bought!"

"But we're not in the same dorm!" reminded Chazz. "They won't let me be his test opponent!"

"Fine, I'll make it happen! And you make sure you wish all these rare cards to put Jaden in his place in the entire academy!" Crowler then snickered before bursting into a fit of maniacal laughter.

* * *

 _Later, during the field test..._

"What?! I'm dueling an Obelisk?! And it's Chazz?!"

Usually, during a field test, the usual opponents facing each other are those from the same dorm. Never before has different dorm students faced one another, especially with an Obelisk versus a Slifer, which was no surprise why Jaden was so stunned.

"That's right, Jaden!" said Crowler, sneering at her. "Since you always talked such a big game, I pulled some strings for you so you've got the challenge you deserve! So, congratulations! You'll be dueling one of the top-ranked students of the school! What an honor! I certainly hope that you were able to stack a lot of today's rare cards so that your deck is up to date!"

Already finished with their field tests, Bastion and Syrus were with the sidelines, watching the last field test with many other students. All of them were excited to see the fiirst time field test involving an Obelisk Blue and a Slifer Red. Of course, many people, presumably the Obelisk Blues, were rooting for Chazz. Then again, the Slifer Red was Jaden Yuki, the same person who beat Dr. Crowler, a senior teacher, so this was going to be tough deciding who wins and who loses.

 _'I've got a bad feeling about this,'_ thought Syrus, concerned for Jaden. Jaden may have flunked her writing test, but he didn't want her losing at the field test as well! Oh, why didn't he just give his new cards to Jaden? Sure they helped him managed a tie at the field test, but Jaden deserves them better than him!

Bastion was frowning, knowing that never before has the school allowed such a field test. _'This is clearly a trap. Only an idiot would agree to it.'_

"Sweet! This is awesome! I'll duel him!"

The source of that voice happened to be Jaden Yuki's, shocking many people as gasps and whispers filled the entire stadium. Either Jaden was brave, or he was really dumb!

"Alright, get your game on! Let's finish what we finished at Obelisk Arena!" said Jaden, determination in her eyes.

"Indeed. In front of the whole school where everyone can see," added Crowler.

Chazz was more than ready to take down the Slifer slacker. "Yeah, watch you get slammed by me!"

Both clipped their duel disks on before shoving their decks onto their duel disks as Crowler ran from the battlefield. Without hesitation, both of them stared each other down before starting the duel together.

"DUEL!"

"No excuses this time, Chazz!"

'Bring it on, Slifer slacker!"

"Oh, it is ON!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Chazz - 4000 LP**

Jaden quickly drew a card, recognizing it to be Winged Kuriboh. "Well, it's my favorite furry friend!" _'Kuriboh, you're in for a treat! We're about to rain down some serious skills on Chazz!'_ "You remember this guy, don't cha, Chazz? From our first match? Elemental Hero Clayman!"

Clayman kneeled down, taking a defensivie position the moment he arrived on the field. His clay-like body would be able to defend his mistress from any attacks!

Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

"He'd like to get reacquainted!" added in Jaden, smirking while everyone gasped at how high her defensive monster's Defense Points were.

Clayman grunted, remembering the last time he faced the spiky-haired punk. He was quickly wiped out by Flame Wingman, who was controlled by Chazz. He'll get his revenge soon enough!

Chazz didn't seem to be the least fazed by her monster. In fact, he just thought of Clayman as some bug he could easily squash. "Not after he sees what I've got for him! Don't think that that oversized pile of pebbles has a chance against me, Jaden! Or against this!"

He drew a card, his chances of victory increasing once he saw the card he drew. _'Appreciate the rare card, Crowler!'_ he thought. "Fresh off the present! Meet Magical Mallet!"

"What's that?" asked Jaden, almost afraid to know.

"A redo! All the cards in my hand that I don't want, I put back in my deck, then I shuffle and redraw! Pretty cool don't cha think?"

Syrus gasped. "How?! A rare card on the first draw?"

"And a very dangerous one at that," added Bastion. "Now Chazz will essentially be able to pick which cards he wants, and which he doesn't!"

"I haven't gotten to the best part!" said Chazz, redrawing before revealing Magical Mallet in his hand. "See Jaden, I got to reshuffle Magical Mallet too! So, if I draw it again, which I just did, I can play it again and again! And that comes in handy when I'm looking for this! V-Tiger Jet! Sharpen your claws for Attack Mode!"

A yellow-colored jet-like tiger roared onto the field as it was in mid-air, using the boosters on his back to help float. The dark-colored green wings spreaded out, and his claws automatically popped out and sharpened.

V-Tiger Jet - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV4 - (1600/1800)

"And there's a lot more where what came from!" Chazz wasn't quite finished as he activated a Spell Card. "Check out the magic of Frontline Base! It lets me summon a Level 4 or below Monster this turn! And I have just the one! I play W-Wing Catapult in Attack Mode!"

Zooming onto the field, a big blue jet-like monster burst into the field right alongside V-Tiger Jet.

W-Wing Catapult - (LIGHT/Machine/Union) - (1300/1500)

"Gentlemen, start your engines! Now, merge! Alright! The VW-Tiger Catapult!"

The two monsters flew upwards before attaching to each other, with V-Tiger Jet on top of W-Wing Catapult and acting like a robot.

VW-Tiger Catapult - (LIGHT/Fusion/Machine) - LV6 - (2000/2100)

"But wait! I'm not done yet! 'Cause he still has his special ability!"

"That's not good!" said Jaden, a bit of sweat trailing down her forehead.

"Gimme a break! Is this guy's turn gonna end sometime this century?" complained Syrus, also nervous what sort of special ability the monster had up his claws.

"By sending a card to the Graveyard, I can force one of your monsters into Attack Mode!" explained Chazz excitedly. "So after this heat seeker flip from my Tiger Catapult, your Life Points are toast!"

 _ **"Nooooo!"**_ Clayman struggled to stay down, but he was forced to stand up. Now he'll never get the chance to redeem himself from the previous duel thanks to Chazz's stupid effect monsters! Not only that, but he's getting blown up by missiles being fired from the Fusion Monster!

 **Jaden - 2800 LP**

 **Chazz - 4000 LP**

Watching the whole duel in amusement, Crowler and Chancellor Sheppard were enjoying the predicament since they were observing from an upper room with glass windows. Although, Crowler was more excited, seeing Jaden slowly losing.

"Did you see that, Chancellor? Did ya, did ya, did ya, did ya?" repeated Crowler, leaning close to the glass windows.

"Did you see that, Jaden? Did ya, did ya, did ya, did ya-"

"I'm dueling you, you fruitcake!" shouted Jaden to Chazz, annoyed at his constant ranting.

"Fine! I'll finish off with one card facedown!"

"Yeah, go ahead and finish up!" Jaden said. "'Cause I'm just gettin' warmed up! Speaking of, here's someone who can really turn up the heat! Elemental Hero Sparkman in Defense Mode! And I'll throw down a facedown!"

The man of electricity showed himself on the field, creating an X with his arms over his chest as he was placed in a defensive position.

Elemental Hero Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1400)

"Not much he can do with all the rares Chazz seems to have," commented Bastion.

"It's just not fair!" said Syrus.

Alexis herself was infuriated, knowing that somehow, Crowler had something to do with this mismatch duel, since he did always hated Jaden's guts from Day 1. _'This is a complete mismatch! How can Jaden fight back when he doesn't know what he's fighting?!'_

"Ready for round 2, you Slifer slime?" taunted Chazz eagerly, drawing a card. "Well, X-Head Cannon is! And, thanks to Frontline's magic, so is Z-Metal Tank!"

A monster colored with blue and yellow and with matching cannons along with another yellow monster that's crab-like appeared near each other, ready for initiation.

X-Head Cannon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV4 - (1800/1500)

Z-Metal Tank - (LIGHT/Machine/Union) - LV4 - (1500/1300)

"X and Z?! Oh man! That can only mean one thing!" Syrus spoke, realizing what was about to be brought upon his poor friend Jaden.

"Now I play my facedown card! Call of the Haunted!" yelled Chazz. "In case you slept through that class as well, it allows me to bring back a monster from my Graveyard! And I have Y-Dragon Head! It's what I discarded from my Catapult's special ability!"

A dragon-like red robotic monster was the last of its kind to join forces with the other Machine-type monsters, each knowing what to do next.

Y-Dragon Head - (LIGHT/Machine/Union) - LV4 - (1500/1600)

"And now I combine them all to form XYZ-Dragon Cannon!"

The monsters all merged together, stacking upon each other and combining their strengths together in order to conquer their opponent.

XYZ-Dragon Cannon - (LIGHT/Fusion/Machine) - LV8 - (2800/2600)

Gasps and cries were heard all throughout the field besides Jaden and Chazz's area, shocked to see such a rare and powerful monster on the field. "Now Chazz has two monsters out with over 2000 Attack Points each!" said Bastion to himself.

"But wait Jaden! There's more!" said Chazz. "Actually, less! Sure, they say two's better than one, but I'd have to disagree! Especially if the one in question is the ultimate VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon!"

Now both powerful robotic monsters stamped together and merged once more, creating a much bigger, taller, and more importantly, stronger monster with combined powers.

VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon - (LIGHT/Fusion/Machine) - LV8 - (3000/2800)

Everyone stared in awe at the much more powerful monster, twice as strong as the last two. This was one of the most ultimate Fusion Monsters in the game, and he had some wicked effects as well to boot for his Attack Points.

"Makes your Sparkman look like a heap of trash, huh? Or at least it did!"

Jaden was surprised, seeing her Sparkman disappeared in a small whirlwind, leaving her with no monsters and no defense to protect herself. "Sparkman! What did you do, Chazz, you no-good, money-hogging, card loving, big egocentric, small-tempered, Ojama humping, butt-munching asshole!"

Chazz's eye twitched at his long insulted nickname, but chose to ignore it as a smirk traveled through his face. "Oh, I'm sorry! Didn't I tell you about VWXYZ's special ability? He allows me to remove one card from your field once per turn! And if you think that's impressive, just wait until you see his attack! An attack that will strike your Life Points directly!"

"Don't think so, Chazz! I have a Trap! A Hero Emerges!" said Jaden.

"Blast!" cursed Crowler.

"A Hero what?" wondered Chazz, not even interested.

"A Hero Emerges! As in, emerges onto the field! 'Cause now you have to randomly choose a card from my hand, and if it's a Monster, I get to play it! So take your pick, Chazzy!"

Infuriated with the rude insult, Chazz, once again, chose to ignore her. "Yeah, yeah, whatever! The middle one!"

"Hmm..." Jaden looked at Chazz. "Hey, are you sure?"

Chazz scoffed, knowing what he was playing at. "Oh, I get how it is! You're trying to fool me into thinking that's the wrong card when it's really the right card! Sorry, but I don't fall for those kinds of tricks! Those were so in the '80s!"

"But are you REALLY sure? I mean, this could be the wrong card and I might be tricking you into thinking it's not a Monster Card! Are you really sure?"

"Huh? Chazz was a little confused at her logic, but shook his head of any thoughts. "Just shut up! I chose the middle card, damnit!"

Jaden's face faltered, making her whimper like a puppy. "O-okay...if you want to choose the middle card, I understand. I mean, it's not like it's a Monster card or anything..."

For some reason, Chazz's chest ached, seeing Jaden whimpering before him. He should be laughing at the pathetic look on his face! Wait, could it be a trap?!

"STOP! ...I changed my mind! I choose the far right!"

Jaden eyed her cards before asking an innocent question. "Um...my right or yours?"

Everyone watching the duel fell down anime-style, their legs twitching. Chazz was the first to recover before hollering, "Damnit, Jaden! My right! That means pick the card on your left!"

"Oh!~ Okie dokie, Chazzy!" Jaden winked at Chazz before taking the selected card out from her hand and looking at it.

Chazz's face went tomato red when Jaden winked at him and said that in such a...cute way. He quickly killed whatever thoughts went through his head and asked, "So what kind of card did I choose?"

"This! I'll play Elemental Hero Burstinatrix in Defense Mode!"

The female fire-manipulator emerged onto the field, kneeling down and protecting herself and her mistress from any harm's done.

Elemental Hero Burstinatrix - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (1200/800)

Everyone could clearly spot the veins forming on Chazz's enraged face. "YOU TRICKED ME, YOU DIRTY SLIFER SLACKER!"

"Eek! I do NOT want to be Jaden right now!" squealed Syrus, clinging onto Bastion's jacket in terror.

Jaden wasn't the least scared of Chazz, rather, she was amused as she tried, and failed, to keep a straight face. "Whatcha talking about, Chazzy? I just merely asked questions! I didn't trick you! Besides, even if you wanted the middle card, it was a Monster Card all along! My little cutie, Winged Kuriboh!~ *Cough* Cuter than you *cough*."

Syrus, Bastion, and Alexis facepalmed. In a duel, you weren't supposed to reveal what was in your hand, unless a card effect says so! Not only that, but Jaden probably made Chazz angrier, too.

"That's it! Now you DIE!" roared Chazz, his eyes twitching uncontrollably. "When VWXYZ-Dragon Cannon attacks, I get to choose your Monster's Mode! And you know what, I choose Attack Mode! Which means not only will she be zapped, but your Life Points will, too!"

Aiming at the fire user, VWXYZ-Dragon Cannon fired a shot, hitting Burstinatrix and making the ground explode, delivering a blow to a huge chunk of Jaden's Life Points.

 **Jaden - 1000 LP**

 **Chazz - 4000 LP**

"Jaden!" cried out Syrus while Crowler laughed. This was perfect! Just another hit like that, and Jaden's a goner for sure!

"Aw, what's the matter, Jaden?" cooed Chazz mockingly. "Having some test anxiety? Don't worry! It'll be over soon!"

"No way, Chazz!" decided Jaden, glaring at him. "I've got a whole army of vicious Monsters in my deck just waiting to get at you! This isn't over; it's just barely started! My draw!"

The way Jaden glared at him like that was so full of courage and fearlessness, like he was a small bunny facing off against a vicious lion; him! Chazz shook his head, getting the image of a cute Jaden bunny out of his head. What was wrong with him?! He looked so cute, with those brave eyes and-Okay, back away, Chazz!

"What do you think, Winged Kuriboh?" whispered Jaden.

 _ **"Kuri! Kuri kuri kuri kuri!"**_ ("Yeah! Go get him, Jaden!")

"Well, okay! If you say so! Let's do it! I summon my cute Winged Kuriboh in Defense Mode!"

The little brown-haired Fairy-type floated on the field, curiously looking around with his wide dark eyes and happy to be summoned.

Winged Kuriboh - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV1 - (300/200)

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!~"

"SO CUTE!~"

"OH MY GOD!~"

"WINGED KURIBOH!~"

"SQUEEEEEEEAAAALLL!~"

The moment Winged Kuriboh came to play, almost all of the girls, including Jaden, started screaming and squealing with joy, sending various comments to the cute Winged Kuriboh. In fact, they were so loud, everyone else had to cover their ears, even Chazz, who stared in disbelief at the squealing Jaden.

"I don't believe this!" groaned Chazz, lowering his arms. "I can't believe you like sissy things like Winged Kuriboh! He's an annoying furball, disgusting, and the only good thing is his special ability!"

 _ **"Kuri..."**_ ("That hurts...") Winged Kuriboh seemed down, and rather hurt by Chazz's insults. Sure, he was only a Level 1 Monster, but he was still a good card!

At that moment, every single female hated Chazz and was glaring icy daggers at him for insulting such an adorable creature, even if he didn't exist. Although Alexis wasn't always into cute things, she had to admit, Chazz went too far, even if the Duel Monster didn't exist.

Syrus yelped, seeing a dark and red aura merging colors and surrounding Jaden like crazy. Her bangs covered up her eyes, so it was difficult to see her expression, but Syrus didn't want to know what.

"HOW DARE YOU..." growled Jaden, facing Chazz with an indignant look so fierce and scary, it made most of the boys, except for Crowler and Chazz, want to crawl under a rock and die quickly. "NO ONE INSULTS WINGED KURIBOH! **NO ONE!"**

Chazz sweatdropped at her threat, thinking Jaden wasn't serious. "Feh! You don't scare me!"

Jaden's scary expression quickly reverted to a peaceful, happy look. "Oh, okay! You'll get what's coming to ya soon!~ For now, I'll just place a card facedown, and that's it!~"

Bastion stared at Syrus, who had jumped into his arms in terror and hid his face on his shoulder. "...Syrus, it's over. Jaden's not mad anymore."

"Huh? Oh, good!" Syrus jumped out of his arms and saw the vulnerable position Jaden was it. "But, that's it? All Jaden's been doing is playing defense!"

 _'I sure hope Jaden knows what he's doing!'_ thought Alexis, concerned.

"All done, huh?" snickered Chazz. "Good! Because now I can cook that Kuriboh, and I like mine well-done! There's about to be a fried furball on the field, loser!"

Jaden gasped, then glared at him. "Okay, you can screw me over, you can insult me, you can even take my Hello Kitty doll, but no one, and I mean, NO ONE, talks that way or even THINKS about frying little Winged Kuriboh! Besides, you don't scare ne!:

"No big deal! I don't have to! That's his job! Dragon Catapult Cannon, attack!"

The VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon blasted a laser from one of his cannons, thinking one should suffice for a weak Monster like Winged Kuriboh.

 _'Alright, secret weapon time!'_ decided Jaden, waiting for the right moment. "I sacrifice two cards and activate...Transcendant Wings!"

As an angel fell from the sky and bestowed upon Winged Kuriboh, huge angelic wings sprouted from Winged Kuriboh's back, the feathers scattering all over the field like blessings. Just as the laser hit Winged Kuriboh, his new wings protected him, deflecting the attack and shocking Chazz.

"It can't be!"

"Oh, yes it can! Transcendant Wings has evolved Winged Kuriboh into a Level 10 Monster! And it gets better too! By sacrificing himself, Kuriboh destroys all Monsters in Attack Mode and deflects their Attack Points as damage to you! Kuriboh, why don't you go ahead and show him how it works?"

The laser fired upon Winged Kuriboh blasted back towards VWXYZ - Dragon Catapult Cannon, annihilating him without a single trace left.

 **Jaden - 1000 LP**

 **Chazz - 1000 LP**

"Lucky punk..." grunted Chazz, upset about losing his most strongest Monster on the field.

"Lucky?" wondered Jaden. "Nah, I just happen to have a soft spot for old ladies. But not for you, Chazz. And that's too bad, because with 1000 Life Points apiece, and my turn coming up, all I need is the right Monster, and you'll be finished! Here goes something!"

Drawing a card, Jaden realized it was one of the cards she had been given today; White Magician Pikeru.

"EEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKK!"

"Now what?!" demanded Chazz, covering his ears once more. "I hope it's another weak Monster!"

Jaden smirked before laying her Monster card on the field. "Oh yeah? Here comes...White Magician Pikeru!"

A little girl covered in heavy robes was trying to stand still, wielding a heavy staff for someone of her size. What made it more cuter was her small Scapegoat hat covering her pink pigtails.

Once more, the female crowd squealed and cheered for White Magician Pikeru, who seemed happy, getting all of the glory and compliments.

White Magician Pikeru - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV2 - (1200/0)

Chazz gaped at the Monster, not caring for her cute appearance. That Monster has enough Attack Points to wipe him out! And he doesn't even have any Monsters or even a single facedown to put up a good defense!

"White Magician Pikeru! Attack!"

Waving her wand, White Magician Pikeru fired some sort of light magic at Chazz, hiting him in the chest, causing him to collapse on his knees in defeat as his Life Points dropped to 0.

 **Jaden - 1000 LP**

 **Chazz - 0 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

Astonished, Syrus's surprised look changed to a happy one as he cheered with the crowd. "Jaden did it! Jaden won!" he cried out happily, jumping up and down for his best friend.

Crowler's jaw dropped as he sputtered, "T-that's impossible! Not with all the rare cards I've given to Chazz! T-this simply can't be!"

Turning to Crowler, Sheppard seemed a little confused. "Rare cards? What exactly are you talking about, Crowler?"

Crowler shrieked, completely forgetting that Sheppard was right next to him. "N-nothing! I-I have to go grade some tests!"

"Thank you! Thank you!" Jaden gladly took in all the cheers from the audience as she was bowing her head over and over. She turned to the depressed Chazz and pointed her middle and index finger at him, winking. "That's game! We should duel again sometime, Chazz!"

Growling, Chazz glanced up with Jaden. "Oh, we will!"

"Jay! Jaden!"

Looking back, Jaden saw her two friends, Bastion and Syrus, running up to her.

 **"That was well-played, Jaden!"** called Sheppard through the intercom. **"Not in the history of our dear Academy has a Slifer dueled an Obelisk during these exams! Jaden, not only did you hold your own, but you won! Your courage against overwhelming odds has been inspiring! It is with great pride that I grant you permission to Ra Yellow! Good job!"**

The crowd cheered and applauded for Jaden even further, fully accepting her promotion and being happy for her sake. Even her friends were glad, though some Obelisk Blues were disappointed with Chazz's loss at a Slifer Red.

"Ra Yellow? You did it, best buddy!" cheered Syrus, hugging Jaden from behind. He quietly smelled her out of curiosity, taking in her scent. _'Mmm...smells like strawberries...'_

"Good show, Jaden! Allow me to be the first to welcome you to the Ra dorm!" said Bastion, holding out his hand.

Jaden took it, shaking it. "Thanks!"

Syrus pulled back from Jaden, watching as confetti rained down on them as a part of the celebration. _'Aw man! I knew Jaden wouldn't stay a Slifer for long!'_ thought Syrus, giving a sad smile. _'I hate to see her go, but I know it's for the best! Hopefully, we can still be friends, at least!'_

* * *

"Wow, I still can't believe it!" said Chumley as he and Syrus were hanging out in their room. "Jaden, all grown up and getting to the next level! How about that?"

Syrus sighed, laying his head on the desk. "Yeah...I just wished she said goodbye to us. That's all I wanted."

The door burst open, and Jaden stepped in with that cherry look on her face. "Hey! What's up?"

"Jaden?! Why are you here?" wondered Syrus, so glad and surprised to see her.

"I just wanted to say congrats for your field test! Oh, and I live here!"

"W-what? But I thought you wanted to go to Ra Yellow! I mean, they have more comfortable dorms there!" reminded Syrus. He didn't understand why she didn't go, but he was so happy that she might be staying!

"Well, sure, they have clean sheets, lack of cockroaches, and comfty blazers, but without you or Chumley, it's not my home!"

Syrus couldn't help but burst into tears as he rushed over and hugged her tightly as he cried onto her chest, completely forgetting it was a girl's as well as flat. "I-I thought I'd never get to see you again! Waaaah!" He buried his face inside her shirt, crying out tears and making a rather big wet spot.

"S-Syrus! That's my chest you're crying onto! Gah! I'm still a girl!" cringed Jaden, trying to yank him off as he was still crying out waterworks.

"Never! I'm never letting you go!"

"Besides, he can't feel anything soft," reminded Chumley. "You are... _flat_ , after all."

"Chumley, I swear to God! On a truck! Off a cliff!" Jaden stared angrily at Chumley, hating the fact that he kept saying the...forbidden word.

"Waaah! Jaden! Jaden! You came back for me! Waaah!"

"The shirt, Sy! The shirt! I just cleaned it this morning!"

"Flat...!"

"CHUMLEY!"

It was another average day at the Slifer Red dorms, starring Jaden, Syrus and Chumley, three best friends who had a strong bond. But not now due to chaos.

* * *

 **Yup! I did it! I added changes to the whole thing! At the last turn, Jaden was supposed to use Avian, but I decided she should use something cuter! Besides, White Magician Pikeru is stronger than Avian anyways, so there's no harm done!**

 **Any ideas, I'll try and take but I'll hear from ya folks! Next chapter might be a while since it's a long episode, but I'll make do!**

 **As for the whole transfer student to Jesse thing, I'll let you guys know that that won't be for a while until like, season 3. I'm doing episodes and skipping some one by one, so yeah. But there will be hilarity going on! So, stay tune!**


	5. The Shadow Duelist

**Yay! A new chapter! An extremely long one at that!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

The full moon was beautiful tonight, as if symbolizing something was sure to come soon enough. Full moons were always wonderful to watch, even if they last for an entire night and don't come back for a while. Still, the full moon was just as white as a pearl, shining its radiance down and showing its own moonlight.

Stepping out of the shadows and into the breathtaking moonlight, Alexis walked towards a sort of statue right in front of an old, abandoned building. It seemed run down with broken windows and plants growing out of some of the areas, and obviously, nobody was currently using it since no lights were shown inside or any sort of activity. She placed a blood red rose in front of the statue as if offering something to a grave.

 _'Be at peace, brother...wherever you are,'_ she thought, still staring at the abandoned building with a solemn expression.

* * *

"...And underneath the full moon, I see a path through the cavern that seems...abandoned..."

Syrus was currently telling Chumley and Jaden all about a scary story. They were drawing cards, and whatever monster they drew, the higher the level, the more scary the story would be. They were all seated in the dining room, the candle being their only light source.

Chumley had already finished his tale, and needless to say, it wasn't that good of a story, considering it was about warriors and grilled cheese. Actually, it was more of an adventure story than a scary one.

"Really?" Jaden seemed intrigued. "Then what?"

Syrus's expression grew more serious as his tone deepened, trying to set a scary setting. "Then, back at the cavern, I see a mysterious lake. So, I go in to look veeerrrryyy carefully...And, under just the right angle of light, at the very bottom of the lake, beyond my reflection, I see a rare and powerful card! Naturally, I'd go and get it, but when I reached for it, an arm grabs me, and tries pulling me towards the lake!

Chumley, who had been sitting next to Syrus, freaked out and backed away, curling himself up as he sat down in a different seat. It doesn't seem that he can handle scary stories that well.

"AAAAAHHH! HELP ME! NOT THE WATER! ANYTHING BUT THE WATER!" screamed Syrus, clawing at the air and acting dramatic.

Jaden grinned, leaning in close due to interest in the story. "Aw, water's not so bad!"

Syrus dropped the act, looking curious. "Um...dirty swamp water?"

"Nope!"

The blue-haired boy sighed, disappointed. "Oh, you're right...Only a chump would be scared of that..."

Speaking of, Chumley was trembling like a leaf, staying a bit far away from Syrus in fear that he might say something else. "Please no more...please no more...please no more..." the senior Slifer Red whispered.

"..." Jaden stared dumbfounded at Chumley before snatching the card Syrus had drawn that inspired him to tell the story. "Still, good story! Mid-Level scare for a Mid-Level card. But me...I hope I get a high Level!"

Unfortunately, Jaden's luck wasn't with the heart of the cards, since she pulled out a measly Level 1 Monster: Sinister Serpent.

Syrus was relieved as Chumley sat back down to his original seat. Knowing Jaden, she's full of nasty surprises, so if she had a high Leveled monster, she'd no doubt come up with a story so scary, it might cause nightmares for a month or so.

"Oh, you lucked out. You hardly have to scare us with that card."

Jaden shrugged. "Alright, then! I think I have a story that'll do the trick! Well, it's more like a memory. Back when I was a little kid, I used to hear sounds, but I only hear them real late at night."

Syrus pondered on what a kid version of Jaden would be like. Not to say he was a bit perverted, but he had a lovestruck look on his face, wondering how cute Jaden could have been. He could imagine it; her in a cute schoolgirl uniform and-

"-yrus? Syrus! Hey!"

"H-huh?"

The Slifer Red blinked as Jaden was snapping her fingers in front of him. "Dude, you blanked out! Are you even paying attention?"

"Y-yes I am! Anyways, continue!"

* * *

 _Flashback..._

 _In a small room, completely covered in large blue bedsheets, a little girl about 5 or 6 years old was fully asleep, snoring peacefully as she moved closer to her soft, cloud-like pillow. A Kuriboh plushie, a Marshmallon doll, and other Duel Monster dolls were all surrounding the girl, as if protecting her._

 _Suddenly, some light illuminated from her closet along with some strange noises. They were enough to wake up poor little Jaden, causing her to groan from the weird noises and light that woke her up._

 _A bit scared and curious, Jaden grabbed one of her favorite plushie dolls, a Dark Magician Girl, clutching her close to her for protection as she walked towards her closet. She twisted the knob and gently let the door open by itself._

 _By the time she did, the voices and light were all gone. All that was left of the room was a minature slide, some toys scattered throughout the floor, and her cards in her card case._

 _Bending down, Jaden lowered her Dark Magician Girl doll on the ground before picking up her card case and lifting off the top of the case with one hand before hugging her cards close to her chest._

* * *

Syrus and Chumley blinked, waiting for her to speak further. "...And then...?"

"Hmm...And, that's the end of the story!"

Both boys groaned in disappointment. Sure, the story was starting to get interesting, but like all other things, all things must come to an end. In this case, it was a rather short one.

"That's it?" both of them groaned, with Chumley laying back and Syrus placing his head on the table.

"But, what to know something strange...? Lately, I've been hearing them again," admitted Jaden, scratching her cheek. "But I gotta say, I love it! After all, I got to see Winged Kuriboh! And he's so cute!~"

Maniacal laughter burst out behind Jaden. "Ooh! I want to join in-"

Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley screamed, holding each other tightly while they closed their eyes. If they were going to die from the same person who started laughing like a vampire, the least they could do is die together!

Their screaming went on for another 10 minutes, however.

By the time the screaming ceased, the trio coughed for some breath as they separated from each other. Chumley laid on a bench while Syrus and Jaden gulped down some water, panting afterwards.

"...Wow. I'm quite impressed! I did not think you would go for a full 10 minutes!" exclaimed Banner, grinning. Pharaoh was laying around in his arms, meowing a "Hello" to Jaden and her friends.

"Hey, I just realized something," said Jaden. "Why do you have Pharaoh? I thought you weren't allowed pets on Duel Academy."

"No, Jaden. Pharaoh is not my pet. He is my partner," corrected Banner, still keeping a somewhat creepy smile on his face.

"What, you mean like married?" Syrus joked, causing him, Chumley, and Jaden to begin laughing a little.

"Yes."

Everything went a little chaotic there. Chumley hid in a corner, Syrus fell off his chair, and Jaden just stared at her dorm Headmaster with wide eyes and an open jaw.

"...What?"

"Yes, Syrus. Me and Pharaoh are married."

"You're-You're serious?"

"Yes."

"You swear to God?"

"Yes, Syrus. Why would I lie?" Banner leaned in close to Syrus's face, scaring the short boy even further. "Do you think I am a liar, Syrus?"

Syrus frantically shook his head. "No, no! I don't think you're a liar! ...Mr. Banner, sir!"

Banner smiled gently, pulling back. "Well, that's good. Because for a second, I thought you had something against a man and a cat being together!"

"No, no, no, no! I don't have anything against it! I mean, I-I couldn't have because um...I'm...I...I happen to be...involved! Yeah! With Jaden!"

"Shut up."

"Good, because I was kidding."

"But now that you're here, why don't you draw a card?" suggested Chumley, trying to change the subject for the benefit of everyone. The situation was already awkward as it is; it didn't need to be much more worse than it is.

"Y-yeah!" agreed Syrus, sitting back up. "The tougher it is, the scarier the story has to be!"

"Oh, well that sounds easy enough! Let's see..." Banner drew a card and flipped it over, which happened to be a Level 12 Monster, the most high Leveled of them all. Of course, there are some circumstances where there could be more than 12 Levels, but for the most part, Level 12 is the highest.

"I-I think I'm gonna go to bed now!" said Syrus, his feet trembling under the table. This was Banner; who knows what sort of sneaky stories he might have! Forget Jaden, Banner's probably worst than her!

Banner chuckled, either oblivious to Syrus's fear or just pretending to to tease the poor fellow. "What is wrong? Don't you want to hear about the abandoned dorm at the end of the island?"

"Ooh Abandoned dorm? I wanna know! I wanna know!" Jaden was practically jumping up and down, her eyes sparkling with excitement as Chumley and Syrus sweatdropped.

"Jaden...I don't think this is such a good idea..."

"Who cares, Sy! I wanna know! Please, please, please, please, PLEASE!"

"Okay, okay!" said Banner, trying to calm the girl down. "Not many people talk about it, but there was once a special dorm set at the edge of the forest. It was shut down after several students mysteriously went missing."

Syrus gulped, a bit of sweat dripping from his forehead already. "Where'd they all go?"

"Well, that's the mystery of it all," continued Banner. "But the rumor was, it had something to do with... _Shadow Games_..."

"Thanks, but you can stop now!" cringed Chumley, who had been hiding behind a chair all this time.

Ignoring Chumley, Banner turned to the rest of his students. "You see, kids, Shadow Games are duels played with powerful mystical items."

"Millenium Items, right?" yawned Jaden, losing a bit of interest. "I've heard about this, but it's not true."

"Ahahaha! Yes, that is what most people say. But, I believe that most stories generally come from somewhere."

Pharaoh let out a small yawn, signaling Banner to stand up. "Well, I think it's time for bed. Goodnight, children!"

"Goodnight!" said Jaden, waving her hand.

"Goodnight..." Syrus seemed all gloomy and scared.

"..." Chumley stayed silent.

After Banner left the room, Jaden noticed Syrus had something to say, but he was looking at his candle, barely noticing Jaden staring at him. She knew that look; it was the look of a mix of guilty and hiding something.

"Syrus, come on!~ I know you're hiding something! Spill it," teased Jaden, giggling as she rubbed Syrus's cute cheeks.

The boy's rubbed cheeks turned pink, which Jaden thought was adorable. He gently whacked away her hands and patted his cheeks, trying to calm himself down. No other girl touched him like that before; guess that was one of Jaden's ways to show affection.

"You know, there was this creepy building I saw in the forest once," admitted Syrus.

"Sweet! Then, you can lead the way for us tommorow night!"

"Wait a sec! What do you mean 'us?'

Syrus yelped, turning around to see Chumley standing right behind him so close. Just when and how did he get there without him noticing? That's it, he's second n Syrus's Creepy People List.

"It'll be fun!" encouraged Jaden, throwing an air punch. "Yeah!"

"Y-yeah...It'll be fun..."

"Oh man..."

Chuckling to himself from outside, Crowler was hiding and currently eavesdropping on the Slifer Reds, specifically Jaden. He figured that the only way to caught trouble for Jaden would be to figure out what he might be up to, and he was right!

"This is just the opportunity I've been waiting for!" whispered Crowler, grinning like a madman. _'I think the Shadow Games should make a comeback! Millenium Items and all!'_

"Fufufufufufufu...hahahahaha...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Hey, Sy? Chumley? What's that weird laughter coming from?"

"I don't know. Chumley? You wanna come with me to check it out?"

"Oh, shoot!" Crowler ran off, knowing his overconfidence nearly cost him dearly. _'Note to self, laugh maniacally after getting the hell out of here.'_

* * *

Banner talked all about philosophy and the meaning of it behind dueling with ancient history mentioned in it. While he was teaching the class about the current lesson, Jaden and Syrus were slumped together, sleeping softly while some others glared at them with annoyance.

Peering from a small crack in the door, Crowler was spying on only one sleepy person: Jaden Yuki. He seemed to have adopted a grin on his face as he thought, _'Sleeping through yet another class...But you'll have a make-up class soon enough...A lesson in the Shadow Games!'_

"Jay...please be my forever girl..." moaned Syrus, his head still on the desk as he tried to hug at air. He then proceeded to making kissy noises with his lips.

"Fried shrimp...I wanna have ice cream..." groaned Jaden, a bit of drool trailing down her lower lip while she wore a smile on her face.

Some of the kids sweatdropped. Just what were they dreaming about? Their voices were a bit too low for them to understand, plus the kids were still paying attention to Banner anyways.

* * *

 _Late at night..._

The lighthouse's beacon kept swirling around over, monitoring the area and providing light for any ships whatsoever. The guards inside the lighthouse were inspecting the area, just in case any kids don't run off and do terrible things, of course. One shadow on the light, and it's game over for the kid that gets caught.

Hiding near the lighthouse happened to be Crowler, waiting for his surprise guest to show. He had to make a few phone calls and call the right duelist for this special ocassion. Hearing footsteps approaching, Crowler turned around, grinning.

"So you're the one they call the 'Shadow Duelist!'"

Smoke started seeping from the Shadow Duelist's briefcase. He was fully masked and his clothing consister of a dark trenchcoat and a hat, hiding his identity even further. The strange part was, why was smoke coming out of his case?

"My opponents call me many names," he spoke. "Most of which are hard to describe due to their shrieks of sheer terror, but you can call me Titan. But enough small talk. What's the job?"

Crowler decided to get straight to the point. "I want you to fright someone so intensely, that he leaves this Academy and never comes back! Up to the challenge?"

"Of course." Titan answered without hesitation. "I never turn my back to a challenge."

"Hmmm..." Growing curious, Crowler kept dashing left and right in front of Titan in hopes to see if he was serious, with the latter trying to follow his gaze. "My, my! You are good!"

"...I'm better than good. And I'll prove it, not just by scaring this someone, but by banishing him to the Shadow Realm!"

Having said that, Titan began moving backwards as if moonwalking. He kept getting farther and farther away until he disappeared into a huge mist.

Having no clue what he meant, Crowler couldn't care less what happens to Jaden. "Hmm...oh well, if you insist."

* * *

"Chillin' out with the crew in the school yard!~"

Jaden had been continuously singing the same song over and over like a recorder on repeat. Chumley and Syrus had been following her down a rocky road, each carrying the flashlight as a way to provide them light.

"Jaden, I think we're lost!" complained Chumley, his feet aching in pain.

"We're not lost!" said Jaden. "I mean, you could think of it as lost, or you could say we found a couple of places where it's not!"

"Yeah? Well, we've been 'finding' places for over an hour! Then again, things have gotten worse for Sy!"

"Huh? Sy?"

Chumley nodded. "Yeah. I mean, we could end up in the _scary swamp water_!"

Syrus wasn't that amused. "Very funny, like you were the one who refused to bathe 'cause you were scared of the bath water last night."

"Hmph! Well, maybe if you cleaned it once and a while, it wouldn't be so swampish!"

"Maybe you grew up and started to take showers!"

As the two were constantly bickering with each other, Jaden started flashing her flashlight around, trying to find something good in the dark. A couple seconds later, she spotted a red rose on the ground.

"Hey! Check this out, guys!"

Stopping their argument, both Syrus and Chumley ran up to Jaden before Syrus looked around with his flashlight. "Check out what's behind it!"

Clicking their flashlights together, the trio turned their attention towards a huge, beatdown dorm with several broken windows, cracked walls, and plants sprouting from the inside. It truly was a mess, but it was no doubt the abandoned dorn,

"The old dorm!" gasped Jaden.

Chumley started shaking in his boots, literally. "And probably lots of ghosts, too!"

"Relax, guys! There's nobody here!" Jaden assured, turning to her frightened male friends. "Besides, if anything goes wrong, I'll protect ya!" She winked at them, causing Chumley to be surprised and for Syrus's heart to start beating rapidly.

"N-no! I'll protect you, Jaden!" promised Syrus, stepping in front of Jaden with his arms wide. He didn't know why he said that, but his protective instincts had taken over, and he felt rather good saying that.

Feeling a bit bad for not standing up for himself, Chumley nodded and went to Syrus's side. "Yup! We'll all take care of each other!"

Jaden nodded. "Yup, yup! We're all in this together, so let's do this, guys!"

At that moment, the sound of a branch snapping in two quickly drained their courage and replaced it with fear.

The three of them screamed, clinging onto each other. Chumley had hid behind Jaden, gripping her shoulders with his giant hands, while Syrus hanged onto Jaden's arm for dear life, not having any intention of letting go.

Jaden had closed her eyes, shining her flashlight around with her free hand as if it was a sword. In addition, she kept making lightsaber and sword noises as she tried to fight against whoever was there.

"Swoosh! Swoosh! Zoom! Zoom! Slash! Swoosh!"

"Jaden."

"Swoosh! Pow! Pow! Bang bang bang!"

"Jaden!"

"Zwoosh! Zwoosh! Pow! Bang! Slash! JADEN SLASH!"

"JADEN! SYRUS! CHUMLEY! JEEZ!"

Slowly cracking one eye open, Jaden shined her flashlight towards the direction of the voice, revealing to be the infamous Alexis Rhodes, who was just as surprised to see them.

"...Oh. Hi, Alexis."

Syrus peeked out from behind Jaden's arm. "...Alexis? What are you doing here?"

Alexis walked over to the Slifer Red group. "That's funny. I was about to ask you guys the very same thing."

"We heard about the abandoned dorm, and we wanted to check it out," explained Jaden.

"Well, that's not very intelligent." Alexis shot a glance at the abandoned dorm. "Don't you know that kids have a way of disappearing around here?"

Jaden shrugged off her warning, thinking nothing less of it. "Ah, come on! There's just some urban myth!"

"No, it's not. Believe me, I know. Why else would the Academy make this place completely forbidden?" She turned to Jaden and her friends. "They catch you here, and they'll expel you three."

"Yeah, sure. Okay, so why are you here?" asked Jaden, practically challenging Alexis and questioning her.

"I have my reasons, that's why!" snapped Alexis, suddenly angry and upset.

Jaden was taken aback while Syrus and Chumley fell to the ground on their bottoms, stunned by Alexis's angry demeanor. They've all never seen the calm and kind-hearted Alexis this mad before.

"Whoa! Okay! No need to snap!" said Jaden, trying to calm her fellow female friend down. "We just came here to look around, but hey! We'll stay out of your way, don't worry about it!"

Alexis's face fell, and so, she relaxed her shoulders, her angry expression replaced with a sorrowful one. She didn't mean to snap at them, but in her current situation, she's been so stressed that...it's been hard to focus lately.

"Look, it's just..."

The Obelisk Blue girl couldn't form the words out of her mouth any longer, so she turned towards the abandoned dorm, leaving their conversation full of tension and confusion.

"Just what?" wondered Syrus quietly, unable to speak up due to fear of Alexis yelling at him.

Stopping right in her tracks, Alexis sighed, rubbing her temples stressfully. "One of the kids who disappeared here...was my brother."

Syrus, Jaden, and Chumley looked bewildered at this new information, wondering what to do in order to make Alexis feel better. They didn't mean to make her upset, but they wanted her to at least cheer up a little.

 _'Oh! That explains the rose!'_ thought Jaden, glancing back behind her shoulder to where the rose was as Alexis wandered off. _'So, Alexis must have put it there! Poor Alexis...'_

"If Alexis's brother really disappeared..." started Syrus, trying to deduce something. "Then, the rumors aren't just rumors! I say we go back, Jaden!"

"Yeah? Well, I say we go in!"

Jaden and her companions stared at the abandoned dorm. It was dark, spooky, broken down, and even suspicious-looking, but even so, Jaden's fearless spirit prevented her from running away. Actually, hearing Alexis's tale just made her more determined to find out what's going on inside.

"What?!" cried out Syrus. "I'm not going in there!"

"Okay! See ya in a few, Syrus!"

Seeing Jaden wander towards the abandoned dorm made Chumley feel fiercely protective of her. Not wanting for her to get hurt, Chumley walked side-by-side with her, in case anything bad happened.

"H-hey! Wait up!" Syrus rushed up to his two friends, grabbing onto Jaden's soft-skinned hand. Her hand was so smooth like lotion in his hand, and he tightened his grip, clinging close to Jaden in case ghosts appeared out of nowhere.

Standing near a tree, Alexis watched as the three ventured inside the abandoned dorm, in hopes that they might find something interesting. Alexis did explore inside once, but found nothing but cobwebs and dust bunnies.

 _'I hope Jaden knows what he's doing,'_ thought Alexis, turning to leave when she suddenly encountered a mysterious masked man in a trench coat.

"Why, hello there-"

Alexis let out a high-pitched scream that echoed throughout the night, and proceeded to kick the man right where the sun doesn't shine.

"Augh! Straight in my Life Points!"

* * *

 _Inside the abandoned dorm..._

"This place is sweet!" exclaimed Jaden, her flashlight shining all over the place as the wielder looked around the dusty area and took in the dirty scenery. "You know, a little paint, a couple of cardboard boxes, and maybe a throne rug can totally get us to move here!"

Chumley and Syrus looked at her, wide-eyed. Move here? In the forbidden abandoned dorm that would most likely expel them if anyone found out they were in here? Not a chance!

"No way, Jay!" protested Syrus. "This is even worst than the Slifer dorm, and that's saying a LOT!"

"Yeah, and what's with the stuff on the walls?" pondered Chumley, pointing his flashlight towards the strange Egyptian-like symbols and writings. "Do you think it has something to do with the Shadow Games?"

Seeing Jaden walking closer to the strange symbols, Syrus began to freak, his feet trembling too much to move towards her. "J-Jaden! Don't stand so close! Are you nuts?!"

Jaden wasn't even fazed or rattled at the current situation. "Hey...I think this shows the seven Millenium Items! How cool!" She turned, shining her flashlight towards a different object: A picture of a young, attractive man. "And that just shows someone I've never seen before!"

Getting a little jealous, Syrus stomped over and snatched the photo. This guy was several times more handsome than he was, and he's supposed to be the cute one! He won't let some random guy steal Jaden's heart!

"I...I'll hang onto this! It might come in handy!" said Syrus, trying to make up an excuse since Jaden and Chumley were looking at him strangely. He placed the picture inside his backpack for safekeeping.

Jaden smiled and shrugged, continuing her investigation inside and entering more rooms. Of course, her two friends followed from behind, holding each other's hands in case something bad happened.

* * *

Alexis groaned, her vision a little groggy and her head throbbing madly. She couldn't exactly remember what caused her to black out, but when she came to, she was laying down uncomfortably, with her hands tied in front of her.

"W-where am I?!"

A low chuckling from a man's voice echoed inside her mind, causing confusion and fear to enter inside her body. She had no idea where she was, but from the looks of things, it seems she was trapped inside a sort of grotesque coffin.

"All alone...dangling...dragging your friends into my trap..."

"W-what?"

Alexis was still unsure what was going on, but then she saw a golden eye springing open, blinding her with such radiant power and light. She screamed, not knowing what was going to happen to her.

* * *

"AAAAAIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Syrus, Jaden, and Chumley gasped, hearing the feminine scream just now. There was no cloud of doubt about it; that scream came from Alexis!

"That sounded like Alexis!" cried out Syrus.

Jaden nodded. "Let's go!"

Pursuing after Jaden's trail, Chumley and Syrus hurried to keep up, worried about Alexis's safety and what had become of her. They stopped right in front on top of the staircase, calling out Alexis's name.

Jaden showed her flashlight all around the area below, hoping to find Alexis's body somewhere if she had gone unconscious. Instead, she found a facedown card on the ground.

Being somewhat foolish, Jaden jumped over the staircase railing, ignoring her friends' cries as she started to fall. Luckily, she managed to land safely, but the way her feet slammed onto the ground like that caused pain to course throughout the rest of her body. She was lucky that her legs weren't broken after that jump!

"Jaden! Are you crazy?!' both Chumley and Syrus yelled at her, their heads anime enlarging at the cowering Jaden, who looked like a cornered cat. Most of them time, they knew Jaden would be reckless, but this was just too much!

"S-sorry..." Jaden's arms were placed behind her back, having taken a sudden interest in her shoes as she rubbed her feet against the ground.

Syrus and Chumley couldn't help but feel a bit bad for Jaden, as well as admiring her cute pouting. Wait, now was not the time! They needed to find Alexis!

"Whatever! Let's just hurry, pancake!" called out Chumley.

"Wait, pancake?" Jaden tilted her head in confusion, until she figured out what the meaning was. "HEY! STOP CALLING ME FLAT!"

Chumley couldn't help but smirk. "Oh yeah? The day I stop calling-"

"GUYS! Can we please focus!" shouted Syrus, trying to get their attention. Jaden's eyes widen in realization, completely forgetting they had to rescue Alexis!

She ran over to where the facedown card was, picking it up and turned it around, revealing it to be one of Alexis's favorite monsters; Etoile Cyber.

"This is Alexis's card!"

Chumley pointed towards a different direction up ahead. "Well, there's only one way that she could have gone!"

"Then, that's the way we're going!"

The trio dashed down a hallway, which seemed more of a dark tunnel people would normally see in mines and caves. This hallway was a bit more longer than usual hallways, so it did take them a while to see the other end of the hallway. Once they arrived, they saw a huge cave-like room, with Alexis unconscious inside an opened coffin with fog flowing near her feet.

"Alexis!" shouted Jaden, concerned for her friend.

Before she could try and get closer, a man's voice laughed out loud insanely. "She can't hear you! She's far away...Locked in the Shadow Realm!"

"Who's there?!"

Emerging from the fog, a mysterious masked man in a trenchcoat made his acquaintance. "Your worst nightmare come true..."

Jaden frowned, readying herself in case this man tried anything. "Oh, give me a break!"

The mysterious man raised his head, his hidden eyes meeting Jaden's fierce ones. "Then let me prove it to you...in a Shadow Game!"

"Hand her over right now, or you'll be sorry!" threatened Jaden, raising her fists up like she was ready to fight.

Despite the dangerous situation, Syrus couldn't help but silently awe at Jaden's current position. She didn't really look that intimitating, but she did look cute, like she was trying to fight a puppy.

Noticing Syrus was out of it, Chumley shook him and whispered, "Psst! Syrus! Get a hold of yourself!"

"H-huh? Oh! Sorry!"

"The only way I will free her is if you beat me in a Shadow Game," proposed the mysterious man.

Chumley gulped, mumbling, "He's not looking at me, is he?"

Ignoring Chumley, Jaden took a brave step forward. "Look, I'm not afraid of dueling you, but Shadow Games don't exist!"

"The others didn't believe in the Shadow Games either," pointed out the mysterious man, unperturbed. "But they were soon convinced, for you see, when you lose at a Shadow Game, you don't just pay with your Life Points, you pay with your soul."

Jaden gritted her teeth and didn't realize until now that her knuckles had turned white from tightening so much. Chumley was rummaging through his backpack, trying to fetch something. Was this guy the one responsible for the disappearance of Alexis's brother?

"So, you're the one behind all those disappearances! Who are you, anyways?"

"I am the Shadow Duelist, Titan! Well, it's not like you're going to be around to remember that anyways. Soon, I'll have your soul..."

"Well, you're not getting us! Especially Alexis!"

"Unless you win, she's mine forever, as well as you," warned Titan, a twisted smile composed on his face.

"Jaden!" Chumley handed Jaden a duel disk, in exchange for the flashlight she had been carrying so that Jaden wouldn't have anymore distractions keeping her away.

As soon as Jaden equipped the duel disk onto her arm, she faced Titan, determined tow in back Alexis. "Alright, get your game on!"

"Hmph." Titan, who had been clenching his fist all this time, opened his palm and prepared himself to duel. His duel disk shot out and extended, resembling some sort of bat wing-like duel disk. "A Shadow Game, that is!"

Jaden slipped her deck in the slot of her duel disk, peering at Titan with determination as her duel disk activated. She turned to the unconscious and captured Alexis, her face falling with concern.

"Just hang on, Alexis...I'll get you out."

Both duelists turned at each other's directions, setting themselves up for a grand duel like never before. If this truly was a Shadow Game, both lives were at stake.

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **TItan - 4000 LP**

"Prepare, fool, to enter into the shadows," jeered Titan, drawing a card. "I summon Infernal Queen Archfiend in Attack Mode!"

Emerging from the shadows, as fitting as it may be, a somewhat skeleton-like feminine figure arrived. She wore some red armored shoulder pads, a velvet dress, an indigo-colored ragged cloak, and sharp wings to indicate how strong she may be.

Infernal Queen Archfiend - (FIRE/Fiend) - LV4 - (900/1500)

"An Archfiend monster?" wondered Jaden, a bit surprised. She may not pay attention to class, but she did know a little about Fiend-types. Apparently, they have huge costs in Life Points, whether it's to the opponent or the duelist himself. In exchange, something good or bad may benefit from those consequences.

"Yes, and now that this card is out, each and every monster with Archfiend in its name gets 1000 Attack Points," explained Titan.

Both Syrus and Chumley gaped at the sudden advantage Titan just received. And on the first turn, too! Luckily, since it was the first turn, he wasn't allowed to attack.

"Be careful, Jay!" called out Syrus.

Infernal Queen Archfiend - (FIRE/Fiend) - LV4 - (1900/1500)

"Uh, yeah. I already knew that," revealed Jaden, getting a bit cocky. "And I also know that if you keep those Archfiends on the field, you gotta pay Life Points during every Standby Phase of your turn."

Ttitan cackled, a little impressed by the young student's knowledge. Looks like this kid wasn't as half-brained as he thought.

"Now I don't...not after activating the Spell Card, Pandemonium."

Quickly inserting the Spell Card right into some sort of slot, the slot began filling up with light that illuminated the entire room. Jaden, and the other spectators besides Titan had to shield their own eyes from the light.

Sensing that the blinding light had dissipated, everyone glanced around, noticing an obvious change in scenery. There were gargoyle-like statues abd large centipede statues sticking in the walls, emitting a sense of fear, while the ground stood as some sort of rocky-like spider web.

"Pretty cool..." murmured Jaden.

"And it doesn't just change the scenery," said Titan. "It changes the rules! Now I don't have to pay any Life Points for my Archfiends, and if they're ever destroyed outside of a battle, I get to put another Fiend right into my hand! I know what you're thinking; your little friend's fate is all but sealed! Well, you're right!"

While he spoke, the ground began shaking, and the coffin's door closed and sealed up Alexis inside before the coffin itself was wrapped up by rough, claw-like tentacles. Once again, the ground was trembling as the coffin submerged and buried itself underground.

"Alexis!" shouted Jaden, reaching her hand out to her. By then, it was too late.

"That's not fair!" growled Chumley.

"Yeah! What have you done?!" cried out Syrus, glancing angrily at Titan.

"The same thing that I would do to you," answered Titan, getting irritated by both Chumley and Syrus's constant presence. "Should you continue to pester and annoy me!"

Seeing her two friends whimper in fear, Jaden grew displeased. "Hey! Just leave my friends out of this! My move!" She drew a card, then became preoccupied with her thoughts.

 _'I don't have any cards that can go up against 1900 Attack Points, but maybe...'_

"Elemental Hero Avian! I summon you in Attack Mode!"

The green feathered, coated hero flew onto the field, his feather-like wings flapping over and over as he stood by, ready for combat.

Elemental Hero Avian - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (1000/1000)

"And, I'm gonna throw down two facedowns as well!"

Titan sneered, thinking this was going to be easier than he thought. "Too bad you won't have a chance to use them. I summon Terrorking Archfiend in Attack Mode!"

Resembling very deadly and similar to his Queen counterpart, Terrorking Archfiend had a much bulky figure and was already twice as strong as his Queen, with a few different aspects for appearance other than the crown on his head.

Terrorking Archfiend - (FIRE/Fiend) - LV4 - (2000/1500)

"Now, you have two ficious Fiends to contempt with! And thanks to the special ability of the Infernal Queen Archfiend, the Terrorking's Attack Points automatically increase by 1000, making him an even more fiendish force to be reckon with!"

Terrorking Archfiend - (FIRE/Fiend) - LV4 - (3000/1500)

"3000 Attack Points?!" gasped Jaden, clearly not expecting this outcome.

"That's right!" Titan said, not yet fully releasing the power of his two Archfiends. "And now, I'm going to put them all to good use! Terrorking Archfiend! Attack Avian! Locust Storm Barrage!:

Terrorking Archfiend's chest opened up like a gate, with several moths and wasps fleeting out and heading straight at Avian.

"No way! You forgot about my facedown card, Mirror Gate!" yelled Jaden, who was prepared for this moment. "This Trap Card causes our Monsters to trade places! My Avian for your Terrorking! So now, all those 3000 Attack Points are going to work for me!"

Titan merely smirked. "You thought that you could lure me into a Trap? Look around you and tell me who's trapped."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, your Trap won't work on my Terrorking! He simply activates his ability! An ability that will determine our monsters' way of chance!"

A lava pit resides somewhere in the Pandemonium's den, and floating out of the lava pit came a couple of multi-colored pool balls with numbers on them. They all flew towards Titan's side and hovered besides him.

As Jaden stared, Titan began explaining, "You see, when he's targeted by an opponent's effect, Terrorking's special ability gives me a gambling chance. A number between 1 and 6 is selected at random. And if it happens to be a 2 or 5, then your Trap's destroyed, and Archfiend stays to fight on my side! So, let's spin the wheel of fate and see what happens, shall we?"

Wisps of fire blazed through each pool ball, one fire to another as it kept rotating over and over in a circle. The chance of failing seemed higher than winning, or so anyone thought.

"It's okay! The odds are way in Jaden's favor!" Chumley tried to encourage.

"You flunked math, Chumley," reminded Syrus dully.

"No, I got a 54!"

The wisp of fire started to gradually slow down; its time almost up. Right at that moment, the wisp landed straight on a 2.

"2!" Titan grinned sinisterly. "It seems that chance has favored the Terrorking Archfiend! Mirror Gate is shattered! Locust Storm Barrage! Finish him!"

Once the Mirror Gate surrounding Avian's body vanished, the wasps swarmed in and started invading Avian's body while he cried out in pain, trying to fling the wasps off him. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to deal with the numbers and exploded.

 **Jaden - 2000 LP**

 **Titan - 4000 LP**

"Well, that stinks," commented Jaden. "But at least it activates my other Trap! Hero Signal! When my Monster's destroyed in battle, this Trap card allows me to automatically summon a monster from my deck or my hand with Elemental Hero in its name! And I summon Elemental Hero Clayman! Defense Mode!"

The rocky shield defender herself shot onto the field, kneeling down afterwards to protect his mistress.

Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4- (800/2000)

"Oh, way to duel!" cheered Syrus.

"That Clayman should keep Jaden safe!" agreed Chumley.

Overhearing the spectators, Titan said, "I don't think so...At least, not from this!"

Shockingly, Titan took out something from his pocket, and it happened to be a golden puzzle-like object. Immediantly, the eye in the center of the puzzle-like object began shining, forcing everyone to shield their eyes once again.

"Now, the Shadow Games have truly begun! Don't your Life Points seem so insignificant? Now that it's your very life that's at risk?"

After the light died out, Syrus and Chumley shrieked, perceiving something wrong with Jaden's body. "Jaden! Your body!"

Jaden noticed that part of her body had disappeared, causing her eyes to widen in surprise. What was this? And where did her body parts gone too?

"It is the way of the shadows," said Titan. "Transcending the game, attacking your body!"

Jaden grunted as she tried moving around, only to find her feet weren't working. "Hey, I can't move my feet!"

"Of course not. As the shadows grown faster, you will all be taken right into the shadows' grip, _completely_."

Feeling weakened and finding it hard to breath, Chumley and Syrus began coughing and choking madly. The shadows that were slowly increasingly growing was filling up the area, making it difficult to breath.

"T-the air! I can't breath!"

"You are at the mercy of the night now!" Titan continued, completely unaffected by the shadows whatsoever. "Treasure the numbness, for it will not last! Soon, you will be drawn into an infinite chasm of eternal darkness where every waking moment will be filled with-"

"Come on, give me a break!" replied Jaden, still as cheerful as ever. "How bad can it be? So what? Back in our dorm, we've got blackouts so we can sleep in later! I'm not scared of the dark, it's great! Besides, if Crowler sees me like me, he'll totally freak!"

* * *

 _Jaden's imagination..._

 _Crowler was simply writing down a poem with a quill pen and muttering something about loving Ancient Gear Golems. He was all alone in his classroom, having nothing better to do when someone walked in._

 _"Hey, Professor Crowler!"_

 _The feminine-looking teacher sighed, immediantly recognizing the voice as Jaden Yuki. He sighed, then put down his quill pen to look up._

 _"Alright, what is it, Slifer sl-OH DEAR LORD! WHERE'S YOUR BODY?!"_

 _After that, Crowler fainted in shock while the half-bodied Jaden held out a victory sign with her fingers, laughing in success._

* * *

"Yup..." giggled Jaden, completely forgetting the duel.

Sweatdropping, Chumley and Syrus had to chuckle at that thought. "Wouldn't that be a sight to see..." both of them said.

Titan held up the puzzle-like object with a rope, smirking. "Still, you are no match against my Millenium Item! It's your move, but make it count, it may be your last!"

Jaden stared down at her palm, which was a little faded due to the supposed 'Shadow Game.' _'Wow, Millenium Items, a shadow fog, who could ask for a better challenge?'_

 _'What's he smiling about?'_ cogitated Titan, a little frustrated that his opponent wasn't even a little frightened by all that's going on. Either he was brave or just obnixiously stupid!

"Alright, Jaden...Get your game on!" mumbled Jaden to herself. "Here goes, buddy! For my move, I play the Spell card Pot of Greed!" Thanks to its effect, she drew two cards. "And I'll fuse Elemental Hero Sparkman with my Clayman on the field! Now say hello to Elemental Hero Thunder Giant!"

A combination of thunder and earth mixed together sparked a new hero before he emerged onto the playing field, in the form of a stronger individual. That strong individual had a tank-like suit that's defensive power was as strong as Clayman, but destructive power like Sparkman.

Elemental Hero Thunder Giant - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2400/1500)

"And now, I'll use his special ability which lets me destroy a monster whose original Attack Points are lower than his! Now, Thunder Giant! Let loose! Static Blast!"

The sphere on his chest crackled with electricity, charging up his right palm before he fired a blast of lightning and electricity straight at Terrorking Archfiend. The attack did seem like it was going to succeed electrifying its target, until Titan began chuckling.

"I activate Terrorking's special ability once again!" announced Titan with self-confidence. Six pool balls remained floating in the air, the wisp of fire continuously going around in a circle to determine which number to go by.

"Oh no!" said Syrus. "If he lands on a 2 or a 5 again..."

Unfortunately, luck seemed to favor on Titan's side once again, because this time, the wisp of fire landed on a 5. The blast that was intended for Terrorking Archfiend redirected itself back at Thunder Giant, destroying him straight on.

"This stinks!" complained Jaden. "Talk about a run of some really rotten luck!"

"Now, all your monsters are destroyed, and you're next!" told Titan before guffawing roughly, knowing he was going to win with ease. This punk should have never picked a fight with the Shadow Duelist!

Jaden was panting heavily, trying to get a grip on things and stay as conscious as possible. The whole Shadow Game thing was making her vision a little blurry, and, while she managed to maintain a good act, she struggled to keep herself still standing and awake.

"Your destiny's set," remarked Titan. "Soon, my Archfiend deck will finish off all your Monsters and my Millenium Item will finish off your soul!"

"This match isn't over yet!" riposted Jaden. "I've still got a few cards up my sleeve. Like, this! Mirage of Nightmare! And, I'll throw down a couple of facedowns while I'm at it!"

Titan scoffed, still fully confident of himself. "Don't waste my time! Your Life Points won't last long enough to use anymore of your cards! And Alexis's soul will soon be gone! And so will yours! It's my turn! Draw!"

"Hold on!" Jaden interrupted loudly. "I think you're forgetting something! Mirage lets me draw until I have four cards in my hand!"

Not bothered by the fact, Titan shrugged. "So, go ahead then! You could have 4 million, and it still wouldn't help you beat the crushing power of my Monster! Allow my Terrorking Archfiend to give you an example! Attack, Locust Storm Barrage!"

"Talk about butterflies in your stomach!" pointed out Jaden, feeling a bit queasy about the scary moths. "Good thing I played a Trap card! Mirror Force! Say goodbye to all your Monsters in Attack Mode!"

"Totally 'licious!" lauded Chumley. "If Jaden keeps this up, we can finally get out of here! And Alexis too!"

A large wall of glass formed from beneath the ground to reaching up the ceiling, fully protecting Jaden right as the wasps and moths flew head on. They bounced off the mirror wall and started investing onto Terrorking Archfiend and Infernal Queen Archfiend, destroying both Archfiend rulers.

"How dare you?!" barked Titan, angry that the two Monsters he had worked so hard to summon was simply destroyed, just like that!

"How? 'Cause I'm daring, I guess," said Jaden, shrugging her shoulders.

"Well, let's see how daring you are after this! I use Desrook Archfiend's special ability, which allows me to resurrect Terrorking Archfiend by sending this card to the Graveyard! Say hello to a not-so-old friend!"

The king of Archfiends returned, a little weaker than usual due to his special ability wearing off, but he seemed rather angry at Jaden for destroying him. Now, he looked ready to want revenge.

Terrorking Archfiend - (FIRE/Fiend) - LV4 - (2000/1500)

"Him again?" complained Jaden.

"And now, I activate the effect of the Field Spell card, Pandemonium! Hahahaha! Its powerful Magic allows me to draw a new Archfiend if one of my Archfiends is ever sent to the Graveyard! Of course, this new Archfiend can't be as powerful. But then my Terrorking Archfiend packs more than enough power as it is! Now, let's try this again! Locust Storm Barrage!"

"Go, Emergency Provisions!" declared Jaden, saving her last facedown for last. "This Spell Card allows me to sacrifice another Spell or Trap card and give me a 1000 Life Points!"

 **Jaden - 3000 LP**

 **Titan - 4000 LP**

That still didn't even stop Terrorking's Archfiend's assault as he exposed his chest out once more, sending hundreds of wasps and moths at Jaden as she tried protecting herself with her arms for that direct attack.

 **Jaden - 1000 LP**

 **Titan - 4000 LP**

"You still stand?!" exclaimed Titan, growing aggravated by the kid's persistence.

Jaden grinned, before her knees bent down forcibly as sweat trickled down the sides of her forehead. Heaving for some air, Jaden gulped down a little bit of air with her dry throat, trying to stay strong as she forced herself to straighten her back. That last blow nearly got to her, but she's standing strong.

"As long as I've got two good legs, I'm still standing!"

Titan had to hand it to him; this punk was good. Taking the Millenium Puzzle out of his pocket, he spoke, "But your legs are not good. And now, with this latest strike on your Life Points, neither are your arms!"

Seeing that her arms except for her hands had vanished just like her legs, Jaden gasped, as well as her two friends.

"Aw man!" said Syrus. "Jaden's fading really fast!"

While Syrus and Chumley were concerned for the disappearing girl, Jaden had other things in mind. _'Hmm...with my invisible legs...and my invisible arms...I could actually freak out Crowler! Yeah! He'll be so spooked that he won't give me homework again! First, I gotta win this, and then, I'll ask the masked guy how to make myself invisible!'_

"Better make this turn count!" said Jaden, drawing a card. "Alright! I use the Spell card, The Warrior Returning Alive, which brings back Elemental Hero Avian! Now, fuse with Burstinatrix to create the Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"

Both Fire and Wind Attribute monsters jumped into a sort of portal which combined their bodies and abilities together, and out of the portal came the all-powerful green and red monstrous Hero with one wing.

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Fusion/Warrior) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

"Now, why don't we say we turn up the heat in here, Wingman? Attack with Inferno Rage!"

Roaring angrily, Flame Wingman flew towards the ceiling and fired a blast full of fire towards Terrorking Archfiend, incinerating him with the flames of his rage.

"Oh, by the way, did I mention his super power? Your beast won't be the only one he's hurting! You will, too! You take damage equal to your destroyed Monster's Attack Points!"

 **Jaden - 1000 LP**

 **Titan - 1900 LP**

The moment Titan took all of that damage, his lower half of his body began vanishing up to his waistline as part of the Shadow Game.

Syrus noticed and turned to a stunned Chumley. "Parts of him are starting to disappear too, Chumley!"

"Think that could work on my waistline?" Chumley wondered, half-joking.

"It matters not!" Titan said. "Because I have yet another Desrook Archfiend! I simply discard him to bring back my Terrorking! There's no escaping him! Rise again, Terrorking!"

Rising from the ashes on the ground, the skeleton-looking Archfiend spreaded his wings and roared at Jaden, freaking her out and causing her to stumble back a little in surprise.

Terrorking Archfiend - (FIRE/Fiend) - LV4 - (2000/1500)

Flame Wingman took a step forward, placing himself in front of Jaden to protect her from the dastardly Archfiend Monster. He growled lowly at him in response for daring to scare his mistress, even a little.

"This guy's really overstaying his welcome! I've got to find a way to get rid of him, somehow!" said Jaden. "First, I'll protect myself with Dark Catapulter! And isn't he so cool and adorable? Now, do your worst!"

A large medium-sized monster whose head was somewhat part dog and part dinosaur squealed and blushed when he heard Jaden said that. It was obvious due to his cheeks being tinted pink, thought Flame Wingman didn't seem to take it fairly that Dark Catapulter got a comment. He's been in more battles than him! He should have more cute praises!

Dark Catapulter - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1000/1500)

"'Do your worst?'" Titan seemed amused by the dare as he drew a card. "You should be careful what you wish for! Because you just might get it! Especially with this card is in play! I sacrifice my Terrorking Archfiend and call forth the Skull Archfiend of Lightning!"

As soon as Terrorking Archfiend dispersed right into the darkness, lightning took his place, in the form of a humungous skull-like creature with wings and lightning surging throughout his body like he was a lightning rod.

Skull Archfiend of Lightning - (DARK/Fiend) - LV6 - (2500/1200)

"Oh, cool! He looks like that Skull guy Yugi had!" gasped Jaden, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Summoned Skull! Yeah, now I definitely want you to bring your worst!"

"You wanted my worst? Well, now you have it! Super Charged Bolt!"

Lightning grew stronger the more it surged around Skull Archfiend of Lightning before he combined it in an attack that electrocuted Flame Wingman and caused him to shatter into tiny pieces.

 **Jaden - 600 LP**

 **Titan - 1900 LP**

"Aw man!" cried out Syrus and Chumley, seeing her Life Points depleting. "Jaden!"

Jaden panted, gritting her teeth as she struggled for the fight of staying awake. _'I...I gotta hang on...for Alexis...'_

Once he saw that Jaden was growing more weaker and weaker with every Life Point gone, Titan chuckled and took out the Millenium Puzzle as it glowed again. "Look into my Millenium Item, and feel yourself drifting even further into the shadows! You are defeated! Your Life Points are all but gone! Soon, you will be nothing but a hollow soul of a shell! Feel yourself drifting...drifting...drifting..."

Unable to take it anymore, Jaden collapsed on her knees, gasping for breath as more sweat dripped down from her forehead to the ground. The pain, the sleepiness, the anxiety, it was all too much! Not only was her vision becoming more and more black, but she had a throbbing headache and an aching pain to point out.

 _'I...I can't see anywhere,'_ she thought. _'What's happening to me...?'_

Thinking that Jaden might have had enough, Titan put away his Millenium Puzzle, smirking in success. Syrus and Chumley wanted to rush over there and help Jaden get up, but they couldn't risk being sucked in the Shadow Game as well.

"She can't even stand up!" muttered Chumley.

"Jaden!" yelled Syrus, wanting to run over and protect her.

Seeing the poor, pitiful Slifer Red on her knees, Titan thought, _'Look at him, so pitiful! The shadows are a powerful weapon, indeed! Even the ones simply in your mind! If only he knew...'_

Unknowest to anyone besides Jaden, the top card of her deck began glowing, and a soft, purring sound echoed inside Jaden's lost mind.

* * *

 _In complete darkness..._

Jaden was groaning and kneeling in what seems to be a world of darkness. She didn't have any clue what was going on; only that she was in agonizing pain and suffering. Seeing a small ball of light flying out of her deck, Jaden instinctively knew it was her cute, furry friend, Winged Kuriboh.

 _'Hey...that you, Winged Kuriboh?'_ wondered Jaden, following Winged Kuriboh's trail around with her eyes, her mind still groggy. _'...What is it, pal? You...trying to tell me something?'_

Hearing Winged Kuriboh's purrs and cute sounds made her feel a little better, but it didn't stop her overwhelming headache. She felt that the way Winged Kuriboh was flying around, it was almost like he was trying to hypnotize her. Wait...hypnotize...?

That's it!

* * *

 _'Wait! That's it! That's what you're trying to tell me! We're not playing in the shadows! He's playing with my mind!'_

Understanding what was happening, Jaden found new resolve to stand up and fight once more; this time, without showing any signs of pain or fatigue.

"Yeah! I've got this Shadow Game scam all figured out!"

Taking notice of what she said, Syrus and Chumley blinked, baffled. "Did she just say 'Shadow Game scam?' wondered Chumley.

"What's she mean, Chumley?"

Jaden was more than obliged to answer Syrus's question. "I mean, my soul's not on the serving plate anymore!"

The two male spectators glanced at one another, still confused.

"Let's keep going! My turn!" Much more resolved than before, Jaden swiftly drew her card, a confident smirk on her face. No traces of fear or doubtness were found anywhere on her body.

Titan was taken aback, not figuring out what was happening. _'What's going on?! Why isn't he scared anymore?!'_

The red gem on Dark Catapulter's forehead lit up a sort of spark, which happened to be one single Counter.

"First, I'm gonna activate my Dark Catapulter's special ability!" announced Jaden. "It allows me to remove one card from my Graveyard for every turn Catapulter's in Defense Mode! Then, for every card I remove, I get to remove one Spell or Trap card out on play! So, since he was in Defense Mode for one turn, I'll remove Avian, and now, I'll destroy your Pandemonium card! Storm Shower Blast!"

Directly straight out of the Graveyard, an electrical charged sphere of energy shot out and blasted away the remains of the Pandemonium field in no time. All that was left on the field besides the Monsters was the same cave-like area they were in before Titan played Pandemonium.

"So what?!" scorned Titan, holding up his Millenium Puzzle. "You still haven't destroyed this!"

"Heh. You better be careful what you wish for!" Jaden repeated Titan's exact words from before with confidence. "Ninja Card Shuriken Attack! Hiya!"

Rashly, Jaden threw her card straight towards the Millenium Puzzle in a way that she often seen ninjas throw shurikens in TV shows. Surprisingly, the card hit the Millenium Puzzle's eye center and stuck there. Avian was not going to be happy being thrown like a shuriken, but at least it was for a good cause.

Titan gasped. "What did you do?!"

"Simple. I threw a card. Like a ninja boss!" replied Jaden, being cheeky as she held up a victory sign with her two fingers. Her body parts began returning back to normal like nothing had happened.

"Alright! You got your body back!" cheered Syrus, relieved to see that Jaden was fine.

Jaden replied, "I never lost it! This whole Shadow Game thing was just a huge farce! It was all just hypnosis! A whole lot of smoke and mirrors to make me think I was losing my soul! This guy's a complete sham! I mean, he's probably just some out-of-work bozo!"

"I-I'm not out-of-work!" stammered Titan. "I can get my job at the pub anytime I want!"

"Yeah, I'm sure that you could!" taunted Jaden. "And I'm sure that paper Millenium Item will work well with the kitties!"

"No! Be quiet!" Titan was growing more agitated by this kid's constant insulting. "It's real! I'm real!"

"You're a sideshow phony!"

Titan recalled another fact, then smirked. "You fool! You forget! The girl! Don't you remember? She's imprisoned in a shadow tomb! Her soul is festering in the recesses of the Netherworld! That proves this Millenium Pendant is real! What do you have to say to that?!"

Syrus and Chumley looked at one another, fear and worry written all over their faces. It was true; they almost forgot about Alexis! If the Shadow Game wasn't real, then where did Alexis go? Her being a captive doesn't change anything!

"Huh, that you're as more stupid than you look?" said Jaden. "See, all the Millenium Items were sketched on the _inside_ of this dorm. And yours would be called the Millenium Puzzle. Not 'Pendant.' You don't have Alexis's soul! You never did! So, hand her over, and hand over all the other kids you snatched!"

Titan's expression was filled with bewilderment. "Other kids? I have no idea what you're talking about! And because of your earlier comments, you can find your friend by yourself!"

Having said that, Titan threw his Millenium Puzzle to the ground, and once it made contact, the Millenium Puzzle made a small explosion, creating a sort of smoke screen that surrounded Titan and hid him safely from sight as he made his getaway.

"Gah!" cried out Jaden, giving chase to Titan. "Titan used Smoke Screen! It was not effective against Jaden! Jaden gives chase and uses Agility! It'll be super effective!"

Watching Jaden run and making random comments, Chumley and Syrus sweatdropped. "...Did she just make references from that one TV show?" both wondered.

While Jaden sprinted towards Titan, the statues surrounding the area began lighting up as she ran passed them. Once all statues were lit, they all focused on one spot in the center of the room, making Jaden stop.

"Whoa!"

The ground started shaking like crazy, and a huge golden eye-like symbol lit up beneath everyone's feet, startling everyone. Titan even stopped to wonder what was going on, and he was just as confused as the rest!

"Hey, how'd you do this trick?" shouted Jaden through all the noise.

"I didn't!"

Right at the moment, the smoke swirled around right above their heads, engulfing both Jaden and Titan in. The smoke whirled around until it fully transformed into a giant sphere of darkness crackling with electricity.

"Jaden!" cried out Syrus, running towards the sphere before Chumley tackled him to the ground. "What are you doing?! Lemme go! I have to save her!"

"No! We don't even know what'll happen if we touch that thing!" argued Chumley, keeping him hold on the ground. "We'll just have to wait and see what happens."

"Jaden...I hope you're alright..."

* * *

 _Inside the void sphere of darkness..._

Amazed by the scenery of the void, Jaden couldn't help but feel excited. This was amazing! Sure, Titan might be a fraud, but he sure knows how to make an exit! If this wasn't fake, she'd probably be a little freaked out right now!

Titan, however, wasn't sharing an ounce of her enthusiasm. "W-what is this?! Where am I?!"

"Whoa! How'd you do this trick?! You gotta teach me a thing or two!" said Jaden.

"A trick?! I can't do something like this!"

Hearing something approaching, both of them saw weird blobs plummeting from the skies and piling up one at a time. Eventually, those blobs reverted their attention towards Titan and began sticking themselves to his body.

"Help! They're attacking! Jaden, save me-MMPH!"

One of the blobs took advantage of his open mouth and leaped right in, gagging him. As more and more blobs invaded his body, Titan grew weaker and weaker, until he collapsed and countless blobs descended upon his supposedly fallen corpse.

Noticing blobs surrounding her too, Jaden looked around, trying to find an exit of some sort. Her back, left, right, and front were all blocked by the blobs, and it was too far for her to jump over the blobs.

" _ **Kuri! Kuri!"**_ ("Don't worry, Jaden! I'll save you!")

Glancing at her deck, Jaden was surprised to see a small brown furball with wings struggling to squeeze his way out of her duel disk. When he finally popped out, he landed straight on her arm; his huge eyes staring straight at Jaden.

Just when Winged Kuriboh's about to help out his mistress, something unexpected happened.

"EEEEEKKKKK! YOU ARE JUST THE CUTEST THING!~" squealed Jaden, squeezing Winged Kuriboh tightly to her chest and practically suffocating him. Winged Kuriboh's face turned blue, and he was flapping his wings frantically to get away.

 _ **"KURI KURI KURI!"**_ ("HELP HELP HELP!")

Accidentally, Winged Kuriboh slapped Jaden's face with one of his wings, which was enough for her to release him. He plopped to the ground and landed near the blobs, clawing at them. The blobs began scattering away, drawing their attention towards Titan inside.

"Awww! You saved me, Kuriboh!~ You're my hero!~" gladdened Jaden, picking up Winged Kuriboh in her arms and holding him tight as she pressed her lips onto his fur.

Winged Kuriboh's cheeks tinged red as he hid his face into her arms. This was too embarrassing! Hopefully the other guys didn't notice! He'd never hear the end of being a stuffed animal!

Hearing Titan's muffled cries as he was forced to swallow up all the blobs, Jaden turned to him, clinging onto Winged Kuriboh for safety. Titan turned to her, although he seemed different, due to having red eyes.

"Jaden Yuki...The shadows aim for a soul," spoke Titan in a monotone voice. "Only one shall survive..."

Jaden was even more annoyed on the whole trickery act he was still going on. "Oh, come on! Red contacts? You really went overboard setting up for this!"

"This duel will now continue on the Shadow Realm." Afterwards, the blobs quickly dispersed for room and the monsters and other cards Titan and Jaden had on the field returned, thus commencing the duel once more.

"So, you're sticking to the Shadow Realm thing!" said Jaden, releasing Winged Kuriboh before he floated near her side. "Fine! At least we get to finish our match! I play the Spell card Monster Reincarnation! Now, by discarding one card from my hand, one of my Graveyard Monsters comes back! And I choose everybody's favorite golden boy, Sparkman in Defense Mode! You remember him, don't ya?"

The electricity-manipulating Hero shielded himself with his arms over his chest, protecting himself and his mistress while in defense.

Elemental Hero Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1400)

"Very well, my turn," said Titan emotionlessly, drawing a card.

"Yeah, but don't forget, Mr. Tall, dark, and scary! Without your Pandemonium Field card in play, your Archfiend causes you 500 Life Points per turn!"

 **Jaden - 600 LP**

 **Titan - 1400 LP**

"500 Life Points are nothing compared to a soul!" Titan said, grimacing. "Now, Skull Archfiend, attack!"

Skull Archfiend of Lightning shot out a blast of lightning at Dark Catapulter, not wanting him to use his special ability to hender anymore Traps or Spells during the game. At least one defensive Monster was out.

"I now place one card facedown and summon the Desrook Archfiend in Attack Mode to end my turn."

A sort of skull-like Monster with a body of tentacles sneered at his opponents as he made his way towards the field, prepared to take down Jaden as soon as her Sparkman was gone from the field.

Desrook Archfiend - (LIGHT/Fiend) - LV3 - (1100/1800)

Winged Kuriboh looked worriedly at Jaden, wanting to protect her from all those Monsters even though he had no chance of survival. Jaden noticed his concerned and smiled.

"Don't worry, Winged Kuriboh! I'm totally still in this duel! Here goes!" She drew a card, knowing what to do.

 _'Alright! They say the best defense is a good offense! But what's cool about this card is that it can let me have both!'_ thought Jaden. "Sparkman, I'm placing you in Attack Mode! And arming you with Spark Blaster!"

Once standing up, Sparkman's palm held the trigger to the Spark Blaster weapon, a suitable weapon only meant for the Elemental HERO of electricity himself.

"It has three blasts and lets me change the Battle Mode of any Monster on the field for each of them! And I think I know the first Monster I'm gonna use it on first!"

Titan didn't look impressed. "So, be it. Change the Battle Mode of my Skull Archfiend of Lightning. His 1200 Defense Points should come for easy conquest. Unless the roulette negates your effect again."

"Sorry, but that's not the Monster I was talking about!" corrected Jaden. "In fact, my Sparkman's not even gonna use that Blaster yet! He's attacking your Desrook Archfiend with Static Shockwave!"

Lowering his gun hand, Sparkman blasted lightning from his free palm at the other Monsters, having enough power to wipe him off the field.

 **Jaden - 600 LP**

 **Titan - 900 LP**

"Oh, and as for who I'm going to use the Spark Blaster on, the Sparkman himself! From offense to defence!"

Sparkman obeyed his mistress's commands without question, shooting the Spark Blaster at his own feet which created an electrical magnetic field, forcing him down on his knees as he defended.

"Coward," said Titan, drawing a card. "First, you have your Sparkman attack my Life Points, and then you have him switched to protect your own. But it matters not! Nothing can protect you from this! A Trap Card, Battle Scarred! With it, the 500 Life Point per turn cost from my Skull Archfiend of Lightning not only affects me, but you too! And for as long as he's out on the field!"

 **Jaden - 100 LP**

 **Titan - 400 LP**

"Urk...this is bad! I won't be able to last another turn!" grunted Jaden. More blobs began crowding around Jaden, wanting to feast on her white, milky skin.

Winged Kuriboh wouldn't allow anyone to hurt Jaden as he swoop down to claw at them again with his adorable antics, which proved to be helpful. If they were in a serious duel, Jaden would just squeal and squeeze the living life out of Winged Kuriboh again.

"Aww! My hero!" cooed Jaden. "Oh, and Sparkman, too! As long as he's here, nothing will stop us!"

"Wrong!" denied Titan. "Skull Archfiend, destroy that phony! Blast Stream of Fury!"

Skull Archfiend of Lightning fired electricity from his mouth again, destroying Sparkman and nearly electrocuting Jaden as the electricity waves bypassed her. She was lucky to have placed him in Defense Mode, otherwise, she'd be done for!

"Then, I place a facedown card and activate the Spell card, Double Spell! Now, by simply discarding one of the Spell cards in my hand, I am allowed to use one of the Spell cards from your Graveyard! And I select Emergency Provisions! Now, I sacrifice one meaningless card and regain a total of 1000 Life Points!"

 **Jaden - 100 LP**

 **Titan - 1400 LP**

"Your fate is sealed! You have not a single card remaining from your hand!" said Titan. "Battle Scarred will take your last Life Points next turn! Then, you'll join the rest of the students I've taken...in the Shadow Realm!"

"Better make this turn count, because one way or another, it's gonna be my last! Here I come!" muttered Jaden, drawing her card.

Winged Kuriboh was shooing away the blobs with his small claws and angel-like wings. He was lightly growling at the blobs, who seemed to be quite terrified by the Light Attribute Monster as they ran off and avoided him.

"I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman in Attack Mode!" she shouted, placing the blue suited HERO on the field.

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (Water/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"Now, Bubbleman will burst if he's left alone. So, if he's the last card in my hand, I'm allowed to summon another Monster! And, there's more! If he's the only one in the field when he's summoned, I get to draw two more cards! And what do you know? I drew his favorite, Bubble Shuffle! Actually, it's more of a two step. See, it works like this; I switch him and one of your Monsters in Defense Mode, then I sacrifice Bubbleman and summon a Hero!"

"That's if my Skull Archfiend's counter effect does not render your Spell card useless, that is!" reminded Titan; six pool balls engulfed in a wisp of fire besides him. "If this roulette lands on a 1, 3, or 6, your Bubble Shuffle Spell fails to activate!"

Jaden groaned, having hated that chance ability. Already, she's had bad luck with that thing, and she _really_ didn't want to deal with that again! Oh well, guess it was all or nothing!

The wisp of fire kept switching from one pool ball to another, constantly flowing around over and over until it landed on a...2.

"Alright! Finally, I win!" cheered Jaden as Bubble Shuffle worked its magic; sending Bubbleman and Skull Archfiend of Lightning into Defense. "Now, let's give a big shadow welcome to...Elemental Hero Bladedge!"

Taking over Bubbleman's place, a hero cladded in golden armor flew down, the blades on his elbows gleaming even in the midst of darkness.

Elemental Hero Bladedge - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV7 - (2600/1800)

"I know what you're thinking! 'He looks pretty sharp!'" said Jaden. "Well, you're right! So sharp, that when he cuts through your defending Monster, all extra Attack Points go to you! Now, HERO Bladedge! Show him how you got your name! Slice And Dice attack!"

His blades sharpened, Bladedge swooped past Skull Archfiend of Lightning, slashing through his defences and delivering several slashes to his body while he was at it.

 **Jaden - 100 LP**

 **Titan - 0 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

"Nooooooooo!"

Dark smoke enveloped around Titan as blobs piled and cemented onto Titan, sticking onto him like wads of sticky gum. He struggled, gasping for breath as he tried fighting back.

"G-get off me! Tell my kids I...love them!"

As the blobs began swallowing Titan whole, Jaden and Winged Kuriboh simply stared, amazed. "Whoa, now those are sweet special effects," commented Jaden. "So realistic!"

Desperately searching for an exit, Winged Kuriboh began scratching at the walls of darkness, and thanks to his powers, he was able to provide a small opening, which widened quickly and made way for some light.

"Huh? Think that's an exit?" Before Jaden could question anymore, she saw more blobs piling up; the countless of blobs forming like an army. "Well, good enough for me!"

* * *

Winged Kuriboh flew out of the hole he created and watched as Jaden tumbled out of the hole, falling right on her bottom. She yelped and rubbed her back as she crawled away from the sphere of darkness.

"Jaden!"

"Are you okay?"

Glancing up, Jaden saw her two friends, Chumley and Syrus, rushing towards her. She had no idea how long she was in the sphere of darkness, but perhaps it wasn't too long.

"Oh, hey guys!" Jaden waved at them, giving off a cheeky grin.

"JADEN!" Syrus tackled her into a hug, knocking her flat on her back as he cried out tears of joy. "You're alive! You're alive! I thought you were dead!"

"Whoa there, buddy! I'm still alive!" giggled Jaden, ruffling his soft, blue hair. "After all, I used Protect! It's super effective!"

"Uh...right..."

"What happened in there?" asked Chumley. His body shook for a second, sensing something ominous about to happen, before he turned his head and realized something was happening to the sphere of darkness. The sphere crackled with electricity and it seemed that something bad was about to happen. As quickly as he could, he got on top of Syrus and Jaden, shielding them both with his huge body.

Strong winds whirled around as the sphere of darkness was shrinking smaller and smaller. The winds were so powerful, that they tried to suck in Alexis while she was still in the coffin. Not letting that happen, Jaden struggled to get Syrus and Chumley's heavy weights off her before she grabbed hold of the coffin, keeping Alexis from being wafted off.

Hearing a loud gun shot-like explosion, Jaden yelped before seeing it was only confetti the moment the sphere of darkness vanished. She applauded and commented, "Awesome! I wonder what he does for an encore! Talk about a magic trick! There were little monsters, and vortexes and sort of stuff!"

"Magic trick?" pondered Syrus, looking at Jaden. "You don't think that was the real shadow realm?"

"Nah! It's all mirrors and fog machines! Just like I said!" said Jaden being cheerful despite being in actual danger a few minutes ago. "Though, I'd give my entire deck to know how he did it! I've never seen anything like it! Wait! I got it!"

"What? Did you figure out his magician's trick?" asked Chumley.

"Yeah...he used Trick Room! It was super effective!"

"...Jaden? We need to get you to stop watching that show."

* * *

Crowler was exploring around the dark places of the abandoned dorm, his flashlight guiding him through the dark. He snickered, wanting to see the terrified look on Jaden's face. Maybe tommorow, he'll pack up his things and head for the next ship off the island! After all, tommorow is where the delivery ships come!

"Come on, Shadow Duelist! I want to hear every last detail" he called out before spotting a card on the ground. "Hmm? What's this? It's that Shadow Duelist's Pandemonium card! He would never leave this behind unless...HE LOST?!"

Grumbling, Crowler turned around, ripping the card to shreds in frustration. Okay, so the whole Shadow Duelist scaring Jaden plan failed. No matter, because he's got more plans up his sleeve just waiting, all for Jaden Yuki!

* * *

Slowly waking up, Alexis regained consciousness. She seemed alright, but the first sight in front of her was Jaden Yuki, being a little way too _close_ to her face.

"Morning, Ale-"

"EEK!" **SLAP!**

"Owwwww!" cried Jaden, falling down and covering her red cheek. "Alexis! What was that for?!"

"I could say the same thing!" demanded Alexis, standing up indignantly. "What happened?! And why were you so-"

"Wait wait wait! Alexis!" shouted Chumley and Syrus. "Jaden saved your life!"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

They had only a few seconds before Alexis would beat up Jaden for practically doing something to her while she was asleep. As quickly as they could, Syrus and Chumley explained to Alexis the events that occured a couple of hours ago, and how they had been waiting for her to wake up.

"Oh, yeah! There was this strange man who kidnapped me!" gasped Alexis.

"That's right! We found your card, too! Along with this!" Jaden handed her her Etoile Cyber card back and a picture of a young male student.

Alexis gasped, tears whelming up in the corners of her eyes. "My...brother? Oh...This is the first trace of him I've seen in a long time!"

"That's right," said Jaden. "I brought it to let you know that we want to help you find him. After all, we can't have you getting locked up in tombs searching by yourself!"

"You...really were worried about me, weren't you?" Alexis felt her heart filled with guilt; she just slapped and yelled at Jaden, even thinking of beating him up for being too close for comfort, when all this time, Jaden and his friends were the ones who rescued her and retrieved her card and a picture of her brother for him!

While they had been talking, the sun started rising, indicating that it was now daylight and early in the morning.

"Uh-oh! Sun's up! We better get back before they notice that we're gone!" said Jaden, rubbing her eyes as she stretched her body. "See ya in class...*yawn*..."

"Bye, Alexis!"

"Yeah, bye!"

"Oh, and if anyone asks, we were never here! *yawn*"

"Oh, jeez! Jaden, this is why I kept telling you to sleep! We could have taken turns watching over Alexis!"

'Oh...shut up...guys...*snore*"

"I'll carry her!"

"Syrus, you're too small! I'll do it!"

After some constant bickering, both of them decided the fastest way would be if Chumley carried Jaden on his back, though Syrus trailed from behind to catch Jaden just in case Chumley's hands slipped.

"Oh! Guys!" called Alexis. "Tell Jaden I'm sorry for slapping him! And thank you guys!"

"No problem!" Both Slifer Red boys called back before making a break for the Slifer Red dorms.

Alexis turned back to stare at the picture of her dear brother. Maybe this was just the first step to finding him. Someday, she'll find her dear, sweet brother, and tell him all that he's missed and how her new friends helped her out.

* * *

 **ATTENTION! ATTENTION ALL FOLKS! Please read!**

 **I was...kinda hurt by one of the reviews in my story. I mean, I know I'm supposed to take the review as a compliment and just respect it and all, which I do respect, but it doesn't change the fact that I am hurt. But, I will explain a few things.** **1) I like the plots of each season in GX, so I don't really care much about who Jaden's pairing up with. I just put up the poll for fun and letting everyone wonder who she's gonna get paired. Maybe it might be Zane? Maybe Chazz? Jesse? Anyone? I just think Jaden's cute as a girl.**

 **2) There can be girls in the Red Dorm, even if nobody except a few people know that Jaden is a girl. I mean, look at Blair! She's a girl, yet she's allowed in Slifer Red, even though she lost to Chazz!**

 **3) Remember when Jaden rejects being in Ra Yellow? Who's to say she'll do the same thing to Obelisk Blue if people discover she's a girl? Of course, there's going to be chances in the Red Dorm, of course.**

 **4) For the whole co-ed changing room thing, maybe Jaden changed in a different small stall, like a bathroom stall. People can change in bathroom stalls if they want to, after all. I saw that locker rooms have bathroom stalls. Maybe the girls never noticed Jaden at all, most likely because they were too busy putting on makeup or other girly things.**

 **5) I do try my best to make at least a couple of changes throughout the story. I try not to focus everything on Jaden, but some other characters too.**

 **6) Alexis doesn't even know Jaden's a girl, at least, not yet. The fact that she has a crush on her proves that she doesn't know that Jaden's a girl. Since Jaden is tomboyish, she still thinks she's a guy, and develops a crush due to her actions, especially since she saved her.**

 **7) There is an actual good reason why nobody noticed that Jaden is a girl. That will be revealed later on.**

 **8) Awww! Cute Jaden flashback with the dollies! I thought it would be good!**

 **Having said that, I hope you all respect other people's stories and don't you guys give bad reviews! If you don't like the story, you don't have to continue reading other stories.**


	6. Duel and Unusual Punishment

**Heya, guys! I just realized something while talking to someone! I just can't simply do all the filler episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh GX, since that would take too long, so here's what I plan to do!**

 **Replace those filler ones with filler chapters! *cricket sound***

 **It may sound...bad, but trust me, it'll be good! I'll only take a couple of the actual filler episodes, though.**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX series, only the OCs!**

* * *

Luminating repeatedly, the small lighthouse shined its light over the sea. It was an foggy morning; the sun hasn't even risen yet, indicating it was still too early. Yesterday had been pouring cats and dogs, but the weather cleared up sometimes during the nighttime, but the fog replaced the rain instead, so it was hard to glance around one's surroundings during this time of day.

Alexis headed towards the lighthouse, wanting to get something out of her mind. She couldn't sleep, knowing her brother might be out there, possibly hurt or worse. She just needed some alone time, but she hadn't been expecting someone else to already arrive at the lighthouse.

"...Zane?"

Zane happened to be a young, tall, attractive student with dark blue hair and dark teal-colored eyes, wearing an older, senior version of the Obelisk Blues. He didn't seem to notice nor hear Alexis, as he was lost in thought; staring at the sea with his arms crossed.

"Hello?"

"..." The older Obelisk Blue boy finally noticed Alexis, but didn't say anything else but retain his gaze at the sea.

"What are you doing here?"

"...Nothing. I just thought of being alone."

Deciding upon a topic to discuss, Alexis said, "You knowm I thought once your brother enrolled here, you'd feel bad less. Not more."

"Well, maybe my brother shouldn't be here."

* * *

 _Later, that morning..._

Driving towards the site of the Slifer Red dorms, a group of military-like people were all seated in a sort of military jeep, waiting for their arrival at their current destination. Once reaching there, they immediantly exited in an orderly fashion, marching and stomping on the flowers without a care in the world.

Hearing the strange stomping noises outside, Banner yawned and opened his bedroom door, rubbing his eyes. His clothing was a little wrinkled; having gotten up due to a huge commotion outside. Pharaoh was right besides him, letting out a sleepy meow.

A group of the military-based people ran up the stairs, ignoring any stares or commotions from the other Slifer Red students who had been hanging around by the dorms. They were wondering what those people were doing, who they were, and why they were here; the usual chit-chat and rumor parts.

"Oh no! The Disciplinary Action Squad! They only appear when a student's really in trouble!" gasped Banner. "And...it looks like they're heading for Jaden's room!"

Jaden and her roommates were still asleep like many other students were; all three sleeping comfortably and undisturbed. Today was a simple everyday Saturday; a normal Saturday where people sleep in, watch cartoons early in the morning, hang out, wake up late, or anything of the sort.

However, it wasn't every Saturday when the Disciplinary Action Squad came up to someone's door, knock violently, and threaten to knock the door down.

"Open up!" demanded a woman's voice. "Open up or we'll bust this door down!"

Groaning, Chumley was the first to awake, hearing a strict, feminine voice from the outside. Thinking that the person knocking might go away sooner or later if ignored, Chumley twisted his body to the side, placing the bedsheets over his head to muffle out the voice.

Rubbing her eyes, Jaden stretched her limbs and yawned softly, hoping not to wake up either Chumley or Syrus. Her tomboyish hair was a little truffled and tangled, but she easily cleared that problem away by combing her hair with her fingers, too tired to even get a brush.

"Oh yeah...?" Jaden yawned, standing up and sluggishly walked towards the door. "You, and what army...?"

"The Disciplinary Action Squad army!"

"H-huh?! Disciplinary Action Squad?!"

Her eyes went wide; knowing full well what that was. The Disciplinary Action Squad is a highly-stricted group of security agents that only appears if a student committed a serious crime! This was bad! Just what crime did she or any of her friends committed?!

Jaden ran towards the door, quickly opening it and facing a taller woman wearing a sort of military uniform that obviously came from her squadron. Two other identical men were right besides her, wearing the male version of the uniforms that came from the same squadron.

"Are you Jaden Yuki?" asked the woman.

"Why yes I am!" she spoke cheerfully, hoping to at least lift up the tension a little.

"Well, you're going to have to come with us, Jaden. And a boy named Syrus Truesdale will have to as well."

Syrus, annoyed by all of the commotion, especially with the wide open door and the brightness from outside, had his face planted in his own pillow with his back turned.

"Close the damn door. You're letting the cool air out," muttered Syrus; his voice too low and muffled for anyone to understand.

Jaden motioned for the woman to wait a moment before she scaled up the ladder, climbed into the middle bunk bed where Syrus was sleeping, and crawled up to him, shaking his body. As much as she wanted to just lay there and coo at Syrus's cute face all day, the lady and her two friends were watching and scaring her, and they just arrived!

"Syrus! Psst! Wake up!" whispered Jaden, gently shaking him.

Syrus moaned and pulled the covers over his head like Chumley did earlier. "Mom...No...Please let me sleep...Five minutes... _Please_...?"

 _'Aww...! Syrus thinks I'm his Mommy! How sweet! Welp, time for Plan B!'_ thought Jaden, inhaling a deep breath in as she prepared to do what she had been wanting to do to Chumley. It was truly a shame for Syrus...and possibly his ears.

"SYRUS WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! POLICE! POLICE! POLICE POLICE! POLICE! CROWLER'S HERE! CROWLER ISN'T A GUY! AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Both Chumley and Syrus fell out of their beds; screaming when Jaden hollered random things. Half of those things weren't even true, and the other half...Well, Crowler was always strange from the beginning anyways.

What was worst was for wasn't the Disciplinary Action Squad at the moment; both boys not only crashed to the ground below, but Chumley was right on top of Syrus with the blue-haired boy below him. Both were in a...quite unusual position.

"Uh...oops!" said Jaden, giggling nervously as she peeked out of Syrus's bed. "Guys? Why are your faces red? Do you have fevers?"

"Grr...Jaden..." growled Chumley, vowing revenge on her later. Not only was he forced in this position, but it was right in front of the Disciplinary Action Squad!

Syrus quickly scrambled away before wiping the dust off his pajamas. He faced the woman in the front door and sputtered, "S-so, w-why are you h-here?"

"You and Jaden Yuki need to come with us, immediantly. You're both under campus arrest!"

"Huh? What'd we do?" asked Jaden, jumping off the bed with ease.

"That will be made more than apparent at the interrogation!"

Jaden and Syrus looked at each other worringly, wondering what sort of heap of trouble they had gotten themselves into. Whatever it was, it must have been deadly serious if it mean the Disciplinary Action Squad had to come pick them up.

* * *

"What?! Suspended?!" exclaimed both Syrus and Jaden in disbelief.

The two of them were gathered in a private interrogation room somewhere inside Duel Academy; having a private chat with the woman from earlier, Crowler, and Chancellor Sheppard himself. The three adults only communicated showing their faces in three big screens, confusing the two Slifer Reds why they couldn't talk face-to-face; not that it matter in this situation.

 **"That's what I suggested,"** said the woman. **"You trespassed in the Abandoned Dorm. An unanimous letter from one of our faculty member confirms it. So, you must be punished to set an example for all the students."**

 **"But what kind of example are we certain, that we are a bunch of hard-hearted tyrants?"** pondered Crowler sarcastically. **"I say we arrange more...sporting."**

"Sporting? What do you mean by that?" murmured Jaden.

Crowler was more than happy to answer her question. **"Well, Jaden! Off the top of my head, how about...you partner up with Syrus in a Tag Duel? Win, and you're cleared of all charges. Lose, and you're expelled."**

"A Tag Duel?" gasped Jaden, happily ignoring the consequences. "That's sweet!"

Syrus looked at Jaden as if she had grown two heads. She was nuts to actually accept the terms! The stakes were way too high! Sure, winning was good, but if they lose, they'll get booted out of the academy for good!

"B-but Jaden! He said 'expelled!'" reminded Syrus distressingly, timidly gripping onto Jaden's jacket sleeve.

 **"Chancellor! I believe they have accepted the conditions!"** said Crowler, turning his attention to the Chancellor.

 **"Fine. Then, I'll arrange some opponents."**

 **"Oh now, Chancellor! Don't you fret about that! I'll take care of all the preparations for the event!"**

* * *

 _Later that afternoon, inside Chancellor Sheppard's office..._

"You wanted to see me, Chumley?"

Chumley gulped down, not wanting to be in this room anymore than he had to. Still, he had to do something! He couldn't let Jaden and Syrus be punished so unfairly, just like that! So, he's willing to make a risk!

"Y-yeah...I just wanted to tell you that...that I was at the Abandoned Dorm, too! And that...I should be the one to duel with Jaden!"

The senior boy's hands were shaking and sweating. Scratch that, his entire _body_ was trembling, full of nervousness and fear. If he couldn't stop the Tag Duel, then the least he could do is take Syrus's place!

"No. It should be me."

The door were wide opened right when Alexis revealed her presence to both males. After learning about the Tag Duel, Alexis rushed up to the Chancellor's Office to have a little chat with the Chancellor. However, someone already beat her to it, and she wasn't going to let Chumley take the fall.

"Listen, they were at the dorm helping me," explained Alexis.

"Duh! That's bogus!" scoffed Chumley. "Alexis, it was so totally my fault! I lead them to the Abandoned Dorm cause I wanted them to check it out the um...abandoned cafeteria!"

While Chumley and Alexis were arguing amongst themselves and urging Chancellor Sheppard to change his mind on partners, Sheppard chuckled a little in amusement. Clearly, these two would be considered as true friends, since they were willing to expose themselves despite the risks for their friends.

"Fat chance, Chumley! Please, Chancellor, just let me be Jaden's partner."

"Look, I realize the stakes are high," began Sheppard, trying to calm the two down. "But the team up has been set. Syrus is Jaden's partner, and I'm sure he'll do fine."

Alexis and Chumley glanced at each other, troubled. How could they be alright with that decision? Not to offend Syrus, but if they were in Jaden's shoes, they'd never choose Syrus. All they could do now was hope those two succeed.

* * *

 _Later, in the Slifer Red dorms..._

Syrus was pacing back and forth in his room, impatiently waiting for Chumley to come back. After Chumley offered to talk to the Chancellor, Syrus could only pin his hopes onto the older boy and hope at least one shred of good luck came out when he returned.

Hearing the front door open, Syrus could only assume it was Chumley, and his guess was correct. He rushed towards the bulky teen, hugging him around the waist tightly with the expression on his face justr begging for good news.

"So did he say yes?! Oh, please tell me that he said yes! If I'm Jaden's partner, I'll get us both expelled!"

Chumley's face fell with sorrow for the boy. "I tried, Syrus! I even lied and told the Chancellor that lead you to the dorm!"

Jaden, only half-listening to the conversation and staying calm, was organizing her cards. "Well, you did lead us to the cafeteria," pointed out Jaden, too focused on her cards, especially Winged Kuriboh. She couldn't help it; he was just so damn cute!

"Huh? Why aren't you worried, Jay?" asked Syrus, walking up to her. "Aren't you worried I might get us kicked out?"

"Nah. I wouldn't want any other partner," told Jaden, giving her little blue-haired friend an assuring smile.

Syrus could only gape at Jaden's calmness at the current situation, especially since there was a 90% chance of them getting expelled! "What are you, nuts?!"

"Look Syrus, we're gonna go out there, do our best, and win the match! Know why?"

The young Slifer Red shook his head, confused but also a little intrigued to what his best friend had to say. Even in the toughest of times, Jaden was the only one who didn't seem as glum as he was.

"'Cause you and I are gonna work out all our strategies right now! Now, go and grab your deck, buddy! 'Cause we're gonna duel!"

Syrus sighed; his face looking so morose and dispirited. Sure it was good to have some practice, but it was way too obvious that Jaden would beat him. Jaden's already defeated tough opponents like Chazz, Alexis, and Crowler, and they were all from Obelisk Blue! What chance did he have against the Elemental HERO wielder?

Seeing Syrus so blue, Jaden got an idea that might cheer him up. "Hey, Sy! If you beat me in a duel, I'll...I'll...I'll give you my Marshmallon plushie!"

Yanking the stuffed Duel Monster doll from her bed, Jaden placed it in front of Syrus's face, pulling on the face to show how squishy and soft it was. Truth be told, she never wanted to give it up. It was so soft and cuddly like her other plushies! But, if it would help cheer up her blue-haired friend, so be it!

Syrus was taken aback when Jaden practically shoved the thing in his face. Well, it was nice that Jaden was cheering him up, but he didn't want a plushie. Still, he might as well agree for Jaden's sake.

"O-okay then...? I guess I'll take the plushie if I win..."

"Yes!" Jaden stood up straight, happy that Syrus was willing to duel. "I promise to go easy on you, Syrus! Now, let's go outside! Hurry! Hurry! Come on! Or else I'll fine you!"

Having said that, Jaden zoomed out of the room faster than anyone could say, "Card Games on Motorcycles." Chumley and Syrus sweatdropped as Syrus went to gather his deck.

Oh well, at least Jaden's happy. Plus, she did say she was going to go easy on him, so that's a bit of a relief.

A few minutes later, Syrus and Jaden were way below the sea cliffs, standing on rocky ground as they faced each other from a distance. Chumley was standing on top on one of the sea cliffs, staring down and waiting for the duel to begin when he felt a sudden urge to spit.

"Chumley, I swear to God, if you spit on me, I will come up there and POP you, you little sprick!" threatened Jaden. Chumley gulped, forced to swallow his own spit, which was nasty.

"Y-yeah! Remember, this is just practice for your upcoming Tag Team match, so go easyl!" called Chumley, quick to change the subject.

Even though this was just a merely friendly duel, Syrus couldn't help but feel worried as waves crashed against the rocks and nearly splashed over him and his intended partner, who was soaking wet. Jaden didn't seem to mind being splashed on. Heck, she loved it, considering she was feeling a bit tad hot!

"Hahaha! Awesome!" said Jaden with a huge grin on her face as she shook the water from her brown hair. "I don't want to lose my cute Marshmallon plushie to you, Sy! So, I'm not holding back! I'm gonna do everything I can to protect him!"

"B-but you just said before that you _would_ hold back!" exclaimed Syrus, shocked.

"Not if it involved my cute plushie being taken away!" growled Jaden, staring at Syrus with such fire in her eyes. "Get ready, Syrus! This is for your own good, plus for my plushie's sake!"

Syrus whimpered, activating his duel disk. Well, things already went downhill for him! He should have known! Whenever girls are possessive about cute things, they really get serious! Luckily, he had the cute looks, but this time, his looks sure weren't in his favor!

Overhearing Jaden, Chumley frowned. "Uh-oh. This isn't good. Looks like Jaden's not going to hold back. Poor Syrus."

"No, that's a good thing."

Startled, Chumley glanced behind his shoulder, spotting Alexis approaching him to watch the practice duel. She must have gotten the information from Banner, or maybe it was out of sheer luck.

"What do you mean?" wondered Chumley to the female Obelisk Blue member.

"It means that I know Dr. Crowler. And I know he's not going to be inviting any pushovers. Both Syrus and Jaden are going to have to be at their very best. 'Cause if they're not, they'll both be expelled."

"Alright, Syrus! Get your game on! And let's have some fun!" cheered Jaden throwing an air punch to the air.

However, her opponent didn't seem to share the same enthusiasm as she did. "Yeah...Fun...I guess we might as squeeze some in...Before we get kicked out of here," murmured Syrus dully.

"Uh...What was that, Sy?"

"O-oh! Uh...Nothing!"

"Then, let's duel!"

Syrus sighed, looking down at his duel disk with less confidence than Jaden. "Yeah, yeah...Let's duel."

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Syrus - 4000 LP**

"Here I come, Syrus!" said Jaden, drawing a card excitedly, wondering what sort of deck Syrus had. "Yay! I summon Ebon Magician Curran in Attack Mode!"

A little girl wearing a gothic lolita-like dress while sporting black bunny ears made her cute appearance, wielding a pink whip with a calm look on her face.

Ebon Magician Curran - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV2 - (1200/0)

"Awww! She's so cute!~ Plus, her Attack Points are high, for now, so she's a good Monster!" the tomboyish girl squealed, fangirling all over her cute Monster. "Oh! And I'll throw down a facedown! Your move, Syrus!"

"Alright. Let's see..." Once Syrus drew his card, the dull and grey look on his eyes instantly brightened up as his luck quickly turned around.

 _'Ooh! If I combine this card with my Patroid, he might stand a chance against Jaden's Monster!'_ thought Syrus, looking over his cards to make sure he calculated the math right.

"Hey! What's that smile about? You got something?" called out Jaden, patiently waiting for Syrus to make his move. Well, her patience could only last for so long; seeing that she was eagered to learn what sort of Monsters Syrus had in his deck.

Snapping out of it, Syrus nodded to his opponent. "Y-yeah! I think so! Patroid, Attack Mode!"

An animated, typical, everyday black and white police car-like Monster stood on the field, feeling determined to deliver some justice. The first thing he was going to do was squash that little Monster on the other side, as soon as he was stronger, of course.

Patroid - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1200/1200)

"Wow! He looks so cool! He's like one of those talking cars from cartoons I watched as a kid!" exclaimed Jaden, amazed at his Monster's appearance.

Syrus nodded. "Yeah! But I'm not done yet! Next, I activate Black Pendant! This boosts my Patroid's power by 500!"

A pendant with magenta-colored beads and a black gem was hung over Patroid's neck. It may look strange on the Machine-type Monster, but the pendant made him stronger than before.

Patroid - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1700/1200)

"Go! Siren Smasher!" commanded Syrus, leaping back to allow his Monster to attack.

The now enlarged police car-like Monster charged towards Ebon Magician Curran, the red siren alerting very loudly to indicate danger and the fact that he was approaching very fast.

"Not so fast! I've got a Trap! Negate Attack!" said Jaden.

A spiral-like shield protected Curran entirely from head-to-toe, causing Patroid to screech to a halt and back away. As he slowly backed away, his energy was being sucked up by the shield, depleting a lot of his energy and leaving him exhausted for the rest of the turn.

"Aw man! I should have guessed that your facedown was a Trap!" complained Syrus, quickly losing his self-confidence.

"Duh! Sy walked right into that one!" said Chumley, sounding disappointed. "Huh?"

Out of affection and wanting attention, Pharaoh the cat started rubbing his face against Chumley's leg. Figuring that Pharaoh wanted to be picked up, Chumley scooped the cat up in his arms and stroked his head. Pharaoh responded by meowing and purring, leaning his head against his chest.

"This isn't a good sign," spoke Alexis, a frown written all over her face. "There's no way they'll stand a chance in a Tag Match if Syrus stays like this."

Uneased, Syrus was kneeling on the ground with his back turned. With his finger, he began drawing something in the dirt. He figured that he needed a little bit of time for planning a new strategy before his turn ended.

"Okay...Maybe if I use another Monster next turn...No wait, what if she Fusion Summons...? Then, if that happens..." Syrus was quietly talking to himself, making Jaden a little worried about him overreacting.

"Sy, don't crack up yet! You just made one mistake! That's all!" said Jaden, trying to cheer his spirits up.

"Yeah, coming to this school!" Syrus said, obviously discouraged as he stood up to face Jaden again.

"No, Sy! You just forgot to use Patroid's special power, that's all! He lets you check one of your opponent's facedown cards once per turn! You could have seen my Trap!" explained Jaden gently.

"Yeah...I know I'm no good! I don't belong here!" Syrus cried out, his tone increasing after closing his eyes and covering his ears with both hands. His small body was trembling, and he seemed stressed.

"Whoa! Slow down there!" said Jaden, taken aback. "I didn't mean anything like that!"

Realizing how harsh he may have sounded, Syrus managed to calm down, looking apologetic. "I-I know. I know you didn't mean that, Jaden. I'm sorry. I know you were just trying to help but...It's just that..."

"Nah! Look, you're right! I shouldn't have said anything that offended you," said Jaden, relaxing herself. "But, we're opponents right now! From here on out, we gotta act like it!"

Syrus nodded, feeling much better now. Okay, so Jaden wasn't going to hold back in this duel, but it was alright! As long as he's got a Monster with higher enough Attack Points, he should be safe!

"Right! Game on!" Jaden drew a card and decided what to play next. "Alright! My Curran's special ability activates! For each Monster you have on the field, you lose 300 Life Points each!"

"H-huh?!"

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **Syrus - 3700 LP**

"Now, I'll summon Elemental Hero Sparkman and combine him with Fighting Spirit, increasing his Attack power by 300!"

The LIGHT Attribute HERO of lightning made a flashy appearance, standing right besides Curran; all firm and tall.

Elemental Hero Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1900/1400)

"And now, I'll have my Sparkman attack Patroid!"

Knowing full well his orders, Sparkman charged up electricity from his palms before widening his arms, also increasing the length of his electricity as he did so. Quickly, he held the electrical formed javelin with one arm and threw it towards Patroid, who exploded afterwards.

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **Syrus - 3500 LP**

"And now, Curran! Attack Sy!" said Jaden.

Raising her whip, Curran twirled it around like a lasso and swiftly striked Syrus, hitting him in the cheek like a sort of slap. Syrus cringed in pain as he stumbled back, rubbing the red mark on his cheek.

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **Syrus - 2300 LP**

"Last, I'll throw down a facedown! That's it!" finished Jaden, looking quite serious. Her serious expression faded when she noticed how silent her opponent was. "Syrus? Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah!" said Syrus, laughing awkwardly. "Can I call it quits now? I just can't win against you!"

"Of course you can win, Syrus!" enlivened Alexis. "You just have to believe in yourself!"

"She's so right! Don't give up!" criticized Chumley, gritting his teeth in anger at seeing Syrus giving up easily. "Remember, if you don't work hard, you'll lose in the Tag Duel! Look sharp out there!"

"Yeah...Yeah!" Syrus nodded, looking fierce. "I can't give on this duel right now! Especially since I'm not dueling just for myself, but for Jaden as well! And the best thing I can do for her would be to take her down!"

Far above, Alexis and Chumley were both rooting for Syrus, giving him words of encouragment.

"Come on, Sy! You can do this!"

"Yeah, that's right! You just need to believe in yourself! Duh!"

Despite his rough words, Alexis was impressed by Chumley rallying up Syrus, even if she didn't know him that well. "You know, Chumley? You've really got a good way of showing encouragment."

"Huh?" Chumley smiled, touched by Alexis's own words of encouragment. "Y-yeah, thanks."

"No problem. But the question is, what's Syrus's next move?"

"Alright!" Syrus drew a card, and judging from his cards, he knew none of his Monsters stood a chance against Jaden. At least, not now. "I'm throwing down the Spell card, Pot of Greed! And now, I'll use its magic charm to draw two additional cards from my deck!"

Once he drew two cards, he was shocked to see a card he haven't expected to pull out from his deck; Power Bond.

Watching Syrus gasp and look shell-shocked, Jaden could only assume that whatever he just pulled out, would be a useful card indeed.

"Power Bond's like Polymerization...But better!" whispered Syrus to himself. "Whatever Machine-type Fusion I summon, its Attack Points are doubled! But...I'm not good enough to play this card! At least, according to my brother..."

* * *

 _Flashback..._

 _A young, smaller version of Syrus was facing off in a duel against a taller, hefty boy in a playground. Syrus had challenged the boy, who happened to be a bully, to a duel, wanting to stand up for himself._

 ** _Syrus - 1600 LP_**

 ** _Bully - 1900 LP_**

 _"Alright! You're going down!" squeaked Syrus, drawing a card. He smiled enthusiastically, thinking, 'Awesome! Power Bond! The card my brother gave me! I'll win for sure, now!'_

 _"Quit your stalling, you little dweeb! You're going to lose, so let's just get it over with!" shouted the bully impatiently._

 _"Yeah, that's what you think! This duel's mine!"_

 _"Yeah, right! Next turn, you're history! That's for sure!"_

 _"No way!" growled Syrus, trying to put on a fierce face, though it only turned out to be cute. "I'm done with all your bullying and threats! It's time you pay! And this is just the card to do it! I play-"_

 _"Stop!"_

 _The sharp and loud voice startled Syrus so badly, he shrilled as he tripped and fell facedown. He groaned from the pain, rubbing his forehead as he got up._

 _"Hey! Who said-Zane?" Syrus gasped, watching his older brother silently walking pass him towards the bully._

 _"This duel never happened, got it? Just take this, and walk away," Zane said, handing the bully a card._

 _"Nice card! You've got yourself a deal!" The bully snatched the card from Zane and walked away, fully satisfied. Sure, the duel never came to a conclusion, but at least he got a sweet card._

 _"Hey, what are you doing, Zane?!" wondered Syrus, angry at his big brother for interrupting his big moment. "I was about to win this duel with the card you gave me!"_

 _"No, Syrus. You weren't." His next words were more harsh and cold than ever. "And I would have never given you that card had I known that you would misuse it and play it."_

 _"W-what are you talking about? If I had played Power Bond, I could have fused my Monsters together, and their Attack Points would be huge! Strong enough to take out his Monster and win the duel!" protested Syrus, reminding him about the card effects._

 _"True, but your opponent had this facedown," said Zane, presenting the Spellbinding Circle card for Syrus to see._

 _"Spellbinding Circle?" gasped Syrus, knowing full well its effects. If his opponent truly played that..._

 _"That's right! A very powerful Trap card! And when it's sprung, the Monster that it ensnares can neither attack nor change its position. So, you would have summoned your Fusion Monster with Power Bond, and his Attack Points would have doubled! But then, Spellbinding Circle would have prevented you from attacking! Even worse, you would have taken a hit to your Life Points at the End Phase due to Power Bond's other effect!"_

 _Syrus looked down, feeling the sharp criticism from his brother's logic. He bit his lip; eyes watering as he whimpered softly to himself, trying desperately not to cry in front of his big brother._

 _"You weren't thinking, Syrus," continued Zane, his back still turned. "You didn't take account about the facedown card, and you didn't take account Power Bond's special effect! Sure, you may know how to use the card, but there's more to dueling than simply that!"  
_  
 _Unable to hold it in any longer, Syrus allowed the tears to crash down, not caring if his brother was there. He fell down on his knees, refusing to look up at Zane in shame. He feared that if he did, he would be staring at the cold gaze of his brother._

 _Syrus was a kinder person, unlike his brother, who was always more mature and smarter than him. The younger of the two was so simple-minded and fragile; so easy to break. It was too obvious he would break down easily, and his brother's criticizing words were proof of that._

* * *

"Using this card again gives me the chills," muttered Syrus, hesitant. "I want to play it...But what if I make the same mistake twice? I..."

The boy started quivering, his eyes closed as he tried to make a decision. If he did fuse his Monsters, sure he'll feel the sting of the after effect at the End Phase, but he'll still survive! But, there's a facedown on Jaden's side on the field! What if it was something to counterattack his Monster? What if it was Spellbinding Circle? This was all too tensed, even for a practice duel!

Seeing Syrus so anxious caused Jaden to be bothered by his unusual behavior. _'Syrus...what's wrong?'_ She wondered before deciding to call out to him. "Hey! You alright there, Sy?"

Shaking his head to get it in gear, Syrus looked serious again. Okay, if he wasn't going to use Power Bond, might as well use a card that _doesn't_ have an after effect!

"Okay! I play the Spell, Polymerization! And I'll use it to fuse my Gyroid and Steamroid from my hand to summon Steam Gyroid!"

The two Fusion-Material Monsters showed up on the field for a brief moment before being sucked in a swirling portal. A few seconds later, a new, improved Monster that had the combined looks of a train and a helicopter took their places, sporting a grin.

Steam Gyroid - (EARTH/Fusion/Machine) - LV6 - (2200/1600)

"Alright, Steam Gyroid! Attack! Train Twister!"

Smoke emitted from his whistle as Steam Gyroid's propeller around his waist spun at a fast pace. The rapidly-spun propeller gained enough wind power to create a large tornado that twisted around and attacked Sparkman. Since he had his helmet on, he was safe from smoke inhalation, but he wasn't when Steam Gyroid smashed into him, utterly destroying him.

 **Jaden - 3700 LP**

 **Syrus - 2300 LP**

Jaden crashed down, feeling the impact from the attack even though the attacks are supposed to be harmless and holographic. She hadn't expected that attack at all! Looks like there was a trick up Syrus's deck after all!

Syrus smirked, his confidence returned. "How's that? Give up yet?"

Actually, rather than giving up, Jaden laughed heartily. "No way! I'm more pumped up ever since this duel started! You're good, Sy, but I'm not gonna give up just because of a little loss! Good thing you didn't target my cute Curran though, because she's like, the cutest Monster in the field right now!"

Curran puffed up her red cheeks, embarrassed as she glanced at Jaden quickly. She didn't like it when people called her cute; it embarrassed her! Still, she was glad Syrus didn't attack her.

"Remember, we're rivals! So, it's my go!" Jaden drew her card, smiling happily. "Now, my Curran's special ability kicks in, so you lose 300 Life Points!"

 **Jaden - 3700 LP**

 **Syrus - 2000 LP**

The glasses-wearing boy winched, seeing his Life Point gauge decreasing. Okay, next turn, he was using his Steam Gyroid to take out Ebon Magician Curran. He wouldn't last much longer with her around! Sure, she was cute, but she was making him lose!

"And next, I activate Polymerization!" declared Jaden, showing Avian and Burstinatrix to Syrus. "With these two, I can play Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"

Both Elemental Hero Monsters arised up in a portal, mixing together and disappearing. A bright light blinded the two opponents for a moment, but vanished when a demon-like Monster with one wing appeared right by Jaden's side.

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Fusion/Warrior) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

"Yay! Flame Wingman's so cool!" Jaden cheered, clapping her hands together. "But, what's even cooler is when I play Hero Dice! Now, depending on which number I roll, each number has a different effect!"

A humanoid Monster that had a dice as his body popped out of smoke. It jumped into the air and started spinning around before falling on the ground, revealing a number for everyone to see.

"A four? What does that number do?" asked Syrus.

"Sweetness! Now, one of your Monsters is destroyed!"

"Wait, what?!"

Before he could comprehend with the fact, Syrus covered himself with an arm to protect himself from Steam Gyroid exploding. Now, he was completely defenceless with no Monsters to protect him! Worst, Jaden had two Monsters that had more than enough Attack Points to wipe him out!

"Flame Wingman! Attack Syrus!" ordered Jaden before remembering how brutal her favorite Monster was towards boys. "Uh...actually, don't use fire on him! Use...Karate Chop! Yeah! Flame Wingman! Use Karate Chop on Syrus!"

The Fusion Summoned HERO growled in irritation, wanting to shoot fire at the whiny boy, even though he was Jaden's best friend. Then again, he didn't want to make his mistress upset, so he decided to hold back...a little.

Syrus gulped, watching Flame Wingman _slowly_ flying towards him. What was wrong with him?! Knowing Flame Wingman, he usually takes out his enemies in a horrifying way: Shooting fire at their faces. Why was the Elemental HERO acting this way?! It was creeping him out!

The Slifer Red stumbled backwards, closing his eyes as he waited for the burning impact, even though it would be harmless and have no effect on his body physically. Instead, Flame Wingman merely hit him in the head and flew back to his mistress.

"H-huh?" Syrus glanced at his duel disk gauge, watching as it slowly decreased to 0.

 **Jaden - 3700 LP**

 **Syrus - 0 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

"That's game!" said Jaden, pointing two fingers at Syrus and winking. "Nice duel, Sy!"

Syrus didn't seem too happy about his loss. "Yeah...But I didn't put up much of a fight, Jaden."

"What are you talking about?" Jaden asked, walking up to her friend. "Sure I won, but that was a tight match! I was pretty lucky my Hero Dice landed on a four! Any other number, and I would have been in HUGE trouble! You made some sweet moves! You oughta be proud!"

Even though she gave words of confidence, Syrus still didn't feel any better. "Yeah..."

"Although, I'm kinda curious about something," admitted Jaden. "What was that card you drew, but didn't play?"

Without asking, and practically snatching them, Jaden took Syrus's cards right out of his hand. She was surprised to see Power Bond, an extremely rare and powerful card within his previous hand.

"Power Bond? Why didn't you use it?" the female winner asked. "It would have doubled Steam Gyroid's Attack Points! You'd have one tough Monster! Well, for my sake, I'm sorta glad you didn't use it!"

"N-no! It's not mine!" lied Syrus, panicking. "S-someone put it...in there! I mean, I-I'm holding it for a friend! I-I-JADEN! WHY DON'T YOU MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS?!"

Jaden jumped, alarmed by his loud voice. Not only that, but she grew concerned for him when she saw he was failing to hold back his tears.

"M-my brother told me I couldn't play this card...He even said I was stupid and wasn't thinking straight when I wanted to activate it..." whimpered Syrus, his lip quivering before he glared at Jaden with angry, yet sorrowful eyes. "A-and you don't know anything about me! I hate you! I wish I was never born! I-I DON'T DESERVE TO BE YOUR PARTNER!"

He gasped, covering his mouth with both hands when he realized what he told her. He thought he messed up; saying hurtful things to Jaden even though she never deserved it. Unsure what else to do, Syrus cried and ran off as fast as his feet could take him.

"Syrus!" yelled Jaden and Chumley. Chumley was the only one who tried to chase after Syrus, hoping to calm him down and have a soft counseling talk with him. Maybe what Syrus said was a little uncalled for, but this wasn't the time to criticize him on that. Finding Syrus was his top priority.

Alexis decided to greet Jaden below, who was concerned for Syrus and what he meant. Maybe a little talk with Jaden might make things better, even a little.

"Are you alright?" asked Alexis. "I...I guess both you and Syrus did a pretty good job, at least."

"..." Jaden grew silent, watching the waves splashing onto the wet rocks. "I just don't get it. Syrus is a cool kid. I just wish he could realize that the only thing holding him back is himself. I mean, he had this pretty cool card all ready to use, but he doesn't use it! Why? Because some jerkass brother of him told him not to! He even broke his confidence!"

Alexis gasped, her eyes widening when she realized who Jaden was referring to. Seeing her react like that made Jaden think she might know something.

"What is it, Alexis? Am I missing something here? You know who Sy's bro is?"

"Yeah..." Alexis looked down, unable to face her. "That brother of his goes to this school, and you've probably heard of him. His name's Zane Truesdale."

Jaden blinked; having no knowledge of the said student. "Who?"

"Hello! He's the top student of this school! 3rd year Obelisk Blue student, Zane Truesdale!"

"Yeah? Well, it doesn't sound like he treats his brother very well," said Jaden, thinking about Syrus's words. "But you know what? I'm gonna duel him! Then, I'm gonna force him to apologize to Sy!"

Alexis sighed; not even surprised that Jaden would take up a challenge like this. "Jaden, you're not even listening! Zane's really powerful! I just told you, he's the top student of this school!"

"So? I don't care! Anyone who hurts my friends, especially cute little Syrus, has to deal with me!" declared Jaden before running off. "Bye, Alexis! If you see Zane, tell him I'm kicking his ass!"

The Obelisk Blue girl waved back, sweatdropping on Jaden's last comment. Next time she sees Zane, she'll have to have a little talk with him about sibling relations.

* * *

 **Hey, guys! Normally, in this chapter, I wanted to continue all the way to Zane's duel with Jaden, but it'll be too long and I have to pack up stuff for upcoming school anyways!**

 **Just a heads up! No hateful comments, please! I'm sure nobody wants them in their story! Sure, this story isn't completely perfect, but there's no need to pick on people! My friends help me out too, so if you post a hateful comment, you're not only hurting me, but my friends too! Plus, you'll probably be reported for that. If you don't like the story, don't read it then.**

 **I took a couple of things from the abridged version because it's so damn funny! Hope they make more episodes!**

 **For those wondering, "When is Alexis or Zane or anyone else gonna find out about Jaden's gender?" Well, you have to be patient! They'll come eventually!**

 **From here on, I'm gonna be super busy! I have school coming up, so I have to prepare! I'm sorry guys, but updates will be very slow due to school. Damn school. Well, at least Jaden and Syrus are super cute this chapter!~**

 **With that said, read and review and any ideas to the story would help!~**


	7. For the Sake of Syrus!

**Hey, guys! Sorry for the long wait! I'll try my best to update faster!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"I can't believe that Zane guy! No wonder Syrus has zero confidence," muttered Jaden to herself as she was writing down a form. She had to gather some papers that she had forgotten to pick up during class yesterday before arriving at the store.

Jaden wanted a private duel with Zane, so she was writing him a request letter. Luckily for her, the store had only one white sheet of paper available, since the others were already used up for other activities. She had to work somewhere private, and obviously, her dorm room wasn't going to cut out for her, since Syrus or Chumley could walk in any time and see the request paper.

If she was going to duel Zane, she didn't want it to be a public duel, since she knows she'll win and probably tarnish his reputation. She wasn't the sort of person to do that. Besides, if he was an Obelisk Blue and the top student in this school, then he has to be pretty busy all the time. She doesn't like Zane, but that doesn't mean she's willing to humiliate him.

 _'Hmm...Reasons why I want to duel Zane...'_ pondered Jaden thoughtfully before adding in a childish response. _'He's a douche. And I bet he probably smells bad, too.'_

Crowler, who was simply passing by, spotted Jaden writing down something with a few papers scattered on the counter. Curiousity begged him to see what Jaden was doing, so he walked over.

"Hey, Jaden? Could I have a look at that piece of paper?" The teacher asked. Before Jaden had a chance to response, Crowler snatched it out of her hands. "Oh, really? I can? Thank you!"

"I-"

"Ah, I see! You don't like it, do ya? You want it back?"

"Yea-"

"Ah! You can't have it back!"

"Um-"

"Nah, I'm kidding! Here you go!"

"I-"

"Aaah! Psyche again!"

For the past couple of seconds, Crowler was giving the paper back to Jaden, but as she tried to get it back, Crowler decided to be a jerk and continue pulling it back, tempting her. One more try, and Jaden was sure she might have done something that could get her in more trouble than before.

Crowler started reading the paper outloud. "Hmm...what's this?"

As I open my heart

My feelings are more solemn

My true love is a Monster

Named Ancient Gear Golem

"T-that's so _beautiful_!" sobbed Crowler, wiping away a tear with his personal hankerchief.

It wasn't until a few seconds later that he realized that the poem belonged to him! Damnit, he must have accidentally mixed his papers with Jaden's! Luckily, he only wrote down one copy of the poem, plus it didn't clarify that the poem was him...Not exactly, at least. Quickly, he tried to come up with a different response.

"And yet, a little gay."

That seemed like a diligent reply back.

Jaden panicked, not knowing why that piece of paper was there. Hell, she's never even wrote poetry before! Whoever wrote this was...sorta skilled, but still, it was weird, especially with the Ancient Gear Golem part.

"I-it's not mine! A friend wrote it for me!" said Jaden, half-lying. "And that's the wrong paper."

"R-right! Whatever!" Crowler stoled one of her papers, relieved that it wasn't another one of his poems. He scanned the paper over, realizing it was a request form for Zane. "You want to challenge Zane, the top duelist in our school, to a duel? That sounds like a marvelous idea! I'm going to approve it right away!"

"I-" Before Jaden could protest, she stopped. "R-really?" Crowler, out of all people, was going to help her out? What was with the sudden change of heart?

"Ha! Fuck no!" Crowler laughed like a madman as he tore up the form into tiny little pieces.

Jaden's jaw dropped as she watched with horror. _'Oh god, why?'_ she thought, wondering what sort of god would want her to continue suffering from Crowler's wrath.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in the Slifer Red dorms..._

Syrus was all huddled up in a small corner of his bed; his knees close to his chest as a blanket was draped over his head like a veil. He was still depressed not only because he yelled at Jaden, but also because of Zane's strict words. Even now, he could still hear them echoing in his head.

 _"I would have never given you that card, had I known you would misplay it. Sure you may know how to use Power Bond, but there's more to dueling than just that!"_

"Gah! I can't take this!"

The petite blue-haired boy laid flat on his belly; the blue bedsheets covering his body as he hid himself away from the light. He was shaking, sweat dripping from his body due to lack of air inside the bedsheets and because of the anxiety Syrus suffered from Zane's words.

"Oh, man! I'm no good at Duel Monsters! I'll only let Jaden down!" muttered Syrus, curled up in his own bedsheets as more and more negative thoughts filled his head like crazy. Still, he at least managed to hold back the tears threatening to fall.

He could see it all now in his imagination; him and Jaden facing off against their opponents in the Tag Team Match. The two of them would be down to their last Life Points, with only Syrus having one Monster. Luckily, the other pair didn't have any Monsters, but they had way more Attack Points than Jaden and Syrus's.

Just then, when it was the opponent's turn, he used a Spell card to take control of Syrus's Monsters to attack Jaden, thus finishing off the remainders of their Life Points. Syrus stares in shock while everyone else laughs, and Jaden just curses him for ruining everything.

"Aah!" Syrus shot up, accidentally hitting his head on the side of the wall. "Ow...What do I do? I like dueling...But I don't want Jaden hating me if we lose...What should I do..."

* * *

 _Later, somewhere around the forests of Duel Academy..._

"Stupid Crowler! Stupid Zane! Stupid...Stupid Chazz! Yeah!" grumbled Jaden, stomping around the forest, obviously in a bad mood and listing off names of the people she didn't like in Duel Academy. Already, her mind was filled with ideas on how to get back on them. The #1 person on her Revenge List had originally been Zane, but after Crowler's stunt, she replaced him with the gender-mistaken teacher.

 _ **"Kuri? Kuri kuri kuri?"**_ ("Jaden? Are you alright?") Winged Kuriboh floated near Jaden, landing right on her shoulder. He nuzzled her face with his brown-colored fur body, knowing that his soft fur always made her happy.

"Awww! Thanks for cheering me up, Winged Kuriboh!~" awed Jaden, hugging Winged Kuriboh tightly like he was a stuffed animal. "I shouldn't be mad anymore! I should do something! And you just gave me a good idea!"

Winged Kuriboh let out a small sigh, wiping away any sweat from his forehead. At least Jaden was feeling a lot better and not plotting any revenge schemes. Knowing her, they would all end up badly.

"Instead, I'll just plan a water bucket trap for Crowler! The next time class starts, I'll just put a bucket of _ice, cold_ water on top of a door, so when he enters, he'll get all cold, and his makeup will be ruined! Yay!"

 _ **"Kuri kuri..."**_ ("Oh, brother...") Winged Kuriboh shook his head, knowing that if Jaden does somehow succeed, this would not end well...

"Whoa! My cards!"

"Huh?"

A rain of cards fell on top of Jaden, prompting her to release Winged Kuriboh and look up to see Chumley gripping onto the tree branch...like a wild sloth would. Though, Chumley was trying his best not to fall off.

"...Chumley, should I even ask why you're imitating an animal now?" deadpanned Jaden.

"H-hey? What up?" replied Chumley, trying to sound less nervous and more cool. It was kinda hard to since he was hanging onto a tree branch in his current position. "Hey, could you help stack up my cards? They...sorta fell."

With nothing better to do at the moment, Jaden started picking up the cards, discovering a number of Beast-Type Monsters with all of them being Koalas. "Cool! Koalas! They so suit you, Chum!"

Chumley nodded, agreeing with that statement. "Yeah, they're so cool! I once flattened a mean guy with a Warrior deck before with those!"

An irk mark formed at the corner of Jaden's forehead at the word 'flattened.' She absolutely _despised_ the word 'flat' ever since Chumley kept calling her by now. Sure, he wasn't right now, but still...

"What."

Feeling Jaden's rage spiking up, Winged Kuriboh shrieked before vanishing back to the Spirit World where he would be safe from the chaos that was about to occur. He didn't really know females that much, but he knew right now, he wanted to avoid Jaden at all costs.

Chumley looked confused, and yet a little nervous. Somehow, he could sense that whatever he said made Jaden all silent all of a sudden. And he knew that whenever the hyperactive, cheerful girl was quiet, things would turn serious.

"Uh...Jaden? You ok-"

"DIE, EVIL KOALA MAN THING!"

"AAAAAAHHHHH!"

The koala-like duelist found himself clinging more onto the tree branch as Jaden started shaking the tree uncontrollably with unimaginable, reborn started rustling and falling softly to the ground as the tree branches connected to the tree were swinging back and forth.

"WAAAAAHHHH! WHAT DID I DO WRONG?!"

"YOU CALLED ME FLAT, DAMNIT! FLAT! NOW DIE, EVIL KOALA MAN THING! COME DOWN HERE AND BE A MAN!"

"B-BUT I'LL DIE IF I DO! STOP SHAKING THE TREE! C-COME ON! CAN'T WE TALK THINGS THROUGH?! C-CAN'T WE HAVE A PICK-UP DUEL OR SOMETHING?!"

Jaden blinked, completely forgetting her anger towards Chumley over the previous wods he had spoken. "Hey...A pick-up duel...Why didn't I think of that?" She swirled around and ran towards the opposite direction.

"Hey! Where are you going?" asked Chumley, relieved that Jaden wasn't planning on wringing his neck anytime soon.

"The Obelisk Blue Dorm!"

"W-why there?!"

"For a pick-up duel! With Zane!"

"WHAT?! THE Zane?! W-WAAH!"

Distracted, Chumely's grip loosened and he fell on his back, groaning. He was lucky that he wasn't too far off from the ground, or he would have seriously have gotten some broken bones. After collecting his Koala cards, Chumley set out to find Jaden, knowing that if Slifer Reds weren't allowed in the Obelisk Blue dorms, Jaden sure wasn't welcomed either!

* * *

 _At the Obelisk Blue dorms..._

"Ow! What's your problem?!" cried out Jaden after being shoved to the ground by two Obelisk Blue members. All she did was barge in the Blue Dorms and declare that she wanted to face Zane! She didn't think that was a reason to kick her out and push her to the ground!

One of the Obelisk Blue boys that pushed her scoffed at her rude remark. "Nothing's wrong, but you sure will if you don't beat it!"

"Yeah, Zane wouldn't waste his time with you!" said the other Obelisk Blue boy before scooping up some mud using a bucket and splattering it all over Jaden, dirtying her uniform, hair, and face. The Obelisk Blues only laughed at her pathetic sight before leaving the poor duelist alone.

Okay, scratch Crowler off of #1 of her Revenge List, because those two Obelisk Blues were tied for first! Once she learned their names, they'll be getting the cold water bucket penalty!

"Jaden!"

Chumley pushed aside small branches and shrubs, seeing Jaden's body splattered with mud that most likely had been the work of some nasty Obelisk Blues. He was so filled with anger that even his whole body was shaking. He always hated it when the Obelisk Blues treat the Slifer Reds like trash; simply discriminating them because of their color difference and ranks!

Hearing Chumley's voice, Jaden saw the older boy rushing towards her. To her surprise, Chumley removed his own jacket and tossed it around Jaden's shoulders. "H-huh? Why are you giving me your jacket, Chum?"

"Because you definitely need it more than me. Also...I haven't washed my jacket in a few days, so...yeah."

Jaden would be slightly disgusted if she wasn't already touched by Chumley's offer of giving up his jacket to help her. "Aww! Thanks, Chum! The next time we duel, I'll probably hold back on you and not attack you with Flame Wingman!"

"Hold on! 'Probably?' What does that mean? You always cream me with that guy! I hate that guy!"

"Too bad, so sad! Hehehe!~"

After taking a short, yet warm shower, the only available clothing Jaden could wear was her pajamas since the rest were too smelly or just plain unclean. At least she would receive her uniform back from the cleaners later, but for now, Jaden just wanted to sit back and relax in her and Chumley's dorm room.

As the two of them headed towards their room, Chumley turned to Jaden, who was drying her Kuriboh-like hair with a towel. "So, what are you going to do now?"

"Well, I'll tell you one thing I'm not gonna do! Giving up!" said Jaden with fierce determination in her soul. "I'm gonna get Zane to duel me one way or another! ...Oh, and also pull a prank on Dr. Crowler!"

"Wait, what?!"

Jaden entered their room after opening the door, discovering a figure completely covered in a blue blanket in the middle bed. Both Jaden and Chumley knew full well the middle bed belonged to Syrus, so Syrus must still be depressed or asleep.

Pouting, Jaden walked over and began poking at Syrus's figure. "Sy? Sy! It's me, Jaden! Come on, please get up? I'll...give you half my dinner portions?"

"..."

"I'll let you borrow my Flame Wingman for a day?"

"..."

"Thunder Giant?"

"..."

"Avian and Burstinatrix?"

"..."

"Winged Kuriboh?"

"..."

"Des Koala?"

"Hey! That's my card!"

"Oops! Sorry, Chum! Uh...Sparkman?"

"..."

Finally fed up, Jaden tossed the blanket aside with ease, only to find that a couple pillows were stacked together to make it look like Syrus was here. Both Jaden and Chumley gasped at the absence of Syrus. If he wasn't here, where was he?

"Several fluffed pillows? Impossible!" gasped Jaden, before recollecting on her words. "Wait, what am I talking about? Of course it's possible!"

"Look, he left a note!" announced Chumley, picking up a piece of paper on the desk. "I'll go read it outloud!"

 _ **"Dear Jaden and Chumley,**_

 _ **I'm leaving Duel Academy. Don't try and stop me. It's for the best. I would only be hold you guys back if I stayed. P.S. Jaden, I saw your poem accidentally while you were taking a nap in class. If you were a guy, I'd say it was...pretty gay. - From, Syrus - "  
**_  
Immediantly, Jaden snatched the note from Chumley, crumpling it in her hand as she growled in irritation. "A. Friend. Wrote. It. For. ME!"

Chumley stepped back, now curious to see what kind of poem Jaden had in her possession. "Uh...Jaden? What kind of poem was Sy-"

"Chumley."

"Y-yeah?"

"I dare you to finish that sentence."

"I-I was going to ask if we were going to search for Syrus or not!"

"Much better."

Both Slifer Reds had begun their search for hours without end, calling out Syrus's name and trying to search all the places the little teenage boy could have been hiding. After a failed walkthrough inside the forest, both ended up near the beach area, hoping to find the blue-haired Slifer Red.

"Syrus! Sy! Please, come out! I'll let you actually have one my Elemental Heroes! Just please don't pick Flame Wingman! He's my favorite card! You can borrow him!"

"Sy! Come on! Please! I'm sorry! I admit it! I did take part of your dinner yesterday! I'm sorry!"

Deciding to search deeper, Jaden rushed down a steep cliffway path that lead to a different, rocky beach shore. Chumley was above her on top of a cliff, wanting to locate Syrus from above just in case so he could warn Jaden. After a few minutes, he grew impatient and decided to follow after Jaden instead.

Jaden placed her palms on her knees, gasping heavily since she barely got some rest searching for her best friend. Her face was flustered, and her breath hot and heavy. Chumley was in the same position as Jaden, only he was more exhausted than she was since he wasn't used to all this exercise.

A faint glow caught Jaden's attention before she saw that her deck was glowing from her front pocket. Blinking, Jaden saw Winged Kuriboh signaling her with his tiny paws. If she wasn't in such a hurry to locate Syrus, she would have squealed at the cute gesture he was making.

 _ **"Kuri kuri!"**_ ("Follow me!")

Catching his breath, Chumley heard Winged Kuriboh's purrs before shaking his head back and forth. "E-either I'm hallucinating from hunger...or I'm just hearing things!"

Pointing to another pathway, Winged Kuriboh nodded at Jaden to follow him before flying off. Jaden glanced behind her shoulder, shouting at her plump companion, "Chumley, hurry! He went this way! The spirit who came from my pocket told me so!"

"What, what?!" Chumley picked at his ears as Jaden took off. "Ugh! Never mind! Wait up!"

Meanwhile, Zane was staring off into the sunset, allowing the calm warmth and breeze waft throughout the air like harmless butterflies as he felt warm, yet cool at te same time. He was standing right next to the lighthouse where he usually goes to whenever he wants to think alone.

Sensing some footsteps approaching, Zane merely saw Alexis walking towards him. His shoulders relaxed, momentarily tensed before just in case some intruder or anything of the sort happened. Alexis was one of the people he could trust, so he could relax easily with her around.

"So, any new leads?" asked Zane quietly.

Sadly, Alexis shook her head. "I still can't believe he's still gone...I keep looking for some sign, but it's almost like my brother just vanished out of thin air."

Zane wasn't really a man of words, but he still had the effort to try and encourage his close friend. "Don't give up. You'll find him."

Alexis nodded, appreciating the older young man giving her even a spark of hope. "Thanks. But, speaking of brothers, I saw yours the other day."

The senior Obelisk Blue wasn't even the bit fazed by the mention of his little brother. "And?"

Flinching at bit at his somewhat rude comment, Alexis continued, "Well, he lost at this practice duel with his friend, Jaden Yuki. You know? The kid who beat Crowler at the entrance exams?"

"...The kid with the Elemental Hero deck?"

Alexis nodded. "Yeah, and your name came up during the practice match. I think Jaden wants to duel you. Considering the fact that he managed to defeat Crowler all on his own, he's sure to be really strong. So? Will you accept?"

"..." Zane stayed silent, unsure what to think of at the moment. Sure, it would be nice to have a good challenge every now and then...

"Eek! Oh no! Not Jaden! Go away!"

"Huh?" Alexis and Zane overheard Syrus's voice not too far away and walked towards the sound of his cries. From their point of view, they saw Syrus standing near a wooden raft with a somewhat frightened look on his face.

Syrus, who had finished preparing his things, was about to head out into the sea when he spotted Jaden running down from a rocky, narrow path right towards his way! Not wanting her to stop him, he jumped right onto the raft, causing it to slowly start floating away from shore.

"Don't you even dare try to run away from me, Syrus! You can't win! I once played Sonic all day! " yelled Jaden, coming to a stop in her tracks. She took a few steps back, then rushed forward and leaped with all her might, successfully landing right on top of the raft and shocking the life out of Syrus.

Unfortunately for both Slifer Reds, the impact of her jump had enough force to break apart the ropes holding the wooden pieces of the raft together.

"Gaah!" Both of them screamed right as they plundered into the water. Seconds later, they emerged right up the surface, all soaked from head to toe. Syrus was still clearly upset and tried swimming away, but Jaden placed him in a headlock and tried to prevent him from leaving while struggling to stay afloat.

Chumley, who was trying to catch up at Jaden's speed, was far away from where Jaden currently was. However, he was able to hear the loud yelling coming from Syrus and Jaden, indicating that Jaden must have foudn Syrus. However, his ears were not prepared for what was to come next.

"Damnit, Jaden! Why couldn't you just let me go?!"

"What the-?! No! No! Don't touch that spot!"

"Gah! I-I can't-!"

"Kyaaa! No! Not there! G-grab something else! Don't touch that!"

"I'm sorry! Aah! We're sinking!"

Eyes widening, Chumley felt adrenaline impusing into his veins as he ran even faster than he could ever imagine in his whole life.

"I'm coming!" he hollered before jumping onto the water, closing his eyes and waiting to be fully submerged underwater. It took him a few seconds to realize that the water was actually not that deep and rather shallow.

Jaden and Syrus popped out from the water as well, coughing for some air before they managed to regain oxygen inside their bodies. "Why are you trying to stop me, Jaden?" asked Syrus, still depressed. "If I leave, they'll assign you a new, better Tag Team partner. Much better than useless, old me..."

"Sy! You're just a little upset! Stop thinking about your brother's words!" scolded Jaden, shaking the smaller boy by the shoulders. "You just gotta believe in yourself!"

"B-but...I'm weak...and I couldn't even beat you..."

"He is right, you know," a new voice boomed in the area. Chumley, Syrus, and Jaden glanced up, recognizing Alexis with an older, dark-haired student with her. From instinct, Jaden could already tell that was Zane Truesdale.

"Zane..." gasped Syrus, unsure why his older, smarter, and even stronger brother was even here. Heck, how did he even know he was here? Oh right, him and Jaden were making all that noise.

"You dropping out?" Zane questioned monotonously, receiving a slow nod from an ashamed Syrus. Zane merely turned around, arms still crossed. "...Well, it's about time."

Hurt by his words once again, Syrus swam through the water to try and rebuild his raft. However, happy memories of his time in Duel Academy and the harsh memories of his weaknesses clashed together in Syrus's mind, making him sniffle and sob quietly to himself as tears fell.

Heartbroken by the sight of a pitiful and emotionally hurt Syrus, Jaden angrily glared at Zane; her fists ready to knock the teeth out of him. "Hey! How could you say that to your own brother, jerk?!"

Zane didn't even flinch at her sharp tone. "Simple. Because he deserves to. He can't handle the pressure, then he should leave while he still can."

At first, Jaden had the upmost respect for Zane Truesdale since she's heard that he's the top duelist at Duel Academy. However, seeing him hurting his poor, innocent little brother like that without no remorse sickened Jaden to the point where she had zero respect for him now, even if he is a great duelist.

"That's not true! You think you know him at all, but you don't!" growled Jaden, standing up for Syrus. "And you know what? Just to prove it, I'm gonna duel you! Right now!"

Shocked, Syrus went up to Jaden, tugging on her arm. "No! Jaden! He's too powerful! He's the top duelist at this school for a reason!"

Jaden smiled down at Syrus, lightly ruffling his blue hair. "Don't worry, Sy! If all ends wrong, I can always just kick his ass as Plan B!"

 _'B-but Zane's a black belt at karate! He'll totally defeat Jaden right before she could even get a hold of him!'_ thought Syrus.

"Dueling you?" Zane smirked, giving a curt nod. "Alright, why not? Not a lot of Slifers come and challenge me anyways."

"Then, get your game on!"

 _'She's gonna die!'_ Syrus thought, anime tears falling as he thought of several outcomes that was considered possible as failure for Jaden.

By the time everyone found a secure location to duel, which happened to be near the lighthouse, it was already pitch dark out, but the flashing light rotating over and over out in the lighthouse provided perfect eyesight for Jaden and Zane, who were about to duel.

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Zane - 4000 LP**

"Oh man...this isn't good!" murmured Syrus, looking quite anxious while placing his hands on his hair. He was fidgeting around, moving left to right and wondering what he should do. "My big brother taking on my best friend! There's no way this could turn out good!"

From the looks of things, Jaden wasn't even nervous. She was so excited, everyone could see that she was practically jumping up and down with joy, making them sweatdrop at the tomboyish Slifer Red.

"Yay! Yay! Yay! I get to duel the top duelist in school! I'm so lucky!~" squealed Jaden with a child-like look on her face. She giggled some more before taking a deep breath to calm down.

Syrus and Zane stared at her for a moment, noting that her slight actions were somewhat...adorable. Both shook their heads at the same time. Wait, what were they thinking of just now? Zane just stared down at the five cards he drew, while Syrus looked down at his shoes, blushing.

"Me first! Draw!" said Jaden. "Okay! I summon Winged Kuriboh in Defense Mode!~"

The little Fairy-type popped onto the field, but floated right in the air afterwards, much to Jaden's amusement.

Winged Kuriboh - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV1 - (300/200)

"And then, I place one card facedown and that's all for now!"

"That's all, huh? My turn." Zane drew his card and announced, "For my first move, I summon Cyber Dragon in Attack Mode!"

Emerging underneath the ground and causing rubble all over, a steel, serpent-like, amored dragon appeared right in front of Zane, its summoner. Just looking at it would make anyone fear it for its deadly power and looks.

Cyber Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV5 - (2100/1600)

"Whaaaat?! You can't summon a Level 5 Monster without a sacrifice! It's against the rules!" protested Jaden, taken aback by the Monster's high Attack Points and how it appears.

"No, it's completely legit," replied Zane calmly. "See, when you have at least one Monster, and I don't, I can Special Summon this Monster onto my field. Next, I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy that facedown of yours."

A tornado burst from the card and blew away Jaden's only facedown card, revealing that it was Transcendent Wings before it was destroyed.

"No! Not that card! I wanted to use that!"

"Hmph. I bet you were planning to sacrifice your Kuriboh in order to bring out the Level 10 version of it, and use his ability,right?" questioned Zane, still being stoic. "That trick may have worked on Princeton, but it won't work on me. You're going to have to try a lot harder than that if you want to win."

"That is true..." said Jaden, pouting that her strategy completely went down the drain. "That, and because I found Winged Kuriboh LV10 to be absolutely cute and cool-looking!"

Winged Kuriboh let out a little sigh and sweatdropped. Ever since she pulled that Transcendent Wing stunt on Chazz, she's been pulling the same strategy nonstop ever since on other duelists! He lost count after 25 times! In a way, he's kinda glad that Zane managed to destroy Trascendent Wings, but he knows that it's gonna hurt when Cyber Dragon attacks.

"Now that that facedown's out the way, it's time to attack!" shouted Zane. "Cyber Dragon! Wipe him out with Strident Blast!"

Cyber Dragon opened its metal-like jaws, aiming and firing a blast of fire which no doubt incinerated Winged Kuriboh as he tried to hold on and endured the blast, only to get overwhelmed by the flames.

Jaden gritted her teeth, relieved that her Monster was in Defense Mode. Even if Winged Kuriboh was in Attack Mode, his special ability would have prevented her from taking any Battle Damage anyways.

 _'Oh, man! I tried to warn her that Zane was good! My big brother really is still powerful!'_ thought Syrus, feeling doubt and worry for his female best friend.

"Now, I activate the Spell card, Different Dimension Capsule. It allows me to pick any card from my deck," continued Zane while a strange-looking sarcophagus with a twisted-looking clock appeared. Zane took his entire deck from his duel disk and began fishing for a card before taking one out. "Then, I simply place it in the capsule, then in two turns, I get to take it out and put it right into my hand."

After putting the chosen card inside the sarcophagus, the coffin-like object slowly sank underneath the ground and away from the field.

"Awesome! I can't wait to see what card you chose!" said Jaden to Zane. "I'm gonna take a guess and you can tell me if I'm right, okay? Is it...Pot of Greed?"

"No."

"Polymerization!"

"No."

As Jaden ventured more guesses, Syrus felt sweat beading down his forehead, having a grave feeling about the card Zane tossed away. _'It can't be that card...Can it?'_

"Dark Magician?"

"No."

"Pot of Greed!"

"You just said that."

"Oh...Is it Blue-Eyes White Dragon?"

"Jaden, would you just make your move? It's your turn."

"Oh, right! Sorry!" After drawing her card, Jaden smirked; a new plan already formulated inside her head. "I play Polymerization and fuse together Avian and Burstinatrix to create Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"

Flames erupted below the ground as Flame Wingman emerged victoriously, roaring when he made his appearance right on the nick of time.

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Fusion/Warrior) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

"Now, I'll equip Flame Wingman with Kishido Spirit! If he faces off against a Monster with the same Attack Points as him, Flame Wingman doesn't get destroyed!" said Jaden. "So, go! Flame Wingman! Attack Cyber Dragon!"

Flame Wingman sprang into action; his wing spreaded out while he prepared firing his own fire blast from his arm. Cyber Dragon tried to retaliate by lashing its tail at him, but Flame Wingman dodged with ease and burned the dragon into ashes.

"Yeah! Way to go, Jaden!" cheered Chumley while Syrus simply watched the duel, uneased.

"And now, Flame Wingman's ability activates! See, if he destroys a Monster in battle, the Attack Points of that Monster are sent straight towards your Life Points!"

The Elemental Hero flew down towards Zane before giving him a faceful of fire. Zane simply crossed his arms and watched calmly as the blast hit him, but he wasn't even fazed due to the fact that it was still a hologram.

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **Zane - 1900 LP**

"Nice moves, kid," commented Zane before drawing his card. "But, now that my field's empty, I can to summon another Cyber Dragon from my hand. But I'm not done, because now, I play Monster Reborn. And since there's only one Monster in my Graveyard, I don't need to recall who needs to be brought back, now do I?"

At that moment, two Cyber Dragons showed up on the spot, guarding their master.

Cyber Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV5 - (2100/1600) X2

"Now, I play Polymerization! Dragons, unite!" commanded Zane as his two Monsters swirled around and disappeared in a portal. "Now, Cyber Twin Dragon! Emerge!"

Instead of a single, one-headed dragon, a two-headed cybernetic Monster came out, appearing much fierce compared to the other two previous Cyber Dragons.

Cyber Twin Dragon - (LIGHT/Fusion/Machine) - LV8 - (2800/2100)

"W-whoa! Twin Dragon?! One was bad enough! And he's even stronger than Flame Wingman!" said Chumley, astonished at how the tables turned on Jaden.

"Now my dragon can attack twice in a round! Twin Dragon! Attack!" ordered Zane, his command as sharp as the Twin Dragon's battle cry.

The Cyber Twin Dragon made quick work of Flame Wingman, quickly disposing him with a stronger blast of its attack. It then turned to Jaden, who then shielded her face with her arms as she was forced to take the blast coming from the Fusion Monster.

 **Jaden - 300 LP**

 **Zane - 1900 LP**

"Now, I'm going to end my turn here," said Zane.

Jaden giggled, then grinned widely. "This is so great! I'm having a blast, Zane! I knew you were strong, but I didn't think you were _this_ strong!"

"Huh?" Zane nodded curtly and gave her a small smile. "I guess you're not half-bad, either."

 _'Whoa! This is the first I've seen Zane compliment someone before!'_ thought Syrus, surprised as he kept his eyes wide for the duel.

"Then, it's my go!" said Jaden, glancing at the card she was holding. "I play...Pot of Greed, letting me draw two cards! And I know you have a Pot of Greed inside that coffin of yours, Zane!"

"Why do you automatically assume it's Pot of Greed? It's definitely not!" shouted Chumley, irritated.

"But, Pot of Greed is awesome! I mean, you get to draw two free cards without paying any costs! And lookie here! I play Graceful Charity! That means, I get to draw three more cards, but discard two! I'll ditch these two, and play Fusion Gate! Both of us can Fusion Summon any Monsters, but those Monsters are removed from play then. And now, I Fusion Summon Clayman and Bubbleman to form...Elemental Hero Mudballman! In Defense Mode!"

The two Fusion-Material Heroes were sucked inside a dark portal, and in a few more seconds, another new Monster struggled his way out of the portal. He was large and buffed with a heavy, armored rock-like body, but with Bubbleman's face.

Elemental Hero Mudballman - (EARTH/Fusion/Warrior) - LV6 - (1900/3000)

"Awesome! Now Cyber Twin Dragon can't pierce through that unbelievable defense!" praised Chumley.

 _'I don't believe it! Jaden might actually win!'_ thought Syrus, actually finding hope within Jaden.

"Now, give me your best shot, Zane!" challenged Jaden.

"My best shot? You got it!" Zane accepted her challenge with no hesitation and drew his card while the sarcophagus from before popped from the ground, looking unharmed. "It's been two turns since I-"

"AAAAAHHH! ZOMBIE!" screamed Jaden, freaked out and cowering behind Mudballman, using him as a shield. "Mudballman! Kill it!"

Everyone, including Mudballman, sweatdropped. Either Jaden has a huge phobia of zombies, or she completely forgot about the whole Different Dimension Capsule spell Zane performed a few turns ago.

"Jaden, no zombie's going to come out of there," told Alexis. "Remember when Zane used that Different Dimension Capsule card?"

Jaden blinked, unsure what she was talking about.

"The spell where he placed a card inside the coffin?"

"..."

"...You thought Pot of Greed was inside."

"Ohhhh! Yeah! I remember now! Thanks, Alexis!"

Zane cleared his throat, gaining Jaden's attention. "Anyways, it's been two turns since I activated this card. Now, I can take back my card right into my hand!"

The sarcophagus glowed before it started cracking up and burst into a pile of little pieces, revealing the only content inside; a card. That card flew right into Zane's hands while Jaden watched amusely.

"Wow! Great magic show!" Jaden said, applauding for Zane as her fears for zombies went away.

"...You played well," complimented Zane. "But not good enough."

"Well, bring it on! I dare you to try and attack!" replied Jaden, confident in Mudballman's defensive skills. "I'm ready for anything you throw at me!"

"I'm sure you are," the male duelist agreed. "A good duelist is ready for anything. And that means not just knowing how to use all their cards, but knowing how to play them, too. And though you seem aloof at times, you sure did know how to play your cards well, Jaden."

 _'...Knowing how to play your cards?'_ pondered Syrus, agape at his brother's words of compliments and advice.

 _'Nice words of advice. Hope Sy's listening,'_ thought Jaden, smirking. _'Maybe this guy ain't so bad after all. But, that's not gonna stop me from kicking his ass.'_

Syrus's eyes widen, realizing what his brother meant. _'Of course! Knowing how to play a card, and knowing how to use one are completely two different things! I get it now!'_

Zane's thoughts about the duel haven't ceased at all, as he continued his turn. "First, I play the De-Fusion card! It splits my Monsters back into two different Cyber Dragons! Next, I'll activate the power of Power Bond! With this spell, I'm allowed to summon a Machine-Type Fusion Monster! With the two Cyber Dragons on my field, and the last one in my hand, I can now fuse the three of them together to create the Cyber End Dragon!"

In a flash, a light flooded the entire area and instantly vanished when another being took form onto the field. That being happened to be a larger, much stronger, cybernetic dragon with three heads instead of two.

Cyber End Dragon - (LIGHT/Fusion/Machine) - LV10 - (4000/2800)

"Plus, it's Attack Points are doubled thanks to Power Bond's effect!"

Cyber End Dragon - (LIGHT/Fusion/Machine) - LV10 - (8000/2800)

"W-what?! 8000?!" exclaimed Chumley. Never before had he seen an Attack Power that high before!

"And there's more! If Cyber End Dragon attacks, then the difference between my Monster's Attack Points and your Monster's Defense Points come straight out of your Life Points! You barely have any left, though! This is it!"

Noticing Jaden's worried look, Chumley tried to encourage her. "Don't give up! You can still win! All you have to do is survive this last turn and you can make it!"

"That's right," agreed Alexis. "At the end of the turn Power Bond is used, the player who activated the card takes damage equal to the Monster's original Attack Points!"

 _'Yeah, but that won't matter anymore,'_ thought Syrus, clenching his fists while his face looked serious about this duel. _'If Cyber End Dragon Attacks, it'll inflict piercing damage, and it's bad news for Jaden.'_

"Cyber End Dragon, attack Mudballman!" ordered Zane. "Super Strident Blaze!'

At the same time, all three cybernetic heads launched powerful beams from their mouths, the three beams colliding together to form as one larger beam that shattered through Mudballman's defense and straight towards Jaden.

After the attack, Jaden, with her bangs covering her eyes, collapsed on her knees as her Life Points decreased all the way down.

 **Jaden - 0 LP**

 **Zane - 1900 LP**

 **Winner: Zane**

"Jaden lost?" wondered Chumley.

"Jaden lost?" gasped Alexis.

"Jaden lost?!" cried out Syrus before rushing towards Jaden with concern written in his face. "Jaden! Are you alright?!"

The girl looked up at Zane with no hints of resentment or anger. Instead, she grinned at the duelist who beat her and gave him a thumbs-up. "Nice duel, Zane!"

Zane gave her a small smile like before and walked away, leaving Syrus alone in the care of his friends. Alexis quickly caught up to him before slowing down to his pace as she walked besides him.

"So Zane...what do you think?"

"...I think Sy chose some good friends."

"Waaaah! Jaden! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Nooo! I wanna mess up your hair! Punishment for trying to run away!"

"Chumley, save me! Last time Jaden did this, it took me an hour to get my hair right again!"

"Um...I'll go save some dinner for you two!"

"Traitor! Aaah! Not the hair, Jay! Not the hair!"

Alexis looked behind her shoulder, sweatdropping at the scene behind her. "Uh...Zane? Should we-"

"Let men be men, Alexis."

"But-"

"Let men. Be men."

"...*Sigh* I give up."

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in the Spirit World..._

 _ **"This is an outrage!"**_ declared Flame Wingman, slamming his fist on the desk. Again, the Elemental Heroes were all gathered for another of what they called "Jaden Meetings."

 _ **"Flame Wingman, calm down,"**_ said Burstinatrix, looking quite annoyed. _**"I know you're concerned for Jaden's well-being, but this is ridiculous!"**_

Standing right behind Flame Wingman was a large board with pictures pinned to it. One used to be a picture of Crowler, until a certain Fusion Monster couldn't stand his face and ripped it in half. The others consisted of Bastion, Chazz, Syrus, Alexis, and a new one, Zane.

 _ **"I agree with Flame Wingman,"**_ said Avian, his arms crossed. _**"We must find a way to protect our mistress! She's too young to be married anyways!"**_

 _ **"Avian, of all people, you?! I think we should let Jaden do as she pleases!"**_

 _ **"That's what I thought too, Burstinatrix! Until I saw Jaden hanging out with more boys than girls!"**_

While some of the Elemental Heroes were talking amongst themselves, the three Hero Kids looked at Sparkman with curiosity in their eyes. Sparkman glanced down at the kids, knowing that curiosity meant two things.

One; trouble. Two; they wanted to know something.

"Sparkman? Why is Jaden scared of zombies?" asked Hero Kid #1.

Sparkman let out a sigh of relief, which could barely be heard over the huge argument over "Jaden's innocence." He bent down and said, "Okay, I guess I'll tell you three in order to pass the time. You see, when Jaden was very young..."

* * *

 _Flashback..._

 ** _"Jaden, it's time to go to bed,"_** _spoke Sparkman, urging the little six year old girl as she continued watching TV. Her parents were out grocery shopping and would be back later, thus leaving their only daughter alone in a dark house in the middle of the night._

 _Jaden pouted, glancing at the clock. "But, Sparky! I'm not sleepy! Please let me watch more? The movie's almost over!"_

 ** _"No, Jaden. Just because it's Saturday doesn't mean I'll let you stay up past your bedtime. It's already past 10!"  
_**  
 _"P-please...?"_ _Jaden begged, her lips whimpering as her eyes went wide with tears._

 _Sparkman groaned silently, unable to look away from that cute expression. If there was any weak points for the Elemental Hero, it was Jaden's unbearable cute puppy dog eyes. Just looking at them would make anyone obey the girl._

 ** _"...Alright. Just ten more minutes, okay?"  
_** _  
"Yay! Thank you, Sparky!"_

 _Exactly ten minutes later, Sparkman returned to check up on Jaden. However, he didn't expect to find her hiding behind the couch pillows, covering her ears with a horrified look on her face._

 ** _ **"Jaden? What's wrong?"** _**_Sparkman's question came to a stop when he heard screaming from the TV. He saw a woman being eaten alive by zombies as other people were running away from other zombies in the background. Some were being bitten in the neck or forehead while some tried to fight back using guns._

 _Sparkman knew he couldn't exactly touch the remote to turn off the TV, since he is a Duel Spirit after all. The best he could do was block Jaden's path of view and try hugging her, even though he couldn't do it physically._

 _"S-sparkman! I wanna go to my room!"_ _cried out Jaden, who was downright terrified. "C-can you help me?"_

 _The Elemental Hero nodded, still not allowing her to see what was on TV. He decided to deal with the whole TV problem to Jaden's parents. Right now, he was escorting Jaden up the stairs, taking the lead since Jaden was terrified that a zombie might come out and eat her, so he had to walk in the front._

 _Once they arrived in her room, Jaden ran to the bed, quickly covering herself with the bed covers. Sparkman passed the time by telling the little girl the adventures he and the other Elemental Heroes had, some which were made up. Nevertheless, they seemed to have worked, since Jaden was more excited to hear about the stories rather than scared about the zombie movie._

 _"*Yawn*I'm sleepy..." Jaden let out another yawn before her head landed on her pillow. Sparkman patted her head gently, even ruffling a bit of her hair before returning to her deck._

* * *

"...And that's what happened," said Sparkman, feeling a bit nostalgic over the past memories.

After hearing the story, the Hero Kids were more than happy to help out their owner more. _**"Don't worry!"** _ The three of them said, saluting. _**"We promise to protect Jaden!"**_

 _ **"That's right! Besides, I'm gonna be the one marrying Jaden!"**_ announced Hero Kid #2 proudly.

After that loud outburst, the room grew silent, void of any talking.

Hero Kid#2 found himself pinned to the wall; a grotesque, monstrous arm aiming straight at his face. He was literally sweating as Flame Wingman pointed his weapon at him.

 _ **"What. Did. You. Say?"**_

 _ **"Hey, lay off, Flame Wingman,"**_ said Mudballman, defending Hero Kid#2. _**"He's just a kid, remember?"**_

Normally, Hero Kid #2 would start protesting how he wasn't a kid despite his looks. However, in this situation, he would have to agree with Mudballman in order to live just a little longer. Especially if there was a arm that could shoot fire at your face.

Flame Wingman sighed, backing away. _**"I guess you're right. Maybe I was being a bit too overprotective. I'm sor-"**_

 _ **"Plus, Jaden might turn out hot!"**_ spoke up Hero Kid #3, fantasies forming inside his mind as he drooled over Jaden.

At this moment, the Hero Kid might as well have signed his own doom.

 _ **"THAT'S IT!"**_

 _ **"Quick, somebody pin him down!"**_

 _ **"Get off me! Someone has to teach him a lesson!"**_

 _ **"I got his arm!"**_

 _ **"Can I still marry Jaden?"**_

 _ **"NO!"**_

 _ **"Grrrr!"**_

 _ **"I got his tail! His tail! Ow! He bit me!"**_

 _ **"I got his other arm!"**_

 _ **"Jeez! How heavy is this guy?!"**_

* * *

 **And that's a wrap! Yeah, just a couple of pointers here and there.**

 **Sorry for the wait! School was bugging me over and over! I managed to get this one ahead though, so no worries here!**

 **I managed to get references from other series here! Oh, and the whole Pot of Greed thing? Definitely got it from the new Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged episode!**

 **It might take me a while to update again! Also, if anyone wants to, I have another Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic involving a bit of Tagforce! It's not much, but it's all I got to offer! Any ideas would be cool!**


	8. EGG-cellent!

**Alright, time for a filler chapter! And no, I don't mean the episode where Chumley duels his Dad. This chapter's gonna be more interesting...and increases Jaden's chances of who she'll end up with.**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs.**

* * *

"Attention, students! May I have your attention, please?" announced Banner, who was currently stroking Pharaoh's back gently. "Before class ends, I have a special assignment for you all! It is a project between you and your chosen partner which will be easy and difficult at the same time!"

Many people groaned at the word "project." They knew something was up with this so-called project, and if Banner was the one assigning it, it wasn't a good sign, considering how...slightly creepy he can be at times.

Banner lowered Pharaoh to the ground before taking out a small hat filled with pieces of paper. "Now, I'm going to call your name, and if you hear your name being called, please come on down and grab a sheet of paper. You'll read the name of that paper out loud. I'll explain everything afterwards. First off...Alexis Rhodes!"

"Here!" Alexis stood up and went down the stairs before randomly grabbing a sheet of paper. "It says...Syrus Truesdale."

"Me?" The blue-haired boy pondered as more names were being called on.

Once most of the class had received their pieces of paper, only four people were left. "Daniel Miller!"

A spiky-haired Ra Yellow student rushed down and grabbed a random sheet of paper. "Um...Natalie Onway."

"I'm right here!" spoke the Obelisk Blue girl, raising her hand from the far back.

"Last but not least...Jaden Yuki!"

"Oh boy!" Jaden leaped down the stairs out of excitement, spotting only two pieces of paper left. She took one and read it for the whole class to hear. "Chazz Princeton! Cool!"

"What?!" Chazz stood up, his eye twitching at his name being mentioned by the Slifer slacker. He had placed the pieces inside his head about what this current situation was going to lead to; a partnership project! "No! Read the other paper!"

Jaden quickly picked up the last piece of paper, finding her name. "It...just says Jaden Yuki."

"Now, class! I know you're all wondering what's going on, so here it is!" announced Banner happily. "You and your named partner will be assigned an egg and will have to take care of it for one week! Think of it as a...pretest for when you become parents one day!"

A few complaints filled the room; the loudest being Chazz. No! He couldn't! Not with a careless partner like Jaden Yuki! He'll bet that Slifer slacker will drop the egg in just five minutes after the project starts!

"Squee! Oh my God! An egg project! And with my good friend, Chazzy!" giggled Jaden.

"Um...Jaden? You do realize the guy hates your guts, right?" reminded Syrus, sweatdropping. "Well...at least I have Alexis as my partner. I just hope I don't end up messing up the project for her."

"Oh, come now! I'm sure you'll be the perfect daddy for your egg!" Jaden assured, petting him on the head.

After everyone received an egg, Banner continued the explanation for the egg project as the bell rang. "Hold on, please! Now then, students. The rules are simple for this project. If you break or drop the egg, you get an automatic F. However, if you treat your egg with care, your grade will rise with a perfect A! Extra credit to those who decorate their egg or dress them up! I have placed my signatures all over the eggs to make sure you are not cheating! That is all, class!"

After the students flooded out of the classroom, Chazz was among the first to leave, or rather, stomp away. Not only was his partner Jaden Yuki, but a guy as well! He's the only person partnered with a GUY! Great, this day couldn't get much worse...

"Chazz!"

Oh wait, it just did.

Chazz turned around, expecting that he might see Jaden running towards him with the egg, but no one was there surprisingly. Thinking he was imagining things, he turned back, only to discover Jaden face-to-face with him.

"Hiya, Chazzy!"

"GAH!" Chazz tripped backwards and fell right on his bottom, staring up at the cheerful Jaden. "How did you get behind me so fast?!"

"Easy!" perked up Jaden. "I called your name, but I don't think you heard me, so I rushed past a few people and wanted to surprise you by hiding from behind you! Clever, huh?"

Chazz scoffed, rolling his eyes as he stood up and brushed any dust off his jacket. "Whatever. Later, dweeb."

"Waiiiit! You gotta help me take care of Jazz!"

The Obelisk Blue teen froze. "Wait, what?"

"Jazz! She's our cute new baby girl egg! I named her Jazz because of the combination of our names!" explained Jaden, holding out the egg in her cupped palms.

The egg Jaden named as "Jazz" had a couple of changes to its appearance. Obviously, Jaden was the one who drew all sort of cute accessories onto the egg, like stars or hearts. The face could be recognizable by the wide eyes and happy smile on the egg.

"Gah! Don't-don't you dare tell anyone about the egg's name! I have a reputation to uphold!" shouted Chazz. He has often heard that when a couple is together, they mix their names together, it's often a shipping, and he was not gay!

"No problem! Jazzy's so cute!~" squealed Jaden, rubbing her egg close to her face.

Chazz mentally gagged at the scene, having an irritated look right now. How could Jaden think that an egg was...cute? Granted, this was for the project, and decorating the stupid egg would make for great extra credit, but this was stupid!

"Hey, Chazz? Wanna hold her?" Jaden handed the egg over to Chazz, forcibly placing it in his palms.

All Chazz wanted to do was smash the egg now, but he knew the consequences of doing that. He simply handed the egg back to Jaden and crossed his arms. "Hmph! Whatever!"

"Chazz? Since we're gonna be parents to sweet little Jazz, how about we meet up in my room as a temporary home?"

"No! I'd rather die than ever step in a Slifer Red's dorm!" scoffed Chazz. "And we're not using my room, either!"

"Awww!" Jaden pondered for a moment, then gasped. "Ah! I know! Let's keep meeting up in the forest near the Slifer Red dorms! How about that?"

"Yeah, right! Like I'm helping you take care of that stupid egg!"

Jaden gasped, pouting angrily as she held the egg protectively to her chest. "Chazz! How could you say that about our egg?!"

"'Our?!' It's yours! I'm not helping you!"

"...Fine! I could easily break Jazz right now if I wanted to!" In truth, Jaden would never do that to her precious "baby" but she had another idea. "Or-or I could continue taking care of Jazzy, then when we turn in our assignments, I could tell Professor Banner how you never helped and get him to give you an F!"

Chazz's jaw dropped before he gritted his teeth. Jaden was just seconds away from being strangled. "You little son of a...!"

"So, if you don't want a failed grade, you'll help me, right?" Jaden giggled, grinning at the already-pissed Chazz.

"...I hate you. I hate you with all of my hate."

"Awww! You're so sweet!"

"I-You-I-Gah! Never mind!"

* * *

 _In the Spirit World..._

 _ **"This is bad! Like, really bad!"** _ cried out Hero Kid #2, frailing his arms and running around his two other twin brothers, Hero Kids #1 and 3.

 _ **"I know, right? If Sparkman, or Avian, or any of the team finds out about this, there'll be lots of chaos!"** _ agreed Hero Kid #3. They had overheard and figured out about an egg project Jaden was involved in, and worst, Chazz was in it! CHAZZ!

 _ **"Dudes, it's simple!"** _ spoke up Hero Kid #1. _ **"If we keep this a secret, and we help out Jaden with the egg baby, she'll definitely fall in love with me! Plain and simple as that!"**_

 _ **"Hey, yeah! You're right!"** _ Hero Kid # 2 said, nodding alongside his other brother. _ **"...Wait, what do you mean she'll fall in love with you?! She'll fall in love with me!"**_

 _ **"Nuh-uh! Me!"** _ shouted Hero Kid #3, waving his arms to gain attention. _**"I'm the youngest, so I'm the cutest!"**_

 _ **"No, I'm more handsome! Girls love handsome guys like me!"**_

 _ **"I'm more smarter than the both of you combined! It should be me!"**_

 _ **"No, me!"**_

 _ **"I'm cuter!"**_

 _ **"Who cares?!"**_

 _ **"What's going on?"** _ demanded Sparkman, walking up to the three triplets with Wroughtweiler. Wroughtweiler tilted his head and went up to the boys, wagging his tail happily at the sight of the youthful boys.

 _ **"Oh, Jaden laid an egg."**_

Hero Kids #1 and 2 facepalmed at their little brother, Sparkman stood there in utter shock, and Wroughtweiler simply kept wagging his tail back and forth.

 _ **"W-what?!"**_

Hero Kid #1 sighed and started explaining everything from the top. Thankfully, Sparkman was...somewhat understandable and one of the calm-minded Heroes, though still fiercely protective of Jaden.

 _ **"I see. This is rather...troubling."**_

 _ **"Can you keep it a secret, Sparkman?"**_ asked Hero Kid #2. _**"We all know what would happen if the others found out! Especially Flame Wingman!"**_

Sparkman nodded, agreeing at once. The city they lived in would burn if they told Flame Wingman and tried to prevent him from going out and burning poor Chazz to the ground.

* * *

 _A few days later..._

"Jazzy! Jazzy! Jazzy!" sang Jaden, cradling Jazz the egg in her arms. "Awww! You're so cute, Jazzy!"

Chazz's eye twitched, watching the scene with utter digust.

For nearly a week now, the two of them have been meeting up in a secure forest spot near the Slifer Red dorms in order to help take care of the egg. During that week, Jaden had been obsessed with the egg; caring for it, dressing it up, and even going so far as to make a mini, wooden crib for the egg. How Jaden got a crib, Chazz will never know.

Worse, Jaden has been forcing Chazz to help her take care of Jazz in many different methods. For instance, she made him watch over the egg while she go grab some sandwiches for her and Chazz. Somehow, she managed to force him to dress up Jazz and sing lullabys to the egg. Who knew Chazz was a terrible singer?

Right now, Chazz was watching his rival trying, and obviously failing, to spoonfeed the egg some banana mush that acted as baby food. The egg now had wads of black string acting as its hair, and it was wearing a tiny purple dress.

"Awww! You're so cute, Jazzy!" Jaden cooed, wiping any parts of the mush off of the egg.

"Eggs. Don't. Have. Mouths!" reminded Chazz, still irritated about the whole project. "It's just a stupid egg! Just toss it in a fridge or something until tommorow when we turn that thing in!"

Jaden gasped dramatically. "Chazz! How dare you?! Jazzy isn't a thing! She's our baby! I'm the Mommy, and you're the Daddy!"

"For crying out loud, we've talked about this before! You can't be the Mom, and I'm no freakin' Dad! Even if this is for the stupid project!"

Jaden glared at the spiky-haired boy before quickly tending to the care of her egg, cooing at it and trying to tickle its rough skin with her fingertips. Seeing Jaden like this made Chazz want to smash his head against a brick wall, but at the same time...it was...kinda cute?

 _'What?! NO! Chazz Princeton does not know the meaning of 'cute!' Bleh!'_ thought Chazz, shaking his head, trying to get Jaden out of the picture. _'...The sun was just getting to me! Yeah! That's it!'_

Jaden yawned, her eyes droopy as she nodded her head back and forth, trying to stay awake. "Chazzy...I'm so...sleepy..." Her arms drooped to the side, lightly dropping the gg onto the soft grass before her head landed on Chazz's lap.

"Hey!" Chazz yelled, surprised to see her landing on his lap like that. Before he could even think of pushing her off his lap, he realized that she didn't have the egg anywhere! Luckily, he saw the egg right behind him, perfectly unharmed.

"Fried shrimp...Getcha game...on...Summoning Flame Wingman...Must rescue Princes fried shrimp..." muttered Jaden, snoring along the way as drool trailed down her lips and landed on Chazz's lap.

"Ugh! Gross!" Chazz didn't even hesitate to bash his fist onto Jaden's forehead, leaving a small visible bump.

A small whimper escaped Jaden's lips before she clinged onto Chazz's waist with both arms. "No...Mr. fried shimp prince...Don't leave me here..."

Chazz sweatdropped, not wanting to know what sort of dream the idiotic Slifer slacker was having. He scratched his head, unsure what to do.

There were two options he could try. One, he could easily push Jaden off his lap with ease, or two, he could just leave him like this. The first option was tempting, but...for some reason, Chazz just wanted to...touch Jaden's face.

Tenderly, Chazz touched her warm cheeks with his cold fingers, noting how soft her skin was. Were all boys skin like this? Chazz only used a little lotion on his face everyday, so his own skin wasn't exactly the softest of all. But...Jaden's...it felt almost like silk.

 _'Aaaand I have lost respect for myself,'_ thought Chazz, taking his head away before looking up at the blue skies for a soft of distraction. What was he thinking?! He wasn't gay! No, he must have imagined...Alexis! That's right! He was thinking of Alexis while touching Jaden! Yeah! He wasn't gay!

Yet...why did looking at Jaden made his heart beat and want to burst right there and then?

* * *

 _In the Spirit World..._

 _ **"Damnit, this is all your fault!"**_

 _ **"It's not my fault! How was I supposed to know he was right behind us?!"**_

Inside the Elemental Hero HQ building, chaos erupted the entire place as innocent Duel Monster civilians tried to avoid the building and block out any sounds coming from the building.

Apparently, Flame Wingman found out about Jaden's egg project and was extremely outraged when he discovered Jaden's partner was Chazz of all people! The Fusion Monsters, Thunder Giant and Steam Healer were trying to calm him down along with the other Elemental Heroes.

And it was all thanks to one of the Hero Kids' big mouth.

 _ **"Flame Wingman! Calm down!"**_

 _ **"Here we go, again!"**_

 _ **"No! I can't let Jaden become a mother! Not that early!"**_

 _ **"It's just an egg project! She's not really a mother!"**_

 _ **"Still, my little Jaden can't be taunted by a boy like...like that! It'll be a bad influence for her!"**_

 _ **"I'm sure she's fine!"**_

* * *

 _The next day..._

"You fried your own egg? Are you an idiot or something? F!" declared Crowler, writing down something in his clipboard. An Obelisk Blue girl and a Ra Yellow boy seemed down before walking away to their own desks.

Crowler wanted to part take in the grading of the egg projects; something he requested of Banner in order to see Jaden's egg result and fail her miserably. Unfortunately for him, Jaden and her partner had their egg completely unharmed, so they both had a perfect A.

"Hey, Syrus! How'd you do on your egg project?" asked Jaden, turning to look at her friend.

Alexis smiled, stroking Syrus on the head while showing the girl her own design of an egg. The egg was completely coated in colorful sparkles with a small blond wig, but nothing else to it.

"Syrus was a huge help in helping to take care Alicia, our egg. I'm sure he'll grow up to be a great father one day!"

Syrus blushed, glancing at his own two feet. "O-Oh, it was nothing! You did most of the work!"

"But you dressed up Alicia nicely! I'd say you did a good job, too! So, how about you, Jaden? I imagine Chazz was difficult to handle?"

Jaden nodded, smiling as Chazz simply crossed his arms. "Yup! Chazz was a little rough on the edges, and still a jerk, but we managed through!"

"Hey! I'm right here, you know!"

Syrus checked to make sure his ears were functioning correctly. "Um...Jaden? When you mean, he was...'rough on the edges,' what do you mean?"

"I mean, he's still stern and a jerk!"

"Oh...Uh...Ok...You slept in separate dorms, right?"

Jaden nodded. "Of course! Remember, I'm still a Slifer Red, and Chazzy is still an Obelisk Blue!"

"H-Hey! Don't go calling me around by that stupid nickname!" yelled Chazz, his eye twitching. "This was only a one-time partnership! Never to be mentioned again!"

"Alright, class!" announced Crowler, holding up a garbage bin. "Now that we've all graded your results, it's time to toss your eggs right in this trash bin!"

Most of the females, with the exception of Syrus, that have gotten attached to their eggs, started complaining and crying out, showing their affection for their baby eggs.

"Nooo!"

"Not my baby!"

"I love him so much!"

"You monster!"

"Now, now! The assignment's over, so there's no need to hold onto those stinky, rotten eggs!" called out Crowler right before an egg landed on his forehead. "...ALRIGHT! WHO DID THAT?!"

Although the culprit was unknown, everyone else quickly gained the same idea, as evident from the evil looks on their faces. They started propelling their eggs at Crowler one after another, all while Banner was standing around, happily doing nothing but watch.

"Aah! Cut it out! You'll all get detention before-Gah! I swallow part of-Gah! Pah!"

 _'Well, I gotta admit, at least something good did come out of it,'_ Chazz thought, a small amused grin on his face at the sight of Crowler being egged on.

* * *

 **Finished! Now, I gotta get back to my Tagforce fanfic, or any other fanfics I have! Read and review! A filler chapter today! Next chapter, the Paradox bros!**


	9. Tag Team Trial

**Ok, so here's the chapter involving the Tag Team Duel! Heads up, I kinda didn't like the whole Chumley/fatherly relationship episode. I mean, it was kinda cool and all, and I know it's supposed to value the meaning of doing things on your own and giving Chumley some character development.**

 **Seriously though, there were some...awfully stupid things in that episode. First off, hot sauce? When I first watched that episode, I could immediantly tell it was originally supposed to be beer. That, and the whole red color change in the dub version. Other than that, the episode was fine.**

 **So, enough of my ranting, let's get on with the duel!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

Crowler was NOT having a good day, that's for sure.

He was lost in his frustrated thoughts, grumbling to himself as he walked down the hallways of Duel Academy. Most of the Slifer Reds chatting about in the hallways made room for him, somewhat afraid of his presence due to the fact that Crowler was famous for hating "Slifer slackers."

 _'Just look at them! Pathetic Slifer littering the campus like vermin! Why must Duel Academy accept vermin like the Slifer slackers?!'_ pondered Crowler. _'Especially Jaden Yuki! Gah! That boy makes me want to kick kitties and puppies!'_

"That Slifer slacker's made a fool out of me long ENOUGH!"

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in the Slifer Red dorms..._

"One, two, three! One, two, three!" Jaden was chanting to herself as she was playing with a stuffed Watapon Duel Monster toy, tossing it up and down as she was giggling.

"Jaden, aren't you going to organize your deck yet?" asked Syrus, who was sitting on the ground with his cards scattered all over the floor. Chumley nodded, yawning as he read a book.

Jaden caught her stuffed animal before cuddling it. "Aww, come on, Syrus! We still got a couple of hours left! I just wanna play with my-"

"-ENOUGH! ENOUGH! ENOUGH! Enough...enough...enough..."

The trio reacted in different ways; Syrus yelping and throwing his cards in the air, Chumley accidentally dropping his book which landed on Jaden's head and caused her to drop her Watapon toy.

"Owie!" Jaden cringed, kneeling on the floor and clutching her head.

"Jaden! You alright?" Chumley asked, looking down from his top bunk bed.

"Yeah...What was that?"

"Oh, that was Crowler going off again," said Syrus, extending a hand for Jaden to reach. "He does that sometimes. Lately, he's been doing that a lot."

"Huh, wonder why."

* * *

Startled by Crowler's outburst, several students rushed to their scheduled classes, mostly out of fear for Crowler and not wanting detention. Nobody could blame them, considering that the whole campus pretty much heard Crowler's cries.

Satisfied with the students fleeing in sight of him, Crowler snickered to himself. He already had the Tag Team duel plan unfolded, so it was only a matter of time before the whole Tag Team Duel event occured later in the afternoon.

"Dr. Crowler!"

Turning around, Crowler spotted one of his...average Obelisk Blue students, Chazz Princeton, walking towards him. Knowing that the boy wanted to talk to him about something, Crowler would oblige and listen.

"Ah, Chazz! How may I be of service?"

"Look, I'm just gonna go straight to the point," spoke Chazz gruffly. "I want you to put me in that Tag Team Duel against Jaden and Syrus?"

"You mean the one scheduled for this afternoon?"

"That's right! This time, I know I can beat him and send him packing!"

It didn't take Crowler even a mere five seconds to refuse the boy's request. "No."

"Huh? Why not?!" Chazz gritted his teeth, demanding an explanation.

Crowler closed his eyes and smirked. "Don't get me wrong, your skills are admirable. However, I'm not taking any chances on this one. If Jaden loses here, he'll be expelled from Duel Academy once and for all! Which is why I hired and invited the greatest Tag Team duelists in the world!"

"What?! I can beat those so-called 'greatest Tag Team duelists!' Just let me duel with those two, and if I win, I'll definitely beat Jaden for sure!"

"Sorry Chazz, but that won't happen," said Crowler, refusing the boy once more. "For one, they're not even here yet. And two, you? Pfft. You couldn't even beat Jaden. _Twice_. The duelists I'm talking about are on a whole different level. Moreover, you should be worried about yourself. At the losing rate you're in, you'll definitely be demoted to Ra Yellow! I suggest you hone your skills some more and try _not_ to humilate yourself anymore than you already have, you peon. Hahahahahaha!"

Chazz watched as Crowler left while laughing at his insult; his laughter filling the hallways even as he was walking away.

"...Douchebag."

* * *

 _In the Slifer Red dorm..._

Jaden and Syrus were currently shuffling and going over their decks to make sure they had everything in order. They needed a clean order of Spell, Trap, and Monster cards as well as organized strategies if they were going to win this!

Chumley was watching his two friends from up on his bunk bed, curious to see how the outcome of the duel would go. "Today's the day, huh? I hope you guys do good in that Tag Team Duel."

"Of course! We're gonna win!" wondered Jaden confidently. "It's just another duel, another day! Right, Sy?"

 _'If only that were true,'_ thought Syrus, giving Jaden a nervous smile. Today meant that they were going to have to duel for their lives in the academy! If not, they get kicked out! Anyone, except Jaden, would feel nervous about the risks!

"Yeah...but it's not another duel," reminded Chumley, trying to stay positive as ever. 'It's a Tag Duel! And if you lose, you'll be kicked out! I'm surprised you're still all cheerful and happy about enjoying the duel when your lives are in stake."

"Well, duels are fun and happy to enjoy about. What's not to like?" said Jaden.

"Man, you are just as stubborn as stone, Jaden, you know that? I kinda wish I had your strength sometimes."

As the two talked things through, Syrus stared at his hand, most preferably his Power Bond card. _'Chumley's right. The last time I dueled, I was awful! Just like my big brother always told me I was! If we're going to win, I have to try and not let anything get to my head! Especially Zane! All I have to do is believe in myself! Believe in myself! Believe in myself!'_

"I believe in myself, Jaden!" blurted out Syrus, surprising his two roommates.

"Huh? Yeah, that's great, Sy!"

"Well, good luck, guys! I'll go to the Duel Arena in just a bit! I have to clean up some stuff first!" said Chumley, giving his two friends a smile.

"See ya soon!" Both Syrus and Jaden walked out the door, leaving Chumley alone with the hope that they might succeed.

* * *

 _Later, in the Duel Arena..._

 **"The Tag Duel will begin in a few moments! And remember, these are tense conditions! This is a sudden exposition match!"**

 _'Tense, huh? I sure hope Syrus and Jaden know what they're doing,'_ thought Bastion, looking stern as he waited for the match to begin.

"Hey, I know you!"

"Huh?"

Looking up, Bastion saw Alexis Rhodes standing near him. Instantly, he recognized her as the most powerful female Obelisk Blue member, as well as one of the popular and beautiful duelists in the academy.

"You're Bastion Misawa, right? A friend of Jaden and Syrus, right?" Alexis took a seat next to him, seeing how all the other seats were occupied.

"I...suppose you could say that. And you're Alexis Rhodes, yes?"

"Yeah, I'm also why they're in this mess. They were helping me in that Abandoned Dorm."

"I see!"

Ever since it was announced that Jaden and Syrus would be risking their dueling lives in Duel Academy in a Tag Duel, Bastion pondered why, until he heard that they entered the forbidden Abandoned Dorm. He didn't have the time to ask why they would enter such a place, but now that Alexis admitted why, it all made sense to him.

Alexis sighed. "But now, if there's anyone in need of help, it's them. Have you heard? Rumors spread that Crowler arranged professional duelists to duel them! Tag Team legends! Duelists that worked with the creator of Duel Monsters himself!"

 **"Send in the accused! Syrus Truesdale and Jaden Yuki!"**

Hearing their cue, both of them entered the Duel Arena. Syrus was holding onto Jaden's hand, squeezing it to ease his anxiety while Jaden was happily waving to the crowd, having no other care in the world.

Even though only a couple of hands applauded for the Slifer Red Tag Team, Jaden accepted them and kept smiling and waving. When she saw Chazz, she grinned and waved harder for him. "Hiya, Chazzy!"

Chazz stamped his foot against the seat in front of him, anger written all over his face. _'You Slifer slackers! It should be me taking you out! But, as long as someone else does it, I guess that's fine! And look the other way, idiot! Stop waving at me!'_

Sensing malevolence coming from the enraged Obelisk Blue, Syrus clinged onto Jaden's arm. "U-Um...Jaden? Maybe you should stop waving at him! I think he's really mad now..."

Jaden lowered her arm and started ruffling Syrus's hair childishly. "But, Sy! I couldn't help it!"

"Gah! J-Jay? C-could you stop ruffling my hair?"

"But it's sooooo soft!~"

Once on top of the dueling platform, Jaden saw Chumley among the audience, waving at them. "Hey, look! Chumley made it! Nice!"

Zane stood all calm and cool from afar, watching from the railings area. He was intent to seeing this duel through, how well Syrus's skills are, and how this duel will resolve. If Syrus doesn't prove himself and does lose, then he truly doesn't deserve to fit in Duel Academy.

Noticing Zane staring at him with the stone-like eyes, Syrus quickly started walking faster towards his partner's side. _'Gotta believe in myself! Gotta believe in myself! Gotta believe in myself! Gotta believe in myself!'_

Raising his arm to signal the audience to quiet down, Crowler announced, "Now, let us introduce our guest Tag Team duelists! The Paradox Brothers!"

Gasps filled the entire area once the infamous name was heard throughout. _The_ Paradox Brothers?! They were a Tag Team legend! Most of the individuals knew it was over for Syrus and Jaden.

Suddenly, two martial artists made their appearance onstage by performing a few cartwheels simulataneously. They landed gracefully on opposite sides at the same time, crossing their arms in a sort of pose.

"Salutations, you fools," spoke the light-toned, orange robed martial artist. He was known as Para, the oldest of the twins and was awfully similar to his other brother.

"Hope you're ready to duel," said a deeper-toned, green robed martial artist. This one was Dox, the youngest twin and he was as skilled at his twin brother.

Jaden only lightly laughed at the Paradox Brothers. "Haha! They're wearing dresses!"

"Actually, I think they're kimonos," corrected Syrus.

"How dare you insult us? You ungrateful children!" shouted Para, bringing up a fist and losing his composure.

"Yes, for these are tunics, and we have ten of them!"

"Didn't need to know that, thanks," Jaden said, pondering about something. "Hey, Sy? You know anything about these guys? I feel like I've heard of the Paradox Brothers somewhere."

"No, I'm lost too," said Syrus. "But, maybe this Tag Duel won't be so bad after all."

Crowler walked up to the two from behind, saying, "Perhaps. But, they haven't dueled in ages, and their last opponent happened to be Yugi Moto!"

Syrus gaped at the fact that their opponents happened to face off against the King of Games himself! If they did, they must be extremely powerful, as well as much more skilled than him or Jaden. This was turning out worst for the both of them!

"I've studied these guys," murmured Alexis. "They're some kind of dueling mercenaries. Not to mention, the best Tag duelists in the world! This is hardly fair!"

"I think that was Crowler's intent from the beginning," agreed Bastion. "Statisically speaking, I'd say Jaden and Syrus's chances of winning are below 50 at best. Plus, I heard they gave even the King of Games a hard time. If that were the case, then Syrus and Jaden don't stand a chance against them!"

Chazz smirked, satisfied with Crowler's choice for opponents. Not only are the Paradox Brothers skilled in dueling, but they're supposed to be the best Tag Team duelists in the world! He imagined that it wouldn't take the brothers a mere five turns to finish the Slifer slackers off.

"Enough with the pleasantries..." started Para.

"And now, on with the duel!" stated Dox.

"We didn't come here to talk!"

"We came..."

"To destroy you!" both twin brothers finish in unison, fully confident that they could defeat their opponents.

Syrus gulped and was practically seen shaking in his boots, while Jaden awed at the Paradox Brothers. Despite their weird sense in rhyming, they made a total, completely unexpected and amazing entrance with the cartwheels, and their outfits looked cool!

"Whoaaaa! So cool!" cheered Jaden, jumping up and down in excitement.

"Not cool! Not cool!" said Syrus, who was trying his best to calm himself down.

"Crowler! Don't you think this is a bit much?" called out Sheppard, staring up at the dueling platform.

"No, not at all!" defended Crowler, wanting to change the Chancellor's mind. "Jaden and Syrus broke a big time rule, so they should face big time opponents! Besides, we can't send the brothers back now! They've come so far!"

"Hmm...very well! I will allow it!" decided Sheppard happily with a childish grin. "Besides, at least one of our students are excited."

"Huh?"

Looking back, Crowler saw Jaden still ranting on about how if she beats the Paradox Brothers, she'll be even stronger than Yugi, or how she wonders how the duel will go. She even bragged about finishing off the Paradox Brothers with her Flame Wingman. Syrus was clearly embarrassed by how much attention his partner was receiving and hid his face with his hands.

"Ugh...Duelists! Prepare to battle!"

The students cheered and started chatting nonstop about how the dueling was going to result as. Even some students started placing bets, mostly on the Paradox Brothers. Either way, everyone was excited and wondered how the duel will end.

Jaden glanced at her Tag Team partner, and noticed how stiff his small body was. She walked over and placed her hands on his shoulders, giving him a reassuring smile. "Just breath in, Sy. We can do this!"

"Y-yeah..." Syrus blushed at how close Jaden was, especially with the physical contact she was giving him. No girl other than Jaden has touched him like this before. And...was that squealing from the audience?

"The rules for this Tag Team duel are really quite simple!" announced Crowler loudly. "There are no sharing of strategies, no sharing of advice, and no sharing of cards that are not yet in play! But you may use what's on your partner's field! And no-"

"Just get the duel on with already!" hollered a student from the sidelines rather rudely and impatiently.

"...Tch. Fine. Duel!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Jaden and Syrus - 8000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Paradox Brothers - 8000 LP**

After getting out five cards, Jaden gave a nod to Syrus, who nodded back. "My turn! Draw! Now I'll summon Gyroid in Attack Mode!"

A animated blue helicopter Monster took flight onto the field, ready for anything that could be thrown right at him.

Gyroid - (WIND/Machine) - LV3 - (1000/1000)

"You must be joking! I'm surprised that thing even has an Attack Mode!" said Para as he drew a card."I summon Jurai Gumo in Attack Mode!"

A large spider-like Monster appeared on the field, its jaws snapping together as it wanted to feast on something. Its current target happened to be Gyroid, staring intently at him.

Gurai Gumo - (EARTH/Insect) - LV4 - (2200/100)

"Me next! Me next! Me next!" said Jaden, overjoyed before quickly drawing a card. "I summon my cute White Magician Pikeru in Attack Mode! Then, I'll set a card and end!"

Popping out from white smoke, the small Spellcaster plopped on her bottom before standing up and sweeping any dust off her white robes. She struggled to keep her staff up as she blushed from all the girls squeals and awes.

White Magician Pikeru - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV2 - (1200/0)

"Please, that Monster is nothing!" said Dox. "Kaiser Sea Horse, in Attack Mode!"

The knight of the waters sprang up from the projectile waters, wielding his sharp spear boldly and preparing for battle.

Kaiser Sea Horse - (LIGHT/Sea Serpent) - LV4 - (1700/1650)

With four Monsters, two on each side, it was clear about the difference of their strengths. Both the Paradox Brothers had Monsters that surpassed Jaden and Syrus's by strength levels. Who knows what'll happen next turn?

 _'Me and Jay sure are lucky that nobody can attack on their first turns,'_ thought Syrus, glaring at his opponents seriously. _'Alright, with their Monsters, I'm sure they'll attack next.'_

"I choose to play a Spell card from my hand! Tribute Doll!" announced Dox. "To activate it, I must choose to sacrifice a Monster from our side of the field! Good thing my brother is so generous with his!" Receiving a nod of approval from his brother, Dox continued, "Farewell, Gurai Gumo!"

After the Tribute Doll card was activate, the card itself started to sprout out tentacles which slowly wrapped themselves around the spider Monsters before pulling on its limbs and ripping it apart.

"Now I am able to summon a Level 7 Monster this turn! And I choose to summon Kazejin!"

Swirling, rapid winds blew all over the field, causing all to cover their eyes and brace themselves for the wind. Once the wind dispersed and died, all that was left was a gigantic green Monster with some ancient writings in the front.

Kazejin - (WIND/Spellcaster) - LV7 - (2400/2200)

"He sacrificed his brother's Monster to summon a better one for the team," muttered Bastion, impressed. "Now that's a perfect combination in a Tag Duel!"

"Do you actually think you know anything of this game?" questioned Para.

"You're losers, you're jokes! In other words, you're lame!" finished Dox.

"And if they think this is starting to get crueling..."

"Wait till I give them a true schooling!" Dox picked a card from his hand. "I play Dark Designator! This powerful Spell card allows me to call out any card that I can think of! And if it's anywhere in my brother's deck, it's added immediantly to his hand! Now, let me see here...Sanga of the Thunder!"

Para chuckled. "Well, what do you know? It's right here, ready to tear them asunder!" The eldest brother took his deck out and quickly found his card before shuffling his deck and placing it back to his duel disk.

After Para placed the chosen card in his hand, he raised his arm. "The duel's just started..."

"And yet, it is almost done!" Dox also raised his other arm.

"For your demise has already begun!" chanted the Paradox Brothers, throwing down their arms together.

Syrus was taken aback; fear shown in his eyes. Things were looking more and more bad for him and Jaden! If one of the Paradox Brothers manage to summon that Sanga Monster, that'll be three wicked Monsters they'll be facing against! They were just lucky that they didn't get an OTK!

"W-what should we do, Jaden?" asked Syrus, quivering. "These guys just summoned a Level 7 Monster on their first turns! With our Monsters, there's no way we can stop them!"

"Chill out, Sy! These guys may be legends for going up against Yugi, but with you as my partner, I know we can beat these so-called legends!" encouraged Jaden, nudging her friend on the arm. "Besides, you're the only partner for me, so there's no way we can lose!"

"R-right! Of course!"

Syrus focused his attention on the field, showing his serious look. ' _That's right. This isn't just for me, but for all my friends rooting for me, including Jaden, who's worked so hard to encourage me! And, I'm gonna show my brother just how strong I've become!'_

"My turn! Draw! And I summon Steamroid in Attack Mode!"

The train Machine-type blew some steam out before standing up straight for his owner, all pumped up for his turn to shine.

Steamroid - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1800/1800)

"And next, I play Polymerization! Check it out! I fuse my Gyroid and Steamroid to Fusion Summon Steam Gyroid!"

Once the two Machine-types fused together, a brand new Monster took their place, grinning madly from its gained strength from its Fusion-Material Monsters.

Steam Gyroid - (EARTH/Machine/Fusion) - LV6 - (2200/1600)

"Oh yeah, and I haven't overlooked one single fact!" shouted Syrus, confident in his next upcoming move. "See, you guys made a mistake with your teamwork! When you sacrificed Gurai Gumo, you left your brother's side completely defenceless, leaving the door wide open for an attack!"

"U-Uh Sy...?"

Right before Jaden could stop him, Syrus declared, "And now, I declare an attack on Para!"

"Gah! Damnit!"

"Attack!"

"Heh!" Para smirked, no fear and anguish shown anywhere. "If you please, brother!"

Dox nodded. "It would be my pleasure, brother! Kazejin, defend!"

Syrus gasped in surprise when he saw Kazejin appearing in front of Para, defending the eldest brother with a sort of wind barrier and sending Steam Gyroid back to Syrus's field.

"Our Monster's special ability, do you like?" Dox tried explaining.

"It reduces the damage to 0, not even a might!" said Para. "Too bad it only reduces to 0 once a duel, so shameful, so sad."

"At least it has stopped the lad!"

"S-so I goofed..?" Syrus seemed down than ever, mentally hitting himself for being an idiot.

He had forgotten that in a Tag Duel, if your partner doesn't have a Monster on his or her side of field, but their other partner does, they can defend their partner with their chosen Monster, so long as that Monster was in Attack Mode.

Crowler snickered rather evilly to himself as he watched the duel up close. "As expected, Syrus's is nothing but an idiotic Slifer slacker who forgot his studies on Tag dueling! Oh well, it's only a matter of time before he and Jaden pack their bags! Hehehe!"

"Nice job, Syrus! You almost made it!" cheered Jaden.

"...Yeah right," sighed Syrus lowly.

"Hey, I'm serious! They could have used that ability later in the duel, but since they already did it, they can't do it again! Let's go crazy, Sy!"

Syrus nodded, feeling a bit better. "I'll just set a card and end my turn."

"And that's a smart move! My draw!" Para drew his card before placing it in his hand. "I play Monster Reborn and bring back the frightful Gurai Gumo!"

Gurai Gumo - (EARTH/Insect) - LV4 - (2200/100)

"And I'll also activate another Spell card! Tribute Doll!"

"Not again!" cried out Syrus, fearing for the worst.

"Yes, again! And again! I will use it to sacrifice Gurai and summon yet another Level 7 Monster, Suijin!"

This time, a monstrous water Monster appeared with a strange, Chinese symbol on its forehead. It seemed as fearful as the other Monsters on the Paradox Brothers' field.

Suijin - (WATER/Aqua) - LV7 - (2500/2400)

Syrus gasped while Jaden awed at the sight of the third Monster. Even Chumley, Bastion, and Alexis were starting to get worried while a certain few Obelisk Blues were enjoying the duel. Two powerful Level 7 Monsters plus a Level 4 Monster on the opponent's side? That was going to be a tough order for both Syrus and Jaden.

"And, I am not done yet!" said Para before turning to his young brother. "Mind if I borrow a Monster, brother?"

"Please, that's why he's there!" agreed Dox without hesitation.

"I sacrifice Kaiser Sea Horse!"

"In case you did not know, if you are summoning a LIGHT Attribute Monster, Kaiser Sea Horse's sacrifice counts as two instead of one," revealed Dox. "Which means, on my side of the field, my brother will now able to summon Sanga of the Thunder!"

Bolts of lightning crackled before a Monster crashed down onto the field like thunder normally would.

Sanga of the Thunder - (LIGHT/Thunder) - LV7 - (2600/2200)

"What a combination...Truly, they deserve to be very respectful duelists!" gaped Bastion.

"Wait...it's not over yet," said Alexis, worried.

"Three Monsters on our side, what would be better?" wondered Para.

"I know what, brother! When they come together!" said Dox.

Para nodded before loudly proclaiming, "Prepare yourselves! I sacrifice Suijin, Kazejin, and Sanga of the Thunder so that I can summon the ultimate Monster! Gate Guardian!"

The Chinese symbols on all three powerful Monsters shined brightly before they all vanished, forming together into a much bigger, stronger, Monster which consisted of all three Monsters on top of one another like a fortress.

Gate Guardian - (DARK/Warrior) - LV11 - (3750/3400)

"Gate Guardian?!" gasped Syrus, his eyes widen at the size of the Monster.

"He's big!" commented Jaden.

"Just wait until you see his attack!" shouted Para. "Go! Destroy Steam Gyroid! Tidal Surge Attack!"

Lightning crackled in the front of Gate Guardian before a geyser of water shot out, combining the lightning with the water to create an electrical current of water. The blast hit Steam Gyroid head on and even splashed on Syrus. Even though the blast wouldn't affect Syrus, he screamed when the holographic blast hit him.

 **Jaden and Syrus - 6450 LP**

 **Paradox Brothers - 8000 LP**

"I know it hurts!"

"And the bad news is, it only gets worst!"

"As expected, they are good. No flaws whatsoever in their Tag Team dueling," mumbled Bastion.

Alexis nodded. "Yeah, and since they've practiced a lot, they're in total sync together! Jaden and Syrus are good, but can they stand up against the Gate Guardian?"

Syrus was shaking, not only out of fear, but also due to the after effects of the shockwave that was blasted upon him, even if it didn't do any harm to his body. His body was tingly, but other than that, his physical body should be alright.

 _'T-they are good...'_ he thought. _'My Fusion Monster was beaten so easily...Can we really beat them?'_

Crowler quietly snickered to himself as the favors of the Tag Duel were easily going to the Paradox Brothers, who were masters of Tag Dueling. _'This plan of mine is working perfectly!'_ he thought. _'As long as Syrus is Jaden's partner, they're both going to lose! Yes...Poor little Syrus! He would be the weakest link in a plate of sausages! ...Wait, what?'_

Syrus sighed, glancing at Jaden with the corner of his eye. _'Ugh! I'm only going to make things worse for Jaden! I wonder how she's holding up?'_

"Squeeeee! Oh my God! That is one wicked Monster!" squealed Jaden so loudly, it nearly broke half of the students' ears. "And to think, this Monster's fought with the King of Games himself! Isn't this so cool, Sy?!"

"H-huh? I...guess...?"

"If you think that's cool, then just wait! I will end my turn with a facedown card!" said Para, confident that nobody would defeat his and his brother's best Monster, especially the opponents they were up against.

"Alright, here goes!" Jaden drew her card, then grinned. "It's here! Polymerization!"

"Jaden! You can't just blurt out every card you draw!" complained Syrus, panicking.

"Don't sweat, Sy! I was planning on using this card anyways! But first, I activate my cute White Magician Pikeru's special ability! During my Standby Phase, my Life Points increase by 400 for each Monster on my side of the field! Since my Pikeru's the only one on the field, mine and Syrus's Life Points increase by 400!"

Pikeru turned around and started to wave her staff over and over, though it was proving a bit difficult to maintain due to concentration of magic and the heavy weight of her staff. Just seeing her trying made not only Jaden, but most of the female population of the students awe and squeal at the cute sight. Pikeru's white magic appeared in the form of small stars which sprinkled onto Jaden and Syrus, slowly working its magic.

 **Jaden and Syrus - 6850 LP**

 **Paradox Brothers - 8000 LP**

"Not only is Jaden's Monster extremely cute, but she's also useful in restoring some of Jaden and Syrus's Life Points!" complimented Alexis, still staring at the Monster. "I am so getting that Monster when I get the chance!"

Bastion coughed; a faint, pink blush in his cheeks as he looked away, trying hard not to show his blush. "Y-yes, quite."

"I switch Pikeru into Defense Mode! Now, I use Polymerization and fuse together the Clayman and Burstinatrix from my hand! Come on out, Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster!"

After the two Elemental Heroes merged together, a sort of heavily armored soldier-like Monster appeared, wielding a plated shield in one hand, and the other a sort of rocket blaster weapon. Clearly, this Monster was meant for defensive purposes, firing at far-ranged as she stood by in Defense Mode.

Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2000/2500)

"She's strong alright, but she'll be completely wiped out next turn!" reminded Syrus. "She's no match against Gate Guardian in combat terms!"

"Right, but we don't _have_ to attack Gate Guardian. At least, not yet," said Jaden, perfectly calm. "See, when she's in Defense Mode, she can attack the two Paradox Brothers directly!"

"What?! Our Life Points!" cried out both the Paradox Brother, obviously not expecting the defensive Monster's special ability.

"Now! Ready...Aim...Rampart Barrage!"

Though unseen by others, Rampart Blaster closed one eye to focus her accuracy on two of her targets. Once she had a clear shot, she fired two small missiles, one for each of the Paradox Brothers.

"Oh yeah! And, you'll only get hit with only half of her Attack Points, so lucky you!"

 **Jaden and Syrus - 6850 LP**

 **Paradox Brothers - 7000 LP**

"Wow! Way to play, Jay!" cheered Syrus, gaining some of his confidence back.

"Of course! Oh, and I end my turn!"

Syrus prepared himself mentally for the next turn, looking serious. With the combination of Jaden's two Monsters, they could win for sure! However, he couldn't tell which Monster the Paradox Brothers will be targeting next. If they destroy Rampart Blaster, they could use Pikeru's healing support to gain some more Life Points. But if Pikeru's destroyed, then they can always rely on Rampart's Blaster's direct attack ability.

"It's my draw now!" said Dox. "I'm activating the Equip Spell card, Fairy Meteor Crush! And I'm equipping it to the Gate Guardian! Now, when the Guardian attacks a Monster in Defense Mode, the difference between his Attack Points and another Monster's Defense Points are dealted straight through your Life Points!"

"Not so fast! I won't let that happen! You're forgetting that I have a facedown card!" shouted Syrus, determined to aid his partner. "I'm activating Mystical Space Typhoon! It destroys one Spell or Trap card! And I'm gonna use it on the one you juse played! Fairy Meteor Crush!"

Once the card revealed itself, a tornado whirled around and aimed straight towards Gate Guardian, trying to blow away the Equip Spell card that was just equipped upon.

However, Para decided to stop the tornado in its tracks. "Right into my Trap! I activate Judgment of Anubis! Foolish boy! This lets me stop your little Spell simply by discarding one card! Observe!"

The strong almighty tornado from before was reduced to a simple small gust of wind which hardly affected the Gate Guardian in any way.

"But wait! That's not all it does! Anubis also destroys one of your creatures!"

"And it's Attack Points are dealted straight back to you!" added in Dox. "Did you like its special feature?"

At that moment, Rampart Blaster shrieked before being blasted away from the effect, and the winds from the holograms forced both Jaden and Syrus to cover their faces with their arms as they both took damage.

 **Jaden and Syrus - 4850 LP**

 **Paradox Brothers - 7000 LP**

"I will summon Defense Wall in Defense and end my turn!" said Dox. "As long as Defense Wall is on the field in Defense Mode, all the Monsters you have can only attack him!"

Looking like the part of his name, a wall-like Monster kneeled down and protected himself with his own arms and hard body.

Defense Wall - (EARTH/Rock) - LV4 - (0/2100)

"It's your turn. What are you waiting for?" asked Dox, smirking like his brother.

"A high Level Monster with the strongest Attack, and a high defensive Monster..." muttered Bastion, trying to think about calculations. "Clearly, they've left no gaps in their strategy!"

"I know. Let's just hope Syrus and Jaden can make it out of this one yet," said Alexis, silently praying.

"M-my draw...I-I mean turn! D-draw..." Syrus's legs were shaking again, and his tone was a slight tremble. "I-I'll just place Cycroid in Defense Mode and end my turn..."

A bicycle-like Monster showed up, eyes glaring at his two Monster opponents.

Cycroid - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (800/1000)

Noticing Jaden's glance at him, Syrus bit his lip and looked down as sweat trailed down his forehead. _'I knew it! I am a terrible partner! I knew that summoning Cycroid was a bad call, but it was the best defense I had at the moment!'_

"Ha! What a weak Monster!" laughed Para, drawing a card. "Gate Guardian! Tidal Surge Attack on White Magician Pikeru!"

"No! Not my cutie!" cried out Jaden, looking at her Spellcaster Monster, who was panicking like she was. "I activate Damage Diet! I can't stop Pikeru's destruction, but I can reduce any Battle Damage in half!"

"But you'll still take some damage due to Fairy Meteor Crush!" reminded Para.

The electrifying wave engulfed Pikeru, causing her to cry out as she was being washed away before scattering into many pieces. Many of Pikeru's newfound fangirls started crying out of despair for Pikeru; complaints filling the entire Duel Arena.

 **Jaden and Syrus - 2975 LP**

 **Paradox Brothers - 7000 LP**

"Your Life Points are falling!" spoke Para, posing.

"Your gameplay's are falling!" said Dox, also posing.

"There is nothing to do but give up and start bawling!" both finished before laughing together arrogantly.

"Uh...Um..." Syrus tried to think of anything in his deck, hand, or Graveyard that could help them now. Jaden was, shockingly, silent for once; her bangs hiding her eyes, making it unknown if she was mad or had just given up.

Bastion shook his head. "...It's over, huh? From the moment this duel started, Syrus and Jaden were already at a disadvantage..."

Though Alexis hated to admit it, she knew Bastion was right. "Yeah...In a Tag Duel, not only does a duelist and their partner have to be skilled, but the power of their combination also is effective as well. Even though Jaden and Syrus were pretty good making it this far, but...this really is it for them."

Chumley gripped the metal railings so tightly, he didn't notice his knuckles turning white, nor did he care about the pain. _'Jaden...Sy...You gotta hang on some more! Just keep it going!'_

Chazz was practically pleased when he saw how awful Jaden and Syrus's Tag Dueling was. He barely paid any attention to anything but the duel, as evident from his wicked grin. _'Heh! Those Slifer slackers are finally getting what they deserve! I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they lose! Especially Jaden! He's been giving me nothing but trouble ever since he arrived!'_

"Ooooh! I'm definitely a genius!" snickered Crowler, talking to himself. "The Paradox Brothers aren't showing any mercy to these twerps, Jaden has Syrus as the worst Tag Duel partner ever, and the best part; if they lose, they get expelled! Hahahahahaha!"

A few students nearby sweatdropped when they heard him proclaiming loudly. _'We can hear you, you know. How Crowler became our teacher is still a mystery.'_

"Enjoying yourself a bit too much there, Crowler?" called out Sheppard with a smile. "Then again, you shouldn't underestimate our students. After all, you never know the outcome of a duel until it's over!"

"Y-yes! I know that, Chancellor!" agreed Crowler, trying not to afford to get in any trouble. "But, wouldn't it be better to clal off the duel and expel them right here and now? That way, they might still have more time to pack up!"

"Nope! No disqualifications! Besides, it seems Jaden's just getting started!"

Jaden raised her head, though instead of any anger or fear in her eyes, they were eyes of a true duelist's determination. That, and the fact that that she couldn't stop grinning adds to her being happy.

"Well, well! The Slifer Red forges ahead, when a smart duelist..." said Para.

"Would have fled!" said Dox.

"No way! I never give up on a duel!" replied Jaden. "Especially as something as good as this! Me and Sy are gonna win this!"

The Paradox Brother laughed at the mere wills of the two Slifer Red students. "While you may be good..."

"Your partner is as good as wood!"

"He will be your downfall!"

"How you two will win, it will be doubtful!"

Syrus whimpered, covering his ears and wanting the insults to go away, even if they were in rhymes. With him, there's no way he and Jaden will win! It was all over!

"Hey!" snapped Jaden loudly. "I don't know about any of your accomplishments or how strong your Tag Dueling is, but don't you _dare_ insult and look down on Syrus like that!"

A gasp escaped from Syrus as he looked up and saw Jaden quite furious at the Paradox Brothers. He knew that if he tried to say anything to Jaden right now, it would immediantly be dismissed. And...was it just him, or was that a golden flicker in her eyes for a second?

"He's just trying his best in this duel, yet all you guys keep doing is making up stupid rhymes that get in everyone's nerves and insult one of my best friends! In a duel, you're supposed to be respecting your opponent, no matter who they are! You're not respectful duelists! You're just bullies picking on someone that seems weak to you!"

The crowd went silent for a moment, taking in Jaden's words carefully before responding to her statements with cries of their own. However, these were not cries against Jaden.

"Yeah! You tell them!"

"Down with Crowler!"

"Go Jaden and Syrus!"

"You can do this!"

"Go, Team Slifer Red!"

 _'W-what's this?! The audience, even some of my Obelisk Blue students, are cheering for the Slifer slackers?! This, I cannot accept!'_ thought Crowler with frustration as he bit down on his handkerchief.

"And besides," continued Jaden, taking pleasure in the surprised looks of the Paradox Brothers before pointing to the large Gate Guardian. "Syrus will be the one taking down that Guardian!"

"M-me? But how?" wondered Syrus.

"You'll see! My move!" Jaden drew a card and loudly proclaimed, "I summon Elemental Hero Sparkman in Attack Mode!"

The Hero of LIGHT from the Elemental Heroes team arrived in a bold position, ready to heed any of his owner's commands.

Elemental Hero Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1400)

"Next, I equip him with Spark Blaster! Now, when his blast fires, I can change the battle mode of one of your Monsters! I choose both of your Monsters! Sparky, blast them!"

Underneath his helmet, Sparkman felt a blush forming across his face. Great, so Jaden still kept his nickname ever since she was a kid. No matter, he had a job to do. He fired two shots of electrifying blasts at Gate Guardian and Defense Wall, switching the Guardian to defense, and the Defense Wall to offense.

"Wait, I understand why Jaden ordered the shot to be on Defense Wall, but why Gate Guardian? That's Monster's going back to Attack Mode anyways," said Bastion, confused.

"You must be a fool!" said Para, who was just as confused as his brother. "When Gate Guardian's in Defense, he never tires! Your situation's just as dire!"

"And though, I hate to fuel the fire, with Defense Wall in play, you have yet to retire!" reminded Dox.

"I'm not done yet! Sparkman! Attack Defense Wall!" commanded Jaden.

Sparkman sprung to the air and from his palm, shot a blast of lightning at Defense Wall, easily taking the crippled wall Monster and breaking it down.

 **Jaden and Syrus - 2975 LP**

 **Paradox Brothers - 5400 LP**

"Now, I set a card facedown and end!~"

"Fine then. My draw!" said Dox, looking at his card. "I'll just place one card facedown. No more, no less! Brother, you do the rest!"

Para nodded. "Excellent decision! I think it's for the best! For in my next turn, I'll be sure to win this contest!"

Syrus knew it was time for him to draw, but he didn't have the courage to do it. Any card he draws now will be useless, so what was the point? Even if he drew a Monster and placed it in Defense Wall, the Gate Guardian will only dealt piercing damage due to Fairy Meteor Crush. Right now, it was going to take a miracle to get back up.

Jaden noticed Syrus wasn't drawing and was lost in thought. "Hey, Sy! Hello! It's your turn!"

Syrus shook his head. "Jay...You heard them. They're gonna take us out next turn, so what's the point? Besides, why did you choose me, out of all people, to be your partner? I was only dragging you down from the start."

"Sy! It's okay! Just one draw! I'm sure with your next draw, you can turn the tides!" assured Jaden. "Besides, remember the last time you and I dueled?"

* * *

 _Flashback..._

 _"Winged Kuriboh! Attack Syrus directly!"_

 _With no Monsters on Syrus's side of the field, Winged Kuriboh flew over to Syrus and lightly bonked him on the head, which reduced his Life Points to 0._

 ** _Jaden - 2900 LP_**

 ** _Syrus - 0 LP_**

 ** _Winner: Jaden_**

 _"Aww man! I lost!" complained Syrus, falling to his knees._

 _"Yay! Yay! Yay!" Jaden was happily jumping up and down while holding the spiritual form of Winged Kuriboh, who was also satisfied with his small victory as well._

* * *

"..." Syrus simply glared at Jaden at the somewhat horrible memory.

Jaden noticed his glare and nervously laughed. "Uh...Okay, that was a bad example. But, remember that time when you had that really good draw?"

* * *

 _Another flashback..._

 _"Gotcha! I activate Bottomless Trap Hole!" cheered Jaden as she and Syrus were playing regular Duel Monsters on the floor of their dorm room._

 _"No! Not that card! Anything but that!" complained Syrus. "But, if that Monster's removed from play, I get to draw one card! Ooh! I summon this Monster and attack your Life Points directly!"_

 _"No way! I activate a Trap! Mirror Force!"_

 _"Oh no! My Monster's destroyed!"_

* * *

"Oh yeah...But that just a lucky shot!" said Syrus.

"No way! You totally deserved that win back there! And we're definitely going to win! But you need to trust your deck more! Just draw a card, and that will decide everything!" said Jaden.

Syrus turned his head and blinked away some small tears. _'I know...But I pledged to myself before that I wouldn't run away! But, she said I would be the one destroying Gate Guardian...But how?'_

Realizing an important fact he had forgotten, Syrus glanced at his deck. He vaguely remembered the first and last time he dueled Jaden, and he learned how persistent she can really be at times.

* * *

 _Flashback..._

 _Back in their dorm room, Syrus was dueling off against Chumley on the ground. After Chumley set a card, it was Syrus's turn to draw. Jaden was sitting by, not participating in the duel whatsoever._

 _Eyeing at Syrus's hand, Jaden's eyes went wide. "Whoa! Cool card! This can really help boost my combos! So, can we trade?"_

 _"Eh?! No! I wanna use this card to help my combos too!"_

 _"Please?"_

 _"No."_

 _"Please?"_

 _"No!"_

 _"Please?"_

 _"No!"_ _  
_

 _"B-but Sy...!"_

 _Syrus's jaw dropped when he saw what Jaden was doing. Oh no...Those quivering lips! Those puffed up cheeks! And...and those huge eyes that almost seem like they were about to cry._

 _It was Jaden's puppy dog eye technique, and once again, it was working effectively._

 _If Jaden kept up with her antics, Syrus was afraid that he'll be sent to the infirmary due to a nosebleed and overheating from his already blood red face. He quickly took his deck and got a random card out. "A-ah...Here! Borrow this card! Sorry, Chumley! I forfeit! Bye!"_

 _Syrus took a box of tissues with him and ran out of the door, leaving Jaden and Chumley all alone._

 _"How come Syrus left like that? I hope he's okay," said Jaden, showing worry all over her face._

 _Chumley sweatdropped. 'Jaden, you have no idea how much of an effect you have on Syrus.'_

* * *

 _'That's it! That one card is the only chance we have!'_ thought Syrus, placing his fingers on the top card on his deck. _'Please let it be there! PLEASE! I...I want to spend more time with Jaden and the others! Especially Jaden! I want to be good at dueling and...and confess my crush for her!'_

"My turn! Draw!" Seeing the card as the right one he needed, Syrus's eyes lit up before looking at Jaden. "Jay!"

Knowing what that meant, Jaden threw a fist pump in the air. "Whoo! Yeah! Go get them, Syrus! Show them what you're made of!"

Syrus nodded. "Alright! I summon Drilloid in Attack Mode!"

Erupting from the ground, a drilling-sort of Monster showed up, all aggressive and angry looking.

Drillroid - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1600/1600)

"And now, I activate the Spell card, Shield Crush! And just like the name says, it destroys one Monster in Defense! Like...that Gate Guardian!"

After his declaration, the card shot a large beam of green light at the defensive tower Monster. Not even its highest defense could protect the Gate Guardian from being overwhelmed by the power of the Spell card.

"Gate Guardian is cooked!" cried out Para, shocked.

"I can hardly look!" agreed Dox, also shocked.

"Obviously, any Monster can be destroyed, given the circumstances!" said Jaden, grinning. "Nice, Sy! We're back in the game thanks to you!"

The audience cheered loudly, impressed that the two Slifer Reds managed to defeat a powerful beast such as the Gate Guardian. Their cheers echoed throughout the hallways and left even Crowler stunned.

"I can't believe it! This was supposed to be punishment for the two of them!" exclaimed Crowler, his hands shaking from anger. "Chancellor, please tell me you're watching this!"

"Yes, well done, Crowler!" called out Sheppard, waving his hand. "The duel you set up has improved teamwork and fortitude! Fine job!"

Even after all that's happened, Alexis and Bastion were still stunned, especially when Syrus was the one who defeasted Gate Guardian. Sure, they had expected Jaden to finish off the Monster, but Syrus? Boy, was that a turn of events!

"I still can't believe Syrus, out of all people, was able to destroy Gate Guardian!" gasped Bastion.

"Yeah, but you know what amazes me even more than taking down that Gate Guardian?" questioned Alexis, bringing up Bastion's attention. "The teamwork that they used to do it with! That's what it's going to take to win this!"

"Yeah...Let's just hope nothing bad happens from here on."

"Alright, I'll just set a card facedown!" said Syrus. "Drillroid! Attack!"

Drillroid dug downwards, then soon emerged and delivered both the Paradox Brothers some heavy blows with his piercing drill horn.

 **Jaden and Syrus - 2975 LP**

 **Paradox Brothers - 3800 LP**

"Now, I'll end my turn!" Syrus looked at Jaden and smiled. "Thanks for the pep talk, Jay."

"Hey, no need to thank me! You're the one who finished that Monster up! I oughta be thanking you!"

"Sure!"

"Mind if we join in the praise, you two?" asked Para, still agitated about the fact that his and his brother's ace Monster was destroyed.

"For destroying that Monster, we should really..."

"Thank you!"

"Huh?" Syrus wondered what other tricks they had up their sleeves. They had no more Monsters in their field, and Gate Guardian is only one of its kind, so they couldn't possibly have a second Gate Guardian in their decks.

"They say that what makes you weak, makes you stronger!" started Para, drawing his card to start his turn. "After all, we haven't been destroyed and we're about to become more powerful than ever! Dark Element! This Spell card can activate whenever Gate Guardian is in the Graveyard! Now, by paying half our Life Points, we can summon a Monster that can't be beaten in battle! Dark Guardian!"

 **Jaden and Syrus - 2975 LP**

 **Paradox Brothers - 1900 LP**

A dark vortex formed from beneath the ground, and crawling out of it was a strong-looking warrior with dark armor and a malicious aura so horrible, anyone could tell that it was a Monster not to be reckoned with.

Dark Guardian - (DARK/Warrior) - LV12 - (3800/3800)

"Invincible in battle and has 3800 Attack Points?!" cried out Bastion.

"This is bad!" shouted Syrus, wide-eyed.

"Now, Guardian! Attack Drillroid Axe Slash Bash!" ordered Para.

Standing firmly in front of Drilloid and Syrus, the giant new Guardian raised his axe weapon above his weapon, ready to swing down and end this duel.

"This isn't good! If this attack actually succeeds, Jaden and Syrus will be in trouble!" gasped Bastion, standing up from his seat. Every single persons' hearts were filled with either worry or excitement, wondering if there was actually a chance that Jaden and Syrus could survive.

"Farewell!" said Para gleefully as the Dark Guardian swung a powerful shockwave that was heading towards Syrus's direction.

"Not yet! I play my Trap, Hero Barrier!" yelled Jaden right on the nick of time. "As long as I have an Elemental Hero on my side of the field, this card helps negate one of your attacks!"

Syrus braced for himself as he withstand the strong winds coming from the shockwave. The shockwave had collided with the barrier shielding both him and Drilloid, so his team's Life Points were safe, for now. In fact, the barrier was so impenetrable, that the shockwave took out the rest of its power by summoning winds and crackling lightning around, startling the audience.

"An impressive Trap card!" admitted Para.

"I never thought they'd play so hard!" said Dox.

"I know. Oh well. At least our precious Dark Guardian..."

"Has kept up his guard!"

"Quite right, brother! He won't be blasted to shards!"

"He'll finish them off next turn!"

"And this duel will be ours!" both finished in unison.

Syrus fell to his knees, still taken aback about the whole unexpected turn of events the Paradox Brothers had provided. He never expected them to have another ace Monster up their sleeves! And it was all his fault since he destroyed Gate Guardian.

Crowler's shocked expression changed into an overjoyed one. "Hehehehe! Here it comes! The moment I've been waiting for! Finally...! Finally, those two twerps will be expelled!"

"Hey, Syrus! Stand up! We're not done!" called out Jaden, catching her best friend's attention. "We're not gonna give up! Especially since we managed to defeat Gate Guardian!"

Still a bit discouraged, Syrus managed to muster up the courage to stand up and face the odds, though he was still a bit frightened.

"It looks like the boy still wants to persist," Para told Dox.

"Really? I thought, surely for mercy, he would plead."

"No, he would know smart and know to concede."

"Now, it's my turn!" said Jaden, starting her turn with a draw before presenting her drawn card. "I activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw two cards! Next, I play the Field Spell card, Fusion Gate! With this card, I don't need Polymerization! Both players can Fusion Summon whatever Fusion-Material Monsters are in their hands or field! I choose my Avian, Bubbleman, and my Sparkman to create...Elemental Hero Tempest!"

Born from the combined powers of WIND, WATER, and LIGHT, the three Heroes merged together in a hurricane-like spiral sphere before it burst. Coming out came a man with a strong will and a passionate heart, armed and prepared to fight with the three combination powers of his allies.

Elemental Hero Tempest - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2800)

"He may be strong, but he doesn't have enough power to defeat Dark Guardian!" said Bastion.

"Jaden...What are you planning to do?" wondered Alexis.

"An impressive Monster! But it is useless!" reminded Para.

"Have you forgotten about Dark Guardian?" said Dox."He's still deployed! And since in battle, he can't be destroyed!"

"Their beast is null and void!"

"Then check this out! SKYSCAPER!" Jaden hollered at the top of her lungs, presenting the magic of a new Field Spell, Skyscraper.

The dueling field suddenly went dark from the night skies as buildings popped up from beneath the ground, surrounding the four duelists. They were in a city-like battlefield, which is specifically an Elemental Hero's home base advantage field.

"And now, this Field Spell increases my Tempest's attack by 1000 because he's weaker than your Dark Guardian!"

Elemental HERO Tempest - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (3800/2800)

"Now, Tempest! Attack with Surging Aerial Slash!"

Tempest spreaded his wings wider, filled with power from the Skyscraper effect, before swooping down and delivering a punch at Dark Guardian. Dark Guardian roared in pain, but wasn't defeated, due to the fact that both of them had the same Attack Points. The blow actually produced so much power, heavy winds exploded from the punch, producing a storm-like situation going on with the duelists.

"Didn't I tell you? In battle, he can't be beat!" reminded Para. "Your Elemental Hero Tempest has been wasted! So just accept..."

"Your defeat!"

"Sy! Can I use your facedown card?!" shouted Jaden, trying to get to her partner through the winds.

"S-sure!"

"I use Tempest's special ability! So long as I send a card to the Graveyard, Tempest isn't destroyed!" Having said that, Jaden used Syrus's facedown card to protect Tempest, who had flown away from Dark Guardian for safe distance.

"Nice job wasting your attack there, dork," taunted Chazz.

Bastion and Alexis looked at each other before they paid attention back to the duel. What was that? Why did Jaden do that? There was no point in attacking if Dark Guardian wasn't going to be destroyed.

Zane seemed to be the only one who perfectly understood Jaden's intent. "I see...Not bad of a message...But will Syrus understand it?"

Syrus glanced at his partner, confused. "Um...Jaden? Why did-"

"Hey, Sy! You paid attention, right?" Jaden gave a cheeky grin at her partner after she saw him giving a nod to her. "Okay! I end my turn now!"

"It ends here!" Dox quickly drew his card, not bothering to look at it. "I activate my Trap, One-on-One Fight! Though, I know you'd perfer to run and hide, this card forces both our strongest Monsters to battle! So, I hope your Elemental Hero Tempest is up for a rematch!"

Jaden gritted her teeth as Dark Guardian engaged in battle with her Fusion Monster. She definitely wasn't up for another rematch with the heavy hitter, and she needed to protect her Monster, so he options were very limited.

"But why? It'll be a tie again! What's the point of attacking?" asked Syrus.

"I know why," said Alexis. "Jaden doesn't have any cards on his field that he can send to the Graveyard to activate Tempest's special ability!"

"If this barrage continues, Jaden won't have anymore cards left!" pointed out Bastion.

"Gh! You leave me no choice!" said Jaden. "Guess I gotta get rid of Skyscraper!"

Syrus watched as the buildings around them vanished into thin air. Without Skyscraper, Tempest won't get a power boost! On the other hand, he won't be destroyed thanks to his special ability! But he's weaker than Dark Guardian now!

"So you saved your Monster!" roared Dox. "But battle calculations will still run through!"

 **Jaden and Syrus - 1975 LP**

 **Paradox Brothers - 1900 LP**

Syrus and Jaden cried out together as they tried to brace themselves from the winds that came from Dark Guardian's all-mighty slash attack. The winds were so overwhelming that it knocked both Slifer Reds off the ground and nearly off the dueling platform.

 _ **"Jaden!"**_ Tempest glanced over his shoulder, concern for the girl. At least she seemed okay, but he needed some backup assistance fast!

"That's all for me!" decided Dox, ending his turn.

"And next turn, I give you my guarantee!" said Para.

"This duel will be ours, just wait and see!"

"Jaden! Here, take my hand!" Syrus was the first to stand up as well as the first to offer a hand. Jaden smiled and gratefully accepted it, allowing Syrus to pick her up from the ground.

"Alright, Sy! Thanks! Oh, and keep what happened in mind!" said Jaden, winking at him to give him a hint.

"H-huh? O-okay!" Syrus blushed from the wink, thinking that she was somewhat flirting with him when that wasn't her intention at all. _'Jay's trying to tell me something...but...Oh! Is it...?'_

"Got it, Sy?"

"Um...I think?"

Syrus placed his fingers on his deck, preparing himself to draw a card. _'Play...That goes back to what my brother was saying! About the difference of knowing how to use a card,and knowing how to play it! But do I truly know the difference?'_

Glaring up, Syrus saw Zane glaring back at the duel, expecting him to do what needs to be done. Syrus then recalled that he did asked Zane one thing before wanting to enter Duel Academy...

* * *

 _Flashback..._

 _"Hey, Zane? What's the difference between knowing how to play a card, and knowing how to use one? Aren't they the same?" asked Syrus a bit timidly._

 _"...That's something that can never be taught. Only learned," answered Zane, both calmly and wisely. "It takes a moment of pure clarity when you see dueling on a different level. The higher levels, all the angles, all the moves. You won't think; just act."_

 _Having said that, Zane took his leave._

* * *

 _'If so...then...I want that card to appear! Right here and now!'_ thought Syrus. "My turn! Draw!"

Syrus had never had such a happier expression in his face right now than ever. The card he had drawn...was the same card he had respected and discarded long before. Power Bond.

"First off, I sacrifice Drillroid to summon UFOroid!"

A minature UFO Monster floated up on the air, ready to win against his enemies.

UFOroid - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV6 - (1200/1200)

"So cute!~" squealed Jaden. "Syrus, after this duel's over, wanna trade with me that UFOroid?!"

"Uh...Maybe later! For now, I activate POWER BOND! It's a Fusion card, and I have the two Monsters to fuse!" Syrus turned to Jaden with such a determined look. "Jaden! Let's do this!"

"Gotcha, partner!"

"Okay! I merge together UFOroid and Tempest to create...UFOroid Fighter!"

With a quick fusion from the Power Bond card, UFOroid transformed into a portable flying saucer for Tempest to use and take flight onto the field.

UFOroid Fighter - (LIGHT/Machine/Fusion) - LV10 - (?/?)

"Also, his Attack Points are the total Attack of the two Fusion-Material Monsters!"

UFOroid Fighter - (LIGHT/Machine/Fusion) - LV10 - (4000/?)

"It matters not!" said Para, unimpressed. "So, stop your ceaseless prattle!"

"You know Dark Guardian can't be destroyed in battle!" Dox said.

Syrus smirked with confidence. "That may be true, but Power Bond has another effect! It can help double my UFOroid Fighter's Attack Points!"

UFOroid Fighter - (LIGHT/Machine/Fusion) - LV10 - (8000/?)

"8000?!"

"Yeah! It was all thanks to Jaden that I finally realized what to do!" explained Syrus, giving his partner praise. "That's why she attack Tempest with Dark Guardian, knowing that it wouldn't have any effect! Even if a Monster can't be destroyed, the damage can still pass through! Go, UFOroid Fighter! Cosmic Echo Wave!"

Tempest fired his gauntlet launcher, releasing an enormous surge of power towards Dark Guardian, blasting a hole through his chest which managed to hit both the Paradox Brothers.

 **Jaden and Syrus - 1975 LP**

 **Paradox Brothers - 0 LP**

 **Winners: Jaden and Syrus**

Once the attack deducted the rest of their Life Points, the Paradox Brothers collapsed to their knees in shame as the rest of the cards during the duel disappeared.

The entire room was silent...until someone started clapping. Afterwards, it didn't take long for the entire audience to start cheering loudly and applauding for the two young winners; Syrus and Jaden.

"Yes! They won! They did it!" sighed Bastion in relief before laying against his chair.

"I'm just happy that Jaden gets to stay here!" revealed Alexis.

"Oh? Don't you mean Jaden and Syrus?"

"W-well, yes! Syrus too! Of course! I just said Jaden because I...Uh...Never mind!"

Chazz hissed in annoyance. _'Damnit!'_ thought the Obelisk Blue. _'Not even pros like them could defeat two shirmps like them?! Tch, what a waste of effort!'_ He stood up and started to leave with his so-called friends following after him.

"It can't be! T-T-they actually won?! A-against legends like them?! HOW?!" Crowler stumbled back and fell on his bottom, still shocked as Banner, carrying Pharaoh, went up to him.

"Well, because of your superior teaching, of course!" said Banner before Pharaoh licked Crowler's cheek.

"EEEK! A CAT! I HATE CATS! DOES IT HAVE RABIES?! CALL THE POUND! IEEEEK!"

Jaden turned to Syrus, petting him on the head. "Yay! We did it, Sy! All thanks to you!"

"I-I did...? I mean...I..." Syrus started sniffling before bursting into tears of happiness. He was so happy, he rushed towards Jaden, hugging her around the waist and burying his face into her chest, crying uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, around the crowd somewhere, a group of girls squealed at the lovely sight, making a mental note to propose a Yaoi fanclub later.

"So, we won! That means we get to stay, right?" asked Jaden, turning to Sheppard.

The Chancellor nodded as Crowler hid behind him, terrified of the feline named Pharoah. "Yes. As of now, you will no longer be expelled."

"Alright! Oh! I almost forgot!" Jaden winked and pointed her signature victory finger sign at the Paradox Brothers. "Great duel, you guys! If you ever want a rematch, just holler!~"

"Excellent words, Jaden!" praised Sheppard. "In fact, if you have that much energy, surely you can do a bit of homework."

"...Eh?"

"You'll be turning in a full report on all sorts of dueling strategies and what you learned from dueling the Paradox Brothers. Oh, and put in how trespassing in the Abandoned Dorm was wrong!"

"Don't worry, Chancellor!" assured Banner as Sheppard started to leave. "I'll make sure they'll get it done!"

Syrus took out his Power Bond card from his deck, then glared up at Zane, who was staring him back.

 _'I want to say that I impressed you Zane. That I know how to play this card more effectively now, that I've gain a lot of experience from this. But...I know I'm not up to your level yet, so I'll grow stronger and stronger!'_

Zane, though barely unnoticeable, gave a small smile before walking off.

"Hey, Sy! I heard girls show this as a sign of appreciation to guys, so let me give it to ya!~" Jaden went over to the blue-haired boy and lightly pecked him on the cheek before pulling away with a grin on her face.

Three things occured right after that moment. The squealing of the newborn Yaoi fanclub girls, the shocked expressions on everyone's faces, and the screeching of Crowler right before he fainted.

"J-J-J-Jaden?! Why did you do that?!" exclaimed Syrus, touching the spot where she had kissed him. He was sure his face was red now; he didn't even need to look at a mirror to find out.

Jaden tilted her head, oblivious. "Hmm? What's wrong? I...I thought that you would like that if I did that."

"N-NO! I mean, kinda! I-I..."

At that moment, Syrus fainted and fell right into Jaden's arms.

"H-hey! Sy! What's wrong?!" Jaden panicked and sat right now, allowing her lap to be Syrus's pillow. Syrus was sighing blissfully as the Yaoi fangirls squealed loudly at the scene, even taking a few photos and recording.

Chumley rushed over to the dueling platform, placing a hand on Syrus's forehead before sighing. "It's okay. He just fainted."

"Why?"

"I...I um...I don't know."

Meanwhile, Bastion and Alexis were as shocked as the other students, as shown on their faces.

"...Well...that was quite unexpected...And weird," admitted Bastion. "N-not that I'm against _that_ sort of thing or anything! Of course, I'm not into that, either!"

"O-of course! I'm...happy for them. I just...didn't expect their relationship to be like...that," said Alexis, feeling a bit eerie and heartbroken. Oh well, at least Jaden and Syrus are happy together...in a way.

* * *

 _In the Spirit World..._

 _ **"Thank God that Jaden's staying!"**_ spoke Bubbleman, satisfied with the duel's outcome. A lot of Jaden's Monsters were gathered in a large TV room that they kept in their HQ to watch over Jaden's duels.

 _ **"Hey, hey! Tempest! Tempest! Can you do that whole Fusion UFO thing again?! Can ya? Can ya?! Can ya?!"**_ all the Hero Kids chattered, driving up the Fusion Warrior Monster up the wall.

 _ **"Hey, that was just a one time thing! I can't do that again!"**_

 _ **"Uh-oh...Guys...?"**_ The rest turned to Avian, who was pointing to the TV screen. He took the remote and pressed the reverse button before stopping and playing. The TV showed Jaden clearly kissing Syrus on the cheek before pulling away.

Luckily, Flame Wingman wasn't here. However, judging from the dark aura emitting from Tempest, everyone indicated that was bad news.

 _ **"Um...Tempest? Where are you heading?"**_

 _ **"...To the bathroom."**_

 _ **"Oh, oka-EVERYONE, DOG PILE HIM!"**_

 _ **"Gh-! No choice!"**_

 _ **"He's getting away! Split up!"**_

 _ **"He's heading to the rooftop! I repeat, he is head-Ahh! He shot me!"**_

 _ **"I got his leg!"**_

 _ **"I have his other leg! Don't let go!"**_

 _ **"Unhand me! I have to protect Jaden! It's my duty as an Elemental Hero!"**_

 _ **"Guys! A bit of help here!"**_

 _ **'Got it!"**_

 _ **"Well, at least he's not as violent as Flame Wingman."**_

 _ **"Don't jinx it, Burstinatrix!"**_

* * *

 _Later that day..._

"Sy, I'm gonna buy another pack! You just find us a seat, okay?" called out Jaden, who stood in front of the cashier with a new card pack in her hands.

Syrus nodded and turned away, the thought of the kiss still lingering in his mind. He couldn't believe it! Well, it wasn't really a first kiss since it was just to the cheek, but it was a start!

After Syrus sat down, he started to rip off the small bag containing his cards. Before he could begin to examine what sort of cards he got, he saw Zane walking towards him and straightened up.

"...Syrus."

"Y-yes?" He honestly wanted to hit himself for sounding so nervous.

"...Good job on the Tag Duel today."

"T-thanks!"

"But...I heard a little something of Jaden kissing you in the cheek."

 _'Oh God!'_ thought Syrus, his face flustering. A number of things crossed his mind, making him wonder several things. Is Zane going to avoid him from here on? What is he doing here? Why must fate be so cruel to him?!

"...Jaden's a good kid, and a good duelist, I can tell," began Zane. "I'm sure that Jaden will be a good boyfriend to you. I approve of your relationship."

"...Eh?"

"Well then, I'll be leaving. Enjoy your date with Jaden."

Right as Zane left, Jaden returned with some new card packs, only to discover that Syrus was out cold once more.

"Syrus!"

* * *

 **Finished at long last! Special thanks to Thunder Crush for some ideas here!**

 **So, yeah. I changed some parts during the duel since you all don't want the same thing happening over and over. Also, lots of lines had to be changed, and I tried my best with the Paradox Brothers rhyming, which was stupid in the dub. Look, I appreciate the english dub, and I like it, but the lines were so...cheesy! Especially the part where Crowler says something about Syrus and sausages.**

 **And with that, I am finished for now! Read and review!**


	10. A Formula to Solve

**Hey, batter, batter! Hey, batter, batter, SWING!**

 **Haha! One of my favorite High School Musical songs! Why did I mention this? Oh, you'll see!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"Come on, Jaden!"

"You can do it!"

"Whoo! Goo!"

"Yup! Just leave it all up to me!~" shouted Jaden happily as she prepared herself for the next pitcher. She was currently the batter and next in line to strike some baseballs after her current batter teammate failed.

The members on her team were all cheering her own, especially since she and Syrus proved to be very strong duelists from the Tag Duel event. Right now, it was Gym class, and Miss Fontaine was currently coaching the game, separating the girls and boys in two random teams instead of forming two teams of opposite genders.

In addition, the cheerleader squad was there on the sidelines, practicing for their cheerleading routine. Most of them happened to be members of the Yaoi Fanclub, so they had hidden cameras for any yaoi they could find, especially Jaden and Syrus, since the rumors quickly spread that they might be a couple.

"Hey, waittttt!" Bastion came running into the baseball field in a hurry, breathless as he approached his team. "Sorry, I was busy constructing my deck."

"Can you pitch?" asked one of his teammates.

"Sure!"

"Well, we need a fresh arm."

"Pitcher change! Bastion's pitching!"

Jaden relaxed her shoulders and pointed her baseball bat at Bastion. "You! You finally showed up, Bastion! Don't think I'm gonna hold back even for a sec!"

Bastion stood up straight; fire in his eyes as he prepared to throw. "Oh, don't worry, I know. Trust me, I've done all the calculations. I think it should be you who should be worried about my upcoming assault and-What are you doing?"

"...Hey, batter batter! Hey, batter batter swing! I've got to just do my thing! Hey, batter batter! Hey, batter batter swing!~" Jaden sang, swinging lightly to pump herself up for Bastion's pitching.

Syrus shook his head. "That's the last time I let her watch the sing-along version. I can't believe she even watched that clip 10 times just to memorize the lyrics!"

"Are...are you singing that song from that one movie?" asked Bastion.

"Yup!"

"Why?"

"It encourages me!"

Bastion shrugged, knowing this was another one of Jaden's weird antics. "Alright then, hope you're ready for some FIGHT!" He threw his arm back before swinging it as hard as he could, allowing the ball to fly at a high speed rate.

Jaden swung as hard and fast as she could, but it wasn't enough as the ball slipped past her and landed on the catcher's glove.

"Strike one!"

She tried again, but once again, the results were the same.

"Strike two! ...Strike three!"

"Aw, come on!" Jaden complained, throwing her baseball bat at the ground in frustration. She handed her baseball bat to the next batter and went to sit down on the sidelines.

Once it was Jaden's turn to pitch, she made sure that she walked three batters in a row, confusing the rest of her team. Sensing something was wrong, Syrus and a few others went up to Jaden, wanting to ask something.

"Jaden, what's going on?" Syrus asked. "You got two outs, but you walked the last one for no reason!"

Jaden laughed and rubbed the back of her head. 'Well, I let them walk on purpose."

"Huh? Why?"

"Well, how else would I pitch Bastion?"

"Eh?! Jaden, you let those three people walk just so you could get even with Bastion?!" exclaimed Syrus, surprised.

"Yeah! I wanted to get my payback on Bastion!" declared Jaden, pointing at the currently new batter, which conveniently was Bastion. "Bastion, you hear that?! You're going down this time!"

Bastion merely smirked at her comment, letting Syrus pass so that the blue-haired boy could get into position as the catcher. "Nice declaration, but can you back that up with your actions? I'd like to see you try."

"Game on!" Jaden's eyes were fiery hot with determination, wanting to beat Bastion.

"Bring it on!"

Both players readied themselves; their auras acting as fierce as animals like a tiger and a dragon. Though unclear which, it was indeed clear that both were more than ready to prove who was the best.

With a loud cry, Jaden flung the ball towards her opponent with everything she's got. Bastion expected her throw would be that like a dragon, so he would defend and definitely deflect with the steel strength of a tiger.

Meanwhile, Crowler was walking around the stadium, minding his own business and muttering angrily to himself about his previous failed attempts of getting one certain Slifer Red expelled.

"The Paradox Brothers couldn't beat Jaden, Chazz couldn't beat Jaden, and probably nobody in this school can beat Jaden! I need to find someone who can beat Ja-AAAAAHH!"

The sheer force that Bastion presented by hitting the ball bacl was so intense, it managed to fly out of the baseball area and thrown itself right into Crowler's face. Specifically, his eye.

Jaden and Syrus rushed over to help the person in need, quickly realizing, in their horror, to be Crowler. Syrus turned to Jaden, coming to a stop once they saw Crowler buried under all the sports equipment he had crashed in.

"W-what do we do?! Now we're really in big trouble!"

"Uh...Pretend we didn't see him?"

Unfortunately for them, Crowler scrambled to his feet and spotted the two so-called troublemakers trying to sneak away. "You! Don't you two dare run away!"

"Aaaah! We're sorry! We're sorry! We're sorry! We're sorry!" Syrus kept bowing his head up and down, apologizing repeatedly so they wouldn't get expelled.

"You okay, Professor Crowler?" asked Jaden.

Just then, Bastion came into the scene after running all this time. "I'm sorry! I was the one who hit the ball!"

Crowler was about to do something reckless when he quickly changed his mind. Bastion Misawa was the smartest person in school, with all the straight A's that the pathetic Slifer slackers could never accomplish! Not only that, but he is talented with dueling! Instantly, a new plan formed in his mind as he turned to Bastion.

Jaden and Syrus managed to sneak away while Crowler was talking with Bastion, but hid behind a nearby wall and tried to eavesdrop on the whole conversation. So far, all they managed to get out of was, "Ramble ramble ramble baseball...Ancient Gear Golem...and IN MY EYE!"

Crowler spotted the two nearby and yelled, "Hey! SHOO SHOO SHOO! Go away! Private time!"

"Aah! We're leaving!"

Bastion sweatdropped, feeling a bit bad for both Jaden and Syrus as they left. Crowler turned back to Bastion, explaining to him, "Never mind those two! Slifer slackers...Anyways! I'll overlook this accident under one condition, and that is..."

* * *

 _Later..._

"Hey! Foot rub and ice tea here!" ordered Chazz, relaxing against his seat as he crossed his legs on top of his desk.

One noble Obelisk Blue spoke up with confidence. "Get it yourself."

"Huh? What was that?!" Not liking what he was hearing, Chazz sat up straight, glaring at a small group of Obelisk Blues who started muttering things about him.

"Doesn't he know?"

"Guess not."

"What an idiot."

"Chazz, where do you think you're sitting?" demanded another Obelisk Blue, walking up to him.

"My seat. Obviously."

"That's not your seat anymore, so move."

Chazz was growing rather impatient with his fellow Obelisk Blue members. They were supposed to be respecting him, damnit! Instead, they're treating him like a nobody, like a Slifer reject!

"What are you talking about?! Of course it's my seat! It says so right here and-WHAT?!"

Every person's desk was enlisted with a name tag which only the teacher could place in, and right now, Chazz's name tag was replaced with the Obelisk Blue boy's name; Toma Casher.

"Sorry, Chazz! But you were moved WAY over there!" Toma pointed to the area where the Ra Yellows and Slifer Reds were gathered. Of course, to a Obelisk Blue, that would be considered an insult and a disgrace to have been seated there.

"What?! That seat?! Near those pathetic Slifer slackers?!" exclaimed Chazz just as Crowler walked in class and headed towards his desk. "Dr. Crowler! Please tell me this is a joke! Tell everyone I belong up here!"

"But you don't. That's all because you lost to that...Oh, what was his name...? Ah yes, Jaden Yuki. A SLIFER!" Crowler practically screeched at the top of his lungs. "Which is why tommorow, you will duel Bastion Misawa! And if you lose, you two will switch dorms!"

"What?! I'll be demoted to Ra Yellow?!" Now things were looking way worst in Chazz's favor, and the whole thing about losing to a Ra Yellow only to become one of them if he lost if even worse!

"Now, if you don't want to embarrass yourself even further, I suggest you take a seat, Chazz," spoke Crowler as politely as he could, although anyone could tell he had a bit of a smug attitude there. "Sigh...Things would only be better if you could only duel like you listened good right now!"

That comment caused everyone in the entire classroom to start snickering before bursting into fits of laughter. Humiliated and in anguish, Chazz shoved an Obelisk Blue boy out of the way and rushed out of the classroom.

"Damnit, damnit, DAMNIT!" Chazz was cursing to himself as he kept running away; the sounds of humiliating laughter still echoed inside his head, even though he was way far away from his classroom. This wasn't fair! How dare those fools, especially one of his favorite-well, _least_ favorite teachers, Crowler, do this to him?!

No, this was fine. It was just some dumb Ra Yellow. He's faced lots of Ra Yellows before, and none of them have come close to beating him! All he needs is a bit of confidence and rearranging of his deck! Yeah! Then tommorow, he'll be guaranteed a win against that Bastion Misawa!

Afterwards, Jaden Yuki was next on his target list.

* * *

 _Near the Ra Yellow dorms..._

"Man! You sure are good at baseball, Bastion!" complimented Jaden, stretching her aching arms. "Gonna take a while for all these bruises to go away."

"Yeah, but I never knew you were so good at baseball, Bastion," admitted Syrus. "I guess you must have practiced a lot, huh?"

Bastion chuckled, showing the both of them his own personal baseball bat, only with a bunch of mathematical equations written on it. "Actually, all I did was do the math."

"Are those formulas?"

"Yes. The pitches I threw and the balls that I hit were all calculated hits that I solved through formulas and hard work. So, I find that science, statistics, geometry, and a lot of things play a role in everything that we do in life!"

Although Jaden had no clue what any of the formulas indicated, she could tell Bastion put a lot of mind in his work. "Huh. Never thought of it that way."

"So, do you have a formula for everything?" asked Syrus, curious.

"Oh...You could say that. By the way, mind doing me a favor? I'll explain what it is once we get to my room."

It took less than a few minutes to arrive inside Bastion's room, which had everything that a normal room should have. A bed, some shelves, a desk, a closet, and normal things such as that. However, the only thing different about the room was that the walls were filled with multiple formulas and equations which Bastion himself had written down.

"Eh?! You did all this?!" both Syrus and Jaden wondered, glancing around the bedroom walls.

Bastion nodded. "Yes. This is my room, as well as my lab and workshop. They're all equations and formulas I wrote down. One area I wrote for Traps. Another for Spells cards. The others...well, you get the idea. Most of these, I memorized. As you can see, I'm running out of room! So..."

"So, what?"

Holding up a mop and paint bucket, Bastion smiled. "So...Mind helping?"

"I'm in!" Jaden didn't even think twice before swiping the paint bucket and mop away from Bastion. She then sat down and struggled to get the lid off the pain bucket.

"Hold on, Jaden! Let's remove all of my stuff before we start painting!"

It took more than an hour to move all of Bastion's belongings out of the room due to heavier things such as the bed or the desk. Eventually, the three of them managed to accomplish emptying out Bastion's rooms, where they started opening up their painting and cleaning supplies.

Bastion began talking with Syrus, instructing him what to do. "Alright, so while I clean up the floor, you and Jaden can help paint the-Jaden? What are you doing?"

"Hmm?" Jaden stopped what she was doing, blinking at Bastion. She was holding a small paintbrush covered in white paint, and on the wall was a small picture of Winged Kuriboh. "I'm drawing Winged Kuriboh! He's so cute!~"

"But...I know I said we're supposed to be painting, but that's not the sort of painting I was talking about." Bastion walked over with a larger paintbrush, then dipped it in pure white paint before slashing at the wall, obliterating Jaden's cute drawing along with it. "See? That's how-"

"Nooooo! Winged Kuriboh!"

"Oh no, here we go again!" complained Syrus, running up to Jaden. "Um...Jay? I'll let you paint the ceiling! You can even use the ladder!"

Instantly, Jaden calmed down. "Okay!"

Bastion sweatdropped at how quickly Jaden began bawling, then calming down at some quick-witted words. _'That's all it took for him to calm down? ...Interesting.'_

Soon, everyone found themselves commiting to their own assignments as they got to work on repainting the whole room. Bastion was using a wet rag to clean up any paint that dripped from the walls and ceiling and any dust laying around. Syrus was stuck on painting the walls while Jaden stood on a ladder to paint the ceiling with some white paint, though she had to stand on her tip toes to reach the top.

Jaden was having way too much fun painting that she didn't even notice her grip on her brush slipping. By the time she did, she gasped, turning around to see the brush splattering paint all over Syrus's face and making the boy fall down out of surprise.

"Sy! Are you okay?!"

Syrus shook his head, trying to get any white paint out of his eyesight before blinking continuously. Once he regained his sight, he glared at Jaden, and the Slifer Red girl instinctively knew what he was about to pull.

"Oh, so it's like that, huh?"

"S-sorry, Sy! I didn't mean to-"

"THIS MEANS WAR! GET DOWN HERE NOW!" Syrus started shaking the ladder back and forth frantically, trying to knock the poor girl off it as she was trying to stay steady and reason with Syrus.

"WHOA WHOA! SYRUS! I'M ON A FREAKIN' LADDER!"

"I DON'T CARE! THIS MEANS WAR EVEN IF YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND!"

"GAH! STOP IT!"

"NOOOO!"

"SY! SY! I'M GONNA FALL!"

"OF COURSE! THAT'S THE PLAN!"

"AAH! STOP IT! STOP! AAAH!"

"REVENGEEEE!"

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Jaden fell off the ladder, but at least managed to stay on her feet before being splashed by some white paint by another Slifer Red friend of hers. "Syrus...! You got paint all over my favorite jacket!"

"What do you mean, 'favorite?' It's the only one you have."

"IT'S STILL MY JACKET! THIS. IS. WARRRR!"

"Music to my ears, Jay!" Syrus agreed and proceeded to splash another batch of white paint at Jaden to start his first initiation.

Bastion, who was fed up with their loud bickering and distractions, tried to calm them down. "Alright, that's enough! Hand me the paint-"

"DODGE!" Jaden ducked down in time, only to see that Bastion was the victim of Syrus's attack. "Um...Syrus did it!"

"Hey! I-Well, I guess that is kinda true."

"Kinda? You-"

Suddenly, Jaden's face and bangs was coated with white paint after Bastion hit her with a paint-soaked rag. Jaden quickly shook her head, getting the paint out of her eyes before growling at Bastion. She took a paintbrush and tried jabbing Bastion with it, though Bastion was quick-witted and swift in dodging her jabs just as Syrus dumped another bucket of paint onto her.

"Hey! No double teaming!" complained Jaden, completely covered in white, dripping paint. "Ooh! I'm Frosty the...Paint Girl! I'm gonna get you, Bastion! But first, Sy's on the list!"

"What?!" Syrus tried to get away, but Jaden wrapped an arm around his waist before bringing him to her chest and nooging him with her wet, white hands, getting more paint on the small boy.

Bastion smiled and crossed his arms, wanting to allow the two to have their fun for a bit longer...Until he himself was ambushed by the two with white paint in their hands, that is.

Oh, the battle royale of paint was on.

* * *

"Mmmm! So good!~ I didn't think I'd have a good time painting!" said Jaden with half of her mouth full. "You're alright, Bastion!"

Syrus nodded, gulping down the contents of his food down his throat. "Yeah! And so is Ra Yellow's food!"

While Bastion was collecting some food for himself and his friends, Jaden and Syrus were scarfing down on some fried shrimp in the Ra Yellow cafeteria. Bastion decided that some food was good enough to treat his friends for helping him paint his room, as well as a shower. For some reason, he was still confused on why Jaden insisted on showering alone instead of all together. They are men after all, so what was the deal?

"Is that so? Then, here's some more food," said Bastion, walking back to the table with a plate of lobster in his hands.

"Yay! Foood!" Both Jaden and Syrus cried out, excited to taste another one of Ra Yellow's delicious food. Their eyes were filled with love and their mouths drooling from hunger despite the fact that they had finished their fried shrimp just a couple seconds ago.

Before he could eat, Syrus remember something and asked, "By the way, what did you and Crowler talked about?"

"He wanted to test me to be an Obelisk," answered Bastion, settling down in front of the two.

"Whoa, seriously?"

"Well, you deserved it! Congrats, Bastion!"

Flattered, Bastion tried not to show any signs of embarrassment. "W-well, we don't know yet."

Ignoring Bastion's slight discouragment, Syrus and Jaden nodded to each other, knowing that Bastion was going to do well to pass Crowler's test tommorow. "Of course it's obvious!" said Jaden. "After all, Bastion did easily beat that proctor back in the entrance exams! I'm sure he'll do fine tommorow!"

Syrus nodded. "Yup! Now, let's eat!"

Hearing those words, Jaden started gobbling down before Syrus, causing the both of them to start some sort of fast eating contest as Bastion watched them with a smile. While he was confident in his own abilitiy tommorow, it was...nice to know that his friends were there to give him some assuring anyways.

* * *

 _Later, at night..._

 **"Got it, Chazz?"**

"...Yeah."

 **"I can't hear you."**

"I said money! I mean, yes!"

Chazz seated in his own couch in his room, talking with his two older brothers on the TV screen through certain connections that his rich family could easily afford. In all honesty, Chazz wanted some peace and quiet, but nooo! His brothers just had to interrupt his private time through the screen and force him into another one of their lectures.

 **"Good, you better. Because the Princeton brothers have a plan. Your brother and I are following through with it."**

 **"And you better be following through with yours, Chazz. Come on, just think about it, little bro! The world of politics, finance, and Duel Monsters! If we can control them all, we can control the entire world! So be the best!"**

 **"The future of the Princeton family depends on it! Depends on YOU!"  
**  
Once proclaiming that, the two older brothers logged out, and the TV screen went dark, leaving Chazz all to himself. "Card games have jack shit to do with the world, guys," was what Chazz wanted to say. However, he didn't want to provoke his two brothers, so he kept his mouth shut and nodded to all the things they required him to do.

 _'Besides,'_ thought Chazz, looking out his window to see Jaden, Syrus, and Bastion heading towards what seems to be the Slifer Red dorms. _'How can I tell my older brothers that I'm not even top of this school yet? If I told them that I lost to a Slifer Red, they'll disown me for sure!'_

Wait, Bastion? Bastion Misawa is the guy he's supposed to beat tommorow! He seems to be rather sleepy by the tired look on his face. It was possible that he was staying over at the Slifer Red dorms for tonight. If that were the case, then...

Chazz's eyes widen, realizing the huge possibility and advantage he had right now. Although he'd normally wouldn't do this, he had to for the sake of his family and to cease being demoted to a stinky Ra Yellow!

* * *

 _At the Slifer Red dorms..._

The moment Jaden and Bastion entered inside, fatigue took over their minds before they immediantly fell asleep the moment they landed on Jaden's bed. Bastion was snoring rather loudly, laying on his back while Jaden used his chest as a pillow, curling up and snuggling close with a dreamy smile on her face.

Syrus and Chumley were the only ones still awake at the hour, though they couldn't help but watch the scene unfold in their very eyes. Confused, Chumley looked at Syrus. "Uh...Syrus? Who's this guy?"

"Oh, him? His name's Bastion Misawa. Since his room got painted, he's got nowhere to sleep."

"...Shouldn't we move them or...?"

"No! No!" Syrus frantically shook his head, looking quite scared. "Like time I tried to move Jaden while she was sleeping, she lashed out at me like a cat! I've still got a few red marks from before..."

"Yikes, dude."

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in the Spirit World..._

 ** _"I can't believe this!"_** Flame Wingman smashed a table through his clenched fist, obviously angered for some reason.

 _ **"Flame Wingman, I'm surprised too, but if we don't calm down, we'll never resolve anything right!"**_ pointed out Tempest.

Hero Kid #3 frowned, wanting to note something. **_"But last time, you-Gh-!"_**

 ** _"Shut up, idiot!"_** whispered Hero Kid #2, pinching his arm.

 _ **"What's the problem now?"**_ asked Avian, curious to know what Flame Wingman discovered.

The Fusion Monster took a deep breath before managing to calm down a little. _**"Okay...I found Jaden sleeping with a Ra Yellow in her bed! Not just any Ra Yellow, but that Bastion Misawa!"**_

Several gasps coursed throughout the room, knowing that the situation had gotten rather intensive. _**"...What's wrong with that?"**_ spoke up White Magician Pikeru, confused. _**"I sleep with Burstinatrix sometimes when I get lonely, and she welcomes me in her bed."**_

 _ **"Yeah, me too!"**_ said Hero Kid #1 rather too proudly.

 _ **"Us too!"**_ Even the other two Hero Kids joined in as well.

Everyone reverted to Burstinatrix, and Bubbleman was the first to speak up courageously. _**"B-Burstinatrix...I can't believe that you, of all people, would-YOW!"**_

 _ **"Don't get the wrong idea!"**_ hissed Burstinatrix, her palm bursting with her own fire power. _**"They normally come during thunderstorms, so, like the good person that I am, I let them sleep with me. It doesn't mean anything else, so don't think otherwise!"**_

 _ **"People, we are missing the big issue here!"**_ Flame Wingman reminded, his voice loud and clear. _**"The problem is, our master was sleeping with someone!"**_

 _ **"...Were they fully clothed?"**_ asked Clayman awkwardly.

 _ **"WHA-Well, yes. They were."**_

Ebon Magician Curran tilted her head, more confused. _**"Uh...why wouldn't they be clothed?"**_

 _ **"...Clayman, Sparkman. Escort all children out of this room, please,"**_ ordered Tempest, not wanting to make the situation even worse than it already is.

Both heroes nodded before gently guiding the Hero Kids, Curran, Pikeru, and any non-adult Duel Monsters out of the room, despite their complaints and protests.

As soon as they were gone, Avian replied, _**"If those two didn't do anyhing, then there's nothing to worry about. I overheard one of Jaden's friends saying that Bastion stayed over because his room was being painted."**_

 _ **"See? Just a complete misunderstanding,"**_ ensured Burstinatrix, patting Flame Wingman in the shoulder.

 _ **"Fine...But I'm keeping my eye out for that Bastion guy. I'll burn him alive if he tried hurting Jaden!"**_

 _ **"You know that we're forbidden by Spirit World laws to harm a human being unless by reason, right?"**_

 _ **"...Damn laws."**_

* * *

 _The next morning..._

Bastion yawned as he stretched his body and sat up straight. Jaden's mattress wasn't as comfty as his bed, but at least it was still soft and warm. Speaking of, where was his roommate?

He looked around, seeing Syrus and another boy sleeping in their own personal bunk beds, but no sign of Jaden. Oh well, might as well wash up and get a fresh start in the morning!

Once he opened the bathroom door, he didn't expect to see Jaden in his...well, her undergarments.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Syrus shrieked before Chumley fell out of his bed and landed on Jaden's mattress. They collected their own consciousness and ran to the bathroom, where they blushed red and turned away as soon as they saw Jaden.

"Hmm? What's wrong, guys?" Jaden cutely tilted her head as she was putting on her clothes. Every time she changed, Chumley and Syrus always reminded her to do so in the bathroom out of respect for her womanly appearance, even if she looked like a boy.

Chumley closed the bathroom door shut right as Bastion just stood there, stuttering and quite in shock before Syrus dragged him away to explain some things.

In a few short minutes, Jaden stepped out, wearing some new, freshly dried and clean Slifer Red clothes since they did happen to get messy from yesterday's paint war. "Hey, guys! Good morning!"

Bastion, who was sitting in Jaden's bed, cleared his throat and blushed pink. "So...You're a girl?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I am. Why's that?"

"W-well, why didn't you tell anyone?! In fact, doesn't the school know your gender?!"

"I dunno. And besides, you never asked."

Bastion's breath hitched; Jaden had a good point there. He shouldn't be yelling at an oblivious girl like that, seeing how she could be easily mistaken as a boy based on her looks. Come to think of it, the forms enlisting a person's full background never did include their gender, so in a way, it was the Duel Academy's fault. That kinda explains why she isn't in Obelisk Blue Girls dorms.

"Oh...Well, I want to give you my sincere apologies," spoke Bastion. "I'm...sorry that I yelled at you right now, and I'm sorry for interrupting your...private time in the bathroom earlier. A true gentleman should never have walked in a lady like that, even if unknowingly."

Jaden merely petted Bastion on the head. "I have no idea about the last part you said, but I forgive you anyways!"

Bastion turned to Syrus and Chumley, curious about one thing. "How long have you guys known about her gender?"

"Ever since she tried rescuing me from the Obelisk Girls D-"

Chumley shut Syrus's mouth shut with an open palm, but Bastion already figured out what he was going to say. "What?! Boys aren't allowed there unless given permission!"

"I-it's a really long story," said Chumley.

"Jaden! Jaden! Jaden!" Dorothy's voice repeated Jaden's name over and over as something was knocking on their door.

Jaden opened the door and saw Dorothy, all out of breath. She must have ran all the way here to tell her something important. "Oh, hi Miss Dorothy. What's up?"

"I...I was at the docks, unloading some shipment when I saw them! Cards tossed everywhere!"

"What?!" Gently pushing Dorothy aside, Jaden and her friends started running for the docks, hearing Dorothy crying out to them to be careful.

Just like Dorothy had said, cards were floating above or a little underneath the water, completely drenched and unusable. Syrus and Jaden recognized some of these cards to be Ring of Destruction and Vorse Raider; cards Bastion used for his duel against the proctor!

Bastion seemed to realize this as well, as evident from his firm, but sorrowful voice. "It's my own fault. This deck was moved in the hallway yesterday when we were painting."

"Who would do something like this?" wondered Syrus.

"I can't believe it! This was your own deck, Bastion!" said Jaden, turning to her Ra Yellow friend. "Your promotion is in less than an hour, what are you going to do now, Bastion?"

The only thing Bastion could do right now is stand tall and not let negative things fill him in, or they would only ruin him in the end.

* * *

 _Later..._

Bastion, Jaden, and Syrus were already out of breath, but they kept on running for Bastion's sake. They were already 10 minutes late to the duel assigned for Bastion and his opponent, but they were pretty lucky that Crowler and Bastion's opponent were still there.

"Hmph. You're late," said Crowler. "Oh, and I see you've bought company."

"Heh, and I thought you ran away," said Chazz with a confident smirk. "Wouldn't blame ya if you did."

"So, Chazz is your opponent?" Jaden wondered as something clicked into her mind. "Then, that means that Chazz was the one who threw away your cards, Bastion!"

"Whaaaat?" Crowler didn't know what was happening, but apparently, there was some issue going on about some cards being tossed away.

"Ignore him, Dr. Crowler," advised Chazz. "I have no idea what he's talking about!"

"Why you-!"

Bastion turned to Jaden. "Hold on, Jaden. We don't even know for sure if he's the one who threw my deck in the ocean."

Chazz nodded. "Heh, I'm gonna have to agree with nerd boy here! You have no proof of whatever bad thing I may or may have done! I didn't do anything."

"Oh, is that so?"

Everyone saw Alexis and Zane walking inside the Dueling Arena, both looking serious. "Alexis? Zane?"

Alexis, who had spoke up previously, continued. "I saw you, Chazz! This morning, by the water! You dumped them in and ran off! I normally wouldn't snitch or tattle, but you don't mess with someone's cards!"

Jaden glared back at Chazz, fighting the urge to knock his teeth in. "Yeah, that's low, even for you!"

"Oh, come on! Who's to say those weren't my cards I was throwing away? I guess me and Bastion must have similar decks!"

"Liar!"

"No one calls me a liar! And no one calls me a thief!" Chazz looked at Crowler with something of interest in his mind. "Hey, I have a proposal! Would you allow this condition, Dr. Crowler? Whoever loses gets expelled!"

Okay, now Jaden wanted to seriously knock his teeth in. "That's unfair and way out of line! Bastion doesn't even have his deck anymore, for crying out loud!"

"No, it's fine. I'll accept those terms," said Bastion, suspiciously calm. "After all, I do have a deck."

"Huh? You do?!" asked Syrus, surprised. The deck that he had seen Bastion used was in the entrance exam. Perhaps Bastion had another, different kind of powerful deck?

"Of course. A good duelist always has a spare deck. Or, in this case, a few of them. After all, you saw my different formulas. Well...They were for all of my different dueling decks!"

Bastion unzipped his jacket and tore it wide for everyone to see six packs of decks on his vest. "And, each one of them is as powerful as the next! For example, a deck based on the WIND Attribute! FIRE Attribute! WATER Attribute! EARTH Attribute! LIGHT Attribute! And last, but not least, a DARK Attribute deck!"

"Yeah? Well, you can have your six stinkin' decks!" shouted Chazz, presenting his own deck. "Because all I need is one! I'll burn you up so badly that you won't even see it coming! Now, let's do this!"

"Got it! And I'll be sure to defeat you with this deck!" assured Bastion, taking one of his decks out and placing it on his duel disk. "You're just another equation to be solved, that's all!"

"Bring it on!"

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Chazz - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Bastion - 4000 LP**

"I'll take the first move now!" decided Chazz, drawing a card. "I summon Chthonian Soldier in Attack Mode!"

Jaden remembered the last time she faced this Monster, and he was as tough as any other soldier Monster she's faced, even now.

Chthonian Soldier - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1200/1400)

"Then a card facedown! And that'll do it for now!"

"Oh will it now?" wondered Bastion, who drew a card.

"What sort of Attribute did Bastion choose?" questioned Alexis to herself. "WIND? WATER?"

"I summon...Hydrogeddon in Attack Mode!"

A Monster whose skin was literally made of muddy water sprang onto the field, roaring as it made its appearance.

Hydrogeddon - (WATER/Dinosaur) - LV4 - (1600/1000)

"Now, attack Chthonian Soldier with Hydro Gust! Destroy him!"

Obeying his master's command, Hydrogeddon opened up its jaws and let loose a geyser of muddy water straight at the soldier, eliminating him.

 **Chazz - 3600 LP**

 **Bastion - 4000 LP**

"Thanks! You just activated my Chthonian Soldier's special ability!" shouted Chazz. "It deals to you the same amount of Battle Damage that I took if Chthonian Soldier is destroyed!"

"Not bad," commented Zane.

"Bastion sure walked into that one!" said Jaden, already experiencing full hand what that effect could do.

"I activate a special ability as well!" declared Bastion. "You see, if Hydrogeddon successfully destroys a Monster in battle, I'm allowed to immediantly summon another Hydrogeddon from my deck! So rise, Hydrogeddon!"

Another Hydrogeddon Monster showed up next to its fellow companion, raring to attack.

Hydrogeddon - (WATER/Dinosaur) - LV4 - (1600/1000)

"And, my Battle Phase still hasn't ended yet! So go, Hydrogeddon! Hydro Gust!"

Chazz screamed before he was being blasted by the geyser the second Hydrogeddon released, shoving him to the ground with such heavy force.

 **Chazz - 2000 LP**

 **Bastion - 4000 LP**

Grunting, Chazz stumbled as he stood up before drawing a card. "Grr! You'll pay for that! I activate my Trap, Call of the Haunted! And, I'll revive my Chthonian Soldier!"

Chthonian Soldier - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1200/1400)

"Next up, I'll activate Inferno Reckless Summon! This allows us both to Special Summon in Attack Mode any Monster from our deck, hand and Graveyard that are the same as the Monsters we already have on the field!"

"It doesn't make sense!" said Alexis as Bastion and Chazz summoned and soon had three of the same Monsters on their sides of the field. "It doesn't matter how many of those Chthonian Soldiers Chazz brings out! They're still not enough to defeat all those Hydrogeddons!"

"Not by themselves, they won't," said Zane, slowly catching onto Chazz's plan.

"I activate the Equip Spell card, Chthonian Alliance!" Chazz said. "The Monster equipped with this card gains 800 Attack Points for every Monster that has the same name as him! That brings one of my Monster's Attack Points up to...3600!"

Chthonian Soldier (#3) - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (3600/1400)

"Attack, Chthonian Soldier!"

The Chthonian Soldier with the highest amount of Attack Points brought up his sword and slashed at one of the Hydrogeddons swiftly, bringing Bastion's Life Points down by a large amount.

 **Chazz - 2000 LP**

 **Bastion - 1600 LP**

"No! Bastion's Life Points have gone down more than a half!" cried out Syrus. "He's losing the duel!"

Once it was Bastion turn, he drew a card. "I'm not finished! I summon Oxygeddon in Attack Mode! Now, attack the 1200 Attack Point Soldier with Vapor Scream!"

Now, a pterodactyl-like water Monster swarmed the air, unleashing a loud screech which destroyed one of the weaker Chthonian Soldier.

Oxygeddon - (WATER/Dinosaur) - LV4 - (1800/800)

"Forget?! When my soldier's destroyed, you take the same damage as me!" yelled Chazz.

 **Chazz - 1400 LP**

 **Bastion - 1000 LP**

"My turn's not through!" said Bastion. "Next, my Hydrogeddon attacks another one of your soldiers!"

One of the Hydrogeddons blasted a stream of water at the last, weakest Monster, minimizing Chazz's Life Points.

"That damage is still all going back to you, loser!"

 **Chazz - 1000 LP**

 **Bastion - 600 LP**

"Aw man! Why does Bastion keep attacking?" complained Syrus, worried. "He's only hurting himself!"

"Nah, he's fine!" Jaden assured the boy.

"Yeah, Bastion's playing smart," Zane started to explain. "The Chthonian Soldier with the Equip Spell card has 3600 Attack Points. Bastion would need to summon an incredibly high-leveled Monster in order to defeat him. Unless, however..."

As they spoke, the last remaining Chthonian Soldier went from huge and strong to small and weak, making him par to par with Bastion's Monsters.

Chthonian Soldier - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (2000/1400)

"Wait! I see! Unless he takes out the other Chthonians and lowers the big one's Attack Points!" gasped Syrus.

Nodding, Jaden said, "Right! So, if Bastion's gonna beat that thing, he's gotta give up a few Life Points!"

Knowing that his previous task was accomplished, Bastion set a card facedown. "Now, I play a card facedown and that will do for now!"

"Fine! My turn!" shouted Chazz. "I'm sacrificing Chthonian Soldier and all the cards in my hand in order to summon Inferno Incinerator! Didn't see that one coming, did ya?! Hahahahaha!"

The last remaining Chthonian Soldier began burning up before being transformed into a sphere of flames which exploded. In Chthonian Soldier's place, an nasty bug Monster that was as sharp as his name appeared.

Inferno Incinerator - (FIRE/Fiend) - LV6 - (2800/1800)

"Face it, Bastion! You don't stand a chance against the Inferno Incinerator! Especially since his Attack Points increase by 200 for every Monster you have out on the field!"

Inferno Incincerator - (FIRE/Fiend) - LV6 - (3400/1800)

"What a strong Monster! No matter which Monster Chazz targets, Bastion will still lose!" cried out Jaden, shocked at how high the Infernio Incinerator's Attack Points were.

"Now, Inferno Incincerator! Attack with Fire Storm Blast!"

The powerful FIRE Monster opened his mouth and shot out a stream of fire straight towards his intended targets.

"I activate my Trap! Amorphous Barrier!" countered Bastion. Several pillars formed in front of his three Monsters and defended against the fiery blast. :When I have three of more Monsters on my side of the field, this Trap negates my opponent's attack and ends the Battle Phase!"

"Aww, so what? One turn! That's all it matters!" replied Chazz cockily. "I end my turn!"

"I'm afraid there won't be a next turn!" said Bastion, drawing his card.

"Huh?"

"Oh, and Chazz? You're going to DIE."

"What?!"

"No, I'm just kidding. But seriously, you are going to drown. I activate Bonding-H20! I sacrifice two Hydrogeddons and two Oxygeddons and Special Summon Water Dragon!"

Like the name suggests, the Monster that appeared and towered over everyone was a dragon made of water, an obvious WATER Attribute Monster.

Water Dragon - (WATER/Sea Serpent) - LV8 - (2800/2600)

"And since the number of Monsters on my side of the field decreased, your Inferno Incinerator's Attack Points decreased!" pointed out Bastion.

Chazz was only slightly amused by Bastion's attempt to turn things around. "Doesn't matter. My Monster's Attack Points are still higher than yours."

"You think so? You should check your own work!" Bastion shouted with sheer will. "Because everything it going exactly as I calculated!"

"What?! Is he saying that he's had this whole duel planned the entire time?!" gasped Jaden, who was as shocked as the others.

Seeing a shadow above him, Chazz's eyes widen and he screamed as a tidal wave crashed down upon him and his Monster. Once the Inferno Incinerator was hit with the full force of water, he gradually became weaker.

Inferno Incinerator - (FIRE/Fiend) - LV6 - (0/1800)

"No! My Monster But how?"

"It's Water Dragon's special ability," answered Bastion. "As long as he's on the field, the Attack Points of all FIRE Attribute and Pyro -types become 0! Now, Water Dragon attack! Tidal Blast!"

Water Dragon roared before releasing a waterfall of water from his mouth, easily taking out the weakened Inferno Incinerator and washing away Chazz with the waves once his only remaining defense had vanished.

 **Chazz - 0**

 **Bastion - 600 LP**

 **Winner: Bastion**

"A well-played duel, Chazz," complimented Bastion. "But not well enough!"

"Pure luck!" scoffed Chazz, forced to accept his defeat with disgust. "You just happened to choose a WATER-type Deck, that's all!"

"Perhaps. But, luck favors the prepared, and I was prepared to beat you with a half dozen cards as well. Sorry, but you would have lost the duel one way or another. But...but deny it if you want. Just like you denied throwing my deck into the ocean."

"Oh yeah? Prove it!"

"Well, if you insist." Taking a wet card out of his pocket, Bastion presented it to Chazz, which happened to be Vorse Raider, but with some sort of chemical equation written on it. "Here, a card I fished out. With a formula I wrote on it. I supposed you could have written it, but the math would have been wrong."

Chazz gritted his teeth as he listened. Damn! How did he miss that?! Granted, it was dark when he committed the crime, so he couldn't have seen the dark writing. Still, he should have just burned those cards up or just rip them to shreds and tossed them in the trash!

"Chazz." It appears Bastion wasn't finished. "You stoled, you lied, you cheated, you lost. You deserved to be demoted. Those who can't treasure their own cards lack what it means to be a true duelist!"

Chazz dipped his head down, facing the ground as he struggled to hold his composure together. "No...This can't be...!"

Having seen enough, Crowler went up to the dueling platform to congratulate a new fellow Obelisk Blue member. "Bastion Misawa! Welcome and congratulations on getting into Obelisk Blue!"

Bastion shook his head, appreciating his teacher's offer. "No, I must decline that invitation."

"Whaat? What for?!"

"When I came into the Duel Academy, I decided that I would only be an Obelisk Blue when I become the best in the freshman class. Jaden..." He turned to Jaden, though a slight visible pink blush was seen. "I think the #1 student for the freshman class is you."

"Thanks! Does that mean you wanna duel me right now?" asked Jaden, getting all pumped up after seeing Bastion duel so skillfully.

"Sorry, but not now."

"Huh? Why not?"

"Because I have a lot of work to do before I duel you. I have formulas to write, theorems to solve, and a whole ton more. You're a good duelist, Jaden, and I plan to be ready. The six decks I was using were mere prototypes anyways."

"P-prototypes?" grumbled Chazz, shaking with anger and humilation. "Damn...Have I really fallen so far?"

"Don't worry, Jaden," said Bastion. "Soon, my walls will be filled with strategies and we will duel! Just prepare, for our duel might be like that ball game! You know, when I struck you out?"

Jaden pouted, crossing her arms. "Don't. Remind. Me."

The Ra Yellow winner chuckled. "Oh, yes. I forget that you hate losing. But, nevertheless, be orepared for our next duel."

"Alright! You're on!"

The two duelists stared at each other with intentions to win and strong wills like that of a tiger or a dragon. Both were going to do their best once the time came for them to duel, and no doubt it would be a life-changing experience for both of them.

* * *

 **Alright! I did this as fast as I could! A small, Thanksgiving present from me to you! Thank you! Thank you all! You're all too far kind!**

 **But anyways! Just a few pointers here and there! Yes, I did include some parts of the abridged version here and there, and I wanted Bastion to think after he defeated Chazz, 'Water water everywhere...' And something like that. But, I realized that wasn't in Bastion's nature to act such a way, so I didn't put that in.**

 **Anyways, if you guys have any ideas for more, please feel free to tell in the reviews! Oh, and don't tell me what pairing to do because it's a surprise! With that said, have a good Thanksgiving!**


	11. Monkey See, Monkey Duel

**Since I'm in such a good mood, I'll include this chapter and add a couple parts to it! Oh, and could you not put in reviews like "Update Soon?" They're kinda getting annoying.**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"Aah! He's over there!"

"All units, head to that section!"

"No! He's getting away!"

"After him! Don't let him escape!"

Deep within the forest landscapes of Duel Academy, there lies a secret lab not known to others except for a chosen few. Like any other lab, scientists conduct experiemtns for results and hope to use their research to help better the future.

However, right now was not the case. Right now, all of the guards were searching for a certain test subject; a monkey wearing some technical gauntlets and a helmet. To them, this monkey was their current priority at the moment.

While the guards were running around like chickens and reloading their rifles with tranquilizers, the monkey swiftly bypassed any obstacles with his acrobatics skills and even climbed up to a vent big enough for him to fit him. He landed on top of an elevator which was heading upwards before escaping to another open vent which lead to a different, empty room.

Without much effort, the monkey crashed through a glass window, landing on the rooftop of the lab building before jumping off. He reached out and his fingers grasped onto a tree branch before the monkey found himself swinging from tree to tree and getting farther away from the lab.

* * *

 _The next morning..._

A lone figure carrying a duffle bag over his shoulder walked out the doors of Duel Academy with no regrets on his shoulders. Chazz Princeton, one of the best students in the academy, decided that the Duel Academy wasn't meant for him, seeing that it didn't show the expectations and respect he needed. He glanced back at the Duel Academy, stopping for a brief moment to speak his farewells.

"...See ya, Duel Academy. Won't miss ya one bit."

Chazz didn't bother with anything else in his path except with the intent of catching the next boat out of Duel Academy. Before, he had instructed and paid for a boat to take him anywhere but away from Duel Academy, so it was quite simple for him to plan his leaving.

Feeling anger and displeasure towards the academy, Chazz knew he wouldn't miss it one bit. After all, all his lackeys started leaving and spreading nasty rumors about him the more he lost. Nobody would miss him and soon forget about him. Even if they don't, Chazz knew he would be remembered as the "pathetic Princeton who lost to Ras and Slifers."

Who needs friends when you've got power? Power that Chazz will soon obtain.

* * *

"Jaden! Jaden! Jaden! Jaden! Jaden! Jaden!"

As soon as Syrus burst through the classroom doors, he began running down, chanting Jaden's name repeatedly. Even now, he was still going at it even though he already arrived at his seat right next to Jaden.

"Jaden! Jaden! Jaden! Ja-"

"Sy! I'm here! What's wrong?!" shouted Jaden, grabbing the boy by the shoulder and shaking him back and forth to get him to stop. Her attempt worked, though the poor boy was left dizzy and breathless.

It took a few moments, but Syrus was able to relax and tell Jaden what he's learned. "It's horrible! I heard that Chazz's gone missing!"

"W-what?!"

Not too far away from them, Alexis and her two best friends, Jasmine and Mindy, overheard what had happened and grew concern. However, others weren't really that sadden nor worried for Chazz. In fact, they seemed to enjoy the fact that he's gone.

"I heard that he was packing up his stuff as soon as possible and just left!" spoke one of the Obelisk Blues, engaged in talking with his other Obelisk Blue friends.

"Yeah, and all because he made some deal dueling a Ra Yellow about the loser getting expelled. Heh, good for him! What a loser!"

"Man, what jerks!" said Jaden, disgust in her tone as she turned away from the Obelisk Blues. "Until yesterday, they idolized Chazz and followed him around, but now..."

Syrus nodded. "Yeah. Lousy Obelisk Blues...I can't blame Chazz for not considering them as friends. But...Jaden?"

"Yeah?"

"...I know Chazz has been a pain in the past, but do you think he might be in some sort of trouble? I'm kinda worried. What if he needs our help?"

"Good point!" agreed Jaden, standing up. "Let's go look for him!"

"O-okay! But...when exactly?"

"Right now! Besides, it'll be a great excuse to skip out of class! Haha!"

Since the bell didn't ring and the teacher wasn't around, Syrus and Jaden didn't look suspicious wandering around the hallways and passing by the teachers. They knew of a way out of the school without getting in trouble, since they discovered the route about a few days ago.

After crawling out of a hole which led to the back of the Duel Academy, Syrus and Jaden began wiping away any dust and small rocks off their hair and clothes. They didn't know who made this secret route, but it sure came in handy! If the two had simply walked out the front doors without a form of permission, it would be too obvious that they were sneaking out and they would be granted detention.

"So, what are the two of you planning?"

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" Both Slifer Reds screamed together, and at the same time, Syrus jumped into Jaden's arms and clinged onto her. Both turned and saw Alexis with her two buddies, Jasmine and Mandy.

Jaden sighed in relief, glad that it wasn't a teacher. "Oh, hey Alexis! We were um...um...uh..."

Mindy and Jasmine gasped, glancing at each other before squealing in joy. "Oh my God! We're sooooo sorry!" apologized Jasmine a bit too happily. "We didn't know you two needed some...private time."

"Yeah! We didn't mean to barge in and interrupt you guys!" said Mindy.

Syrus's head tilted in confusion, until he realized fully well what they meant, which furthermore explains the blush on his face. "N-no! It's not like that!"

"No, we completely understand! Don't worry! We don't think your relationship is weird! In fact, we're top members of the Yaoi Fanclub! I'm sure you two have some 'stuff' to work on."

Jaden nodded, happy that none of the girls suspected that they were skipping class. It didn't seem like they plan on telling the teachers. "Yup, yup! We've got something real important to do! We can't waste any time!"

"Jaayyyy! Not you too!" complained Syrus, knowing how oblivious Jaden was in situations like this.

"Oh, we know! But, can we take a picture of you first?" asked Jasmine, taking out her phone.

"Sure!"

Syrus's eyes widen as he looked up and down, now realizing the position he was in. "H-hold on! Wait wait wait! Let me get down fir-"

 **SNAP!** **SNAP! SNAP!** Jasmine and Mindy giggled to each other as they scanned through the pictures Jasmine took, aweing and squealing like fangirls.

Alexis's eye twitched as she crossed her arms in annoyance. She hated to think of it, but she was...jealous of Syrus. She never hated the sweet boy, but she couldn't help wondering why Jaden never took an interest in her. Granted, Alexis never did date or like boys who loved her only for her appearance and high reputation, but Jaden was way different! To her, Jaden was mostly honest and pretty cute at times, even standing up for his friends no matter what. Well, life is unfair sometimes.

"AHEM!" Once Alexis got everyone's attention, she knew what needed to be done yet. "Look, Jaden and Syrus, we know that you're trying to search for Chazz, and we want to help you."

"Huh? Really?" Now, this was a surprise to Jaden. Turns out that not all Obelisk Blues were snobby. "Well, thanks! But, why?"

"Why? Because Chazz is an Obelisk, and we take care of our own," replied Alexis with confidence. "Besides, I'd feel bad if we just left him, not knowing what he's doing and whatnot. So, let's get a move on."

Syrus nodded. "Great! Let's hurry!"

"...But, are you sure you want to search for him like...that?"

"Huh? Aah! J-Jaden! Put me down!"

"O-okay?"

* * *

 _Much, much later..._

"Chazz!"

"Chazz! Come out!"

"Where are you?"

"Chazz!"

"Please, if you can hear us, say something!"

For the next couple of hours, the group had been searching nonstop for Chazz, thinking that he was hiding somewhere in the deep, lush green forests of Duel Academy. After all, the shipment boats weren't going to arrive until next week, so Chazz couldn't have escaped by boat. Therefore, he had to be somewhere in Duel Academy.

Jaden, like everyone else, tried calling out for Chazz again. "Chazz! Come out! Come on! Stop hiding, you no-good, money hogging, card loving, big-headed, egocentric, small tempered, Ojama loving, butt humping asshole!"

Finally fed up with Chazz's absence, Alexis hollered at the top of her lungs, "CHAZZ, GET OUT HERE AND SHOW YOURSELF BEFORE I KICK YOUR ASS SO BADLY THAT YOU'LL BE BEGGING FOR MERCY!"

Her declaration scared the pigeons and crows into flocking off at the skies and even caused her companions to be impressed and a bit terrifed of her temper.

"...Yeah. That'll get him out," said Jaden sarcastically before noticing that Alexis's attention was on something else. "Alexis? What's up?"

"Look there! Something's moving!"

Hearing Alexis's warning, everyone grew alert and looked at where she was pointing, which happened to be a shrub bush bigger than the other bushes in the area. Nothing out of the ordinary was happening until the bush started rustling, as if something truly was there.

"Wait," Syrus said. "Could that be...?"

"Hey, is that you, Chazz?" called out Jaden before she and her friends started walking towards the shrub bush. "It's me, Jaden! We've come to find you!"

"Why would he be in a bush?" wondered Jasmine outloud.

Mindy sighed, her cheeks pink. "I don't know...but I do hope he's thinking of me!~"

"But...why?"

"Because he's so cute and gorgeous of course!"

"Last week, it was Bastion, now Chazz? I don't get you, Min-"

Out from the shrub bush, a monkey leaped out, screeching and causing a lot of noise. Everyone screamed at his sudden appearance before the monkey launched himself onto the group, pulling them into a sort of fight which was disguised into a huge dust cloud.

"AAAAAHHH!"

"Aah! Don't grab me there!"

"Sorry, that was me!"

"Eek! Don't grab me there!"

"Sorry, that was me!"

In a short while later, the monkey had left, leaving the group utterly exhausted and defeated. The poor, poor, group, defeated by a lone monkey. To be fair, they were caught off guard and they never expected a monkey.

"W-what was that...?" asked Alexis to nobody.

"I-I think that was a monkey..." answered Syrus, his hair crazed up and messy like the others.

Things were looking way bad for the group as three men in suits; one wielding a rifle weapon, arrived at the scene, panting as they searched for something. Terrified, Syrus hid behind Jaden. Mindy wanted to take a picture of the cute moment, but decided against it since this wasn't the time nor place to do so.

"Where did he go?" one of the men in suits questioned.

A high-pitched scream filled the area and caught everyone's attention, They soon found the source of the scream, which happened to be Jasmine being carried off by the monkey as he kept swinging from tree to tree.

"Helllllpppp meeeeeee!"

"Wait, how did she get up there?!" gasped Mindy, worried for her friend.

"I think the monkey must have taken her during the fight!" said Alexis, watching her friend still being captive under the monkey's arms and being swepted away farther and farther away from there.

The man with the rifle took aim and yelled, "Okay, step back! I'm gonna kill that banana munching, knuckle bashing, tree swinging, face stealing, ugly SON OF A-!"

"JUST FUCKING SHOOT IT, YOU NUT!"

"...Fair enough."

"Damnit! He's gone! Quickly, after him!"

Syrus and the others wanted to try asking those men what was happening, but they left in a hurry, sprouting up more questions. Where did the monkey come from? Why did he kidnap Jasmine? And why were the men after him? At any rate, they needed to hurry and save Jasmine before something bad happened to her.

* * *

"Let me go! Let me go! Help! Somebody!"

For a couple of minutes, Jasmine was still being carried by the monkey, who went through great lengths to escape from his pursurers. The monkey swung through branches, jumped over slippery rocks in a river, and managed to arrive at a crooked tree since his path was gone.

Jasmine, who had her eyes closed the entire time, noticed that the monkey wasn't moving anymore. Awakening her sights, it didn't take Jasmine long to realize why they stopped. Her and the monkey were leaning against a slim tree, and if they were to fall off, they would be heading face-to-face with the ocean.

"Aaaah! Don't let go!" cried out Jasmine, clinging onto the monkey like her life depended on it, which it sorta did.

The mysterious men ran into the area, finding their intended target holding Jasmine close to the tree near the edge of a cliff. The one with the rifle prepared to fire at his commanding officer's signal.

One of the men gritted his teeth at the situation. "Damnit! If we shoot, he'll drop the girl off the cliff!"

Though tired, Jaden and her group made it in time to see what was going on. They gasped as they looked from left to right. Jasmine and the monkey were surely in danger of falling off a cliff, and the mysterious men looked ready to shoot with no intention of giving up, though they seemed hesitant and concern for Jasmine's safety.

Jaden gasped, seeing what was on the monkey's arm. "Hey, he's got a duel disk on! What a weird monkey!"

"That's no ordinary monkey!" spoke the shortest out of the mysterious suited men, who seems to be the leader of the trio group. "His name's Wheeler, and he's a monkey trained in dueling!"

"A dueling monkey?"

"Sir!" hissed one of the subordinates.

"Hmm? Oh, right. Top secret."

"Wait!" shouted Jaden loudly. "...I'm gonna duel him!"

The short man turned around to face the Slifer Red student. "Um...I have a question. Why?"

"Why? I-I-B..." Jaden found herself at a bit of a loss for a second. "B-because that's how we solve all our problems here."

"Yeah, well, we want to shoot him."

"Well, I was kindaaaa hoping you would-"

"Kid, listen. It's not happening."

"Let me duel him, you butt munch!"

"No!"

'Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"No!"

"No?!"

"Yes!"

"Yes?"

"Ha! I win!" cheered Jaden, happy that she was about to trick the adult before bypassing him. She dropped her backpack and fetched out a duel disk before attaching it to her arm. "Okay, monkey boy! If I win, you give up Jasmine!"

"But what if you lose?!" cried out a terrifed Jasmine.

"Then...Huh, I never really thought this through, huh?" It took her a moment to think of a new plan ahead. "Okay! Wheeler, if you win, you're free to go!"

"But how does this benefit me?!"

"Benefit...you...? Screw it! Let's duel!"

Glancing back at his hostage and his supposed opponent, Wheeler the monkey nodded before lowering his grip on Jasmine, who clinged onto a sturdy tree branch for support. After releasing her momentarily, he went up to a high rock and stood on it before activating his duel disk.

"Alright, Wheeler! Let's throw down!" said Jaden, excited. After all, all she's been dueling were humans, but a monkey? This duel was going to be interesting!

"But...how's Jaden going to duel if he doesn't understand monkey language?" wondered Mindy, puzzled.

"The adults did say he was trained, so he must know at least some human speech," replied Alexis, hoping that would be the case.

The man with the rifle took aim and announced, "I have a clear shot!"

"No!" ordered the short man, forcing the rifle man to cease fire. "This duel is just the kind of field test we've been waiting for!"

"You ready, Wheeler? Then, let's duel!"

The red lights on Wheeler's helmet glowed as he responded back. **"Duel!"**

"Whaaaaat?!"

"Whoa! It talks?!" muttered Syrus, taken aback just like Alexis and Mindy.

"Oh please! That would totally unrealistic! The suit reads his mind and talks for him?" explained the short man with a bit of sarcasm added in.

"Oh, surreeee. That's much more realistic."

"That...is so cool!" Jaden's eyes lit up with much more enthusiasm. "Let's duel, Wheeler! Now! Now!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **Wheeler - 4000 LP**

"My turn! Draw!" After drawing her card, Jaden nearly squealed with joy and instantly played her card. "CUTE!~ I place Outstanding Dog Marron in Defense Mode!~"

A fuzzy, harmless-looking dog bent down in Defense Mode while wagging his tail, his tongue lapping out.

Outstanding Dog Marron - (LIGHT/Beast) - LV1 - (100/100)

"CUTE!~" squealed Alexis and Mindy, who couldn't help but awe at the cute appearance of Outstanding Dog Marron.

Syrus was left sweatdropping at his friend's choice of Monster. _'Jaden...I know you like cute things, but I don't think this is a good start.'_

 **"Ooh! Ooh! My turn! My turn! Draw!** **"** After drawing his card, Wheeler's helmet helped him identify what sort of card he drew by quickly analyzing it. **"Berserk Gorilla! Attack Mode!"**

Like the name implies, a gorilla Monster showed up, pounding the ground furiously with rage filling his head and with no way of calming him down.

Berserk Gorilla - (EARTH/Beast) - LV4 - (2000/1000)

"What?! That many Attack Points?!" exclaimed Jaden. A high Attack Point Monster straight off the bat? That was going to be tough!

 **"Berserk Gorilla! Attack! Attack! Attack!"**

Poor Outstanding Dog Marron tried pleading for mercy by giving him the puppy dog eyes, but it didn't seem like Berserk Gorilla was affected one little bit. The Berserk Gorilla simply smashed his fist down on the puppy, causing a small explosion to occur. Luckily, Jaden placed him in Defense Mode, or she would have lost a lot of Life Points.

"Nooo! Outstanding Dog Marron!" cried out Jaden, Alexis, and Mindy, sadden by the loss of Outstanding Dog Marron.

 **"Ooh! Ooh! Eee! Eee! I place card facedown! You go! You go!"**

"Jaden! Beat him up! Avenge the poor puppy!" shouted Mindy, angry at Wheeler.

Alexis nodded. "I know it's difficult and I know you're losing your cool since the monkey has an advantage, but don't lose!"

Jaden turned her head and nodded at her friends. "Don't worry! I wasn't planning on it, either! My draw! And I use Polymerization and fuse together Elemental Heroes Avian and Burstinatrix to create the Elemental Flame Wingman!"

Both Burstinatrix and Avian spun around together, creating a small tornado which dispersed seconds after the two fused. Flame Wingman arrived at Jaden's side, ready to serve her at all costs.

Elemental Flame Wingman - (WIND/Fusion/Warrior) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

"Go! Avenge Outstanding Dog Marron! Inferno Rage!"

Flame Wingman sprang forward and shot out fire from his palm, incinerating his target with little to no trouble at all.

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **Wheeler - 3900 LP**

"Now I activate Flame Wingman's special effect, Wheeler! You now take damage equal to your destroyed Monster's Attack Points!"

Wheeler freaked out, already finding out how many Life Points he'll lose thanks to the effect damage. "Awesome! Now Wheeler will lose 2000 more Life Points!" said Syrus.

The monkey stepped back once Flame Wingman flew right in front of him, ready to fire his effect. Through his red visor, Wheeler couldn't do anything but watch as he was burnt to a crisp, though not literally.

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **Wheeler - 1900 LP**

"Yeah! I'm the man!" cheered Jaden, her spirits all risen up after seeing that she now had the upper hand. Noticing that Wheeler wasn't moving from his spot, she grew a little worried. "Hey, you okay, Wheeler?"

"Hey! Just surrender and give back Jasmine!" shouted Syrus, seeing no point in continuing the duel.

The short man merely chuckling, looking at the youngsters. "Please, all the monkey did was make a mistake. But, he won't make it again!"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Believe me, it's all part of his training. You see, if he made a mistake twice, he'd be severely punished! We'd poke and prompted him that took years for him to develop his skills! No, he won't give up! He'll just get better! After all, there are some things that animals can see that we humans can't."

One of the subordinates spoke up. "Sir, you do realize you just given away top, secret, classified information?"

"You do realize I've just taken 20 hours off your pay?"

"...I'll be good."

"Wheeler? You okay? You calling it quits?" called out Jaden.

 **"Grrr! Never surrender! My turn! Draw!"**

"Yeah! That's the spirit!"

 **"I summon Acrobat Monkey!"**

Somersaulting into the field, a monkey-like Monster wearing some mechnical light armor appeared.

Acrobat Monkey - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (1000/1800)

 **"Next, activating facedown card! Trap! Trap! DNA Surgery! Go!"**

"Wait, DNA Surgery?!" cried out Jaden. "That card changes all Monsters' Types to the one you choose!"

 **"I choose Beast-type! Beast-type!"**

After the declaration was made, Flame Wingman and Acrobat Monkey started morphing into the Beast-type counterparts. Both Monsters took hideous, monstrous forms much different from their actual appearances, making them look much more feral and frightening.

Acrobat Monkey - (EARTH/Beast) - LV3 - (1000/1800)

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Fusion/Beast) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

"Aww, sweet! I love my new Flame Wingman!" cheered Jaden. "He looks way cooler now!"

 **"Next! Next! Wild Nature's Release!"**

"Wild Nature's Release?!" gasped Alexis. "If I remember correctly, that card will increase the Attack Point of one Beast-type or Beast-Warrior- type Monster by the amount of their Defense Points!"

"Acrobat's got 1800 Defense Mode, and if he adds that to his Attack Points...then that means Jaden is in big trouble!" cried out Syrus.

Acrobat Monkey yelled and screamed as he was taking in newfound power from his owner and powering up. His muscles were getting bulged up and bigger, so the armor protecting him couldn't withstand his power and merely shattered into pieces.

Acrobat Monkey - (EARTH/Beast) - LV3 - (2800/1800)

 **"Now, Acrobat Monkey! Attack! Attack! Attack!"**

The powered up Beast-type jumped into the air before spinning around like a wheel before bashing the Fusion Monster's head with his two heavy fists. Flame Wingman didn't stand a chance and fell right during that battle.

 **Jaden - 3300 LP**

 **Wheeler - 1900 LP**

After Wheeler's turn finished, Acrobat Monkey placed his hands on the sides of his head out of pain before bursting into particles, leaving no defense for Wheeler.

"Wait, I'm confused. What just happened?" wondered Syrus.

"When Wild Nature's Release is used on a Monster, that Monster is destroyed at the turn's end," answered Alexis, impressed by the monkey's dueling style.

 **"Your turn! Your turn!"**

"Nice moves, Wheeler!" complimented Jaden, drawing her card. "But now, I play-huh?"

Hearing repeated soft whimpers from the background, Jaden saw several monkeys hiding behind rocks and watching the duel up close. They seemed scared of the men in suits, not wanting to be caught by them since they did have a tranquilizer rifle.

Thinking that she must have gotten the connection, Jaden turned to Wheeler. "Hey, Wheeler? That's why you escaped those weird suited guys, right? You just want to get back home to your friends and family, don't you?"

Wheeler nodded, understanding what she meant. **"Yes, win! Miss family! Miss friends!"**

The others must have realized it too, because they, other than the men, seemed more sympathetic towards Wheeler and his current situation.

"Poor Wheeler...If he loses, then he'll be sent back to the lab. But if he wins, we can't get back Jasmine," spoke Alexis, feeling bad.

"Wait, what do you mean 'if he wins, we can't get back Jasmine?'" asked Syrus. "Even if he wins, he'll just return home with his family. Then, we can get Jasmine down from the tree as soon as he leaves! In fact, why didn't we just go get her while the duel was still going on?"

"Uh...Because I don't want to get my face ravaged by an angry monkey?" said Mindy rather selfishly.

Alexis glared at her spoiled friend before looking at Syrus. "What Mindy means is, if we tried grabbing her while the duel was still happening, we might have gotten hurt. I mean, we did experience first hand what Wheeler was like when he attacked us. Plus, if Wheeler wins, he might take Jasmine with him!"

Jasmine, hearing everything loud and clear, cringed at the thought of becoming a monkey's hostage once again. "AAAAH! Please don't let him take me!"

Knowing how grave the situation was, Jaden knew she had a choice to make after hearing what Alexis had to say. She had all the cards she needed to win, and Wheeler's field was empty, save for the DNA Surgery card, making it the perfect opportunity for a direct attack. But...she was risking one thing whether she won or lost.

Wheeler's freedom or Jasmine's safety.

"...Wheeler," said Jaden, sounding quite serious. "I understand that you want to be reunited with your monkey friends, and I know that you must miss them a lot. I get the mutual feeling, honest. But, I can't let Jasmine get hurt, so instead, I have no choice but to win! I summon Elemental Hero Clayman!"

Tightening his rock hard fists, Clayman prepared for any commands to attack the monkey straight away. Once he was summoned, he felt something surging inside of him that made his outsides change physically. Most of his hardened body was replaced by large amounts of fur, making him into a wolf-life Monster.

Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

 **"Don't forget! Don't forget! DNA Surgery! Clayman turns Beast-type!"**

"That doesn't matter one bit!" shouted Jaden. "Now, I play Courageous Charge! By choosing one Monster with 1000 or less Attack Points on my side of the field, and paying 1000 Life Points, if my Monster deals damage to your Life Points in battle, then you also take damage equal to his Defense Points! Now, attack, Clayman!"

 **Jaden - 2300 LP**

 **Wheeler - 1900 LP**

Clayman raised his fur-coated fist and smashed it against Wheeler's abdomen, causing him to shrill even though he wasn't physically hurt.

 **Jaden - 2300 LP**

 **Wheeler - 1100 LP**

"And now, thanks to Courageous Charge, his 2000 Defense Points are dealted to you too!"

 **Jaden - 2300 LP**

 **Wheeler - 0 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

Wheeler collapsed on his knees, breathing heavily from the tough duel he experienced. "Alright, now let Jasmine go, just as we promised!" reminded Jaden.

Although a bit tired, Wheeler knew he had to accept the end of the bargain and went to retrieve Jasmine. He scooped up the terrified girl in his arms from the tree bark until he landed on a secure spot, where he placed her gently on the soft grass.

Jasmine didn't waste any time standing up and rushing back to her friends, where she laid her head against Alexis's shoulder and cried, relieved to be away from her terrifying experience. Though, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Wheeler before turning to his pitiful, defeated figure.

"Jaden, thanks for saving me, but...What happens to Wheeler now? I know it was wrong of him to kidnap me, but I don't think he deserves going back to that lab."

Their victory was short-lived, because the men were heading in, ready to apprehend their experiment once again. "Nice! Now, just leave the rest to us!"

"Wait!" Jaden stood in their way with her arms out, refusing to move. "I didn't say that Wheeler would go back to the lab if he lost! Besides, this monkey shouldn't be locked in a cage and tested on! He should be out in the wild where he belongs with his family and friends, wild and free! Just how a monkey should be! Wild and free! Eating fruit and making new friends! Wild and free! Doing monkey things that monkeys should! Wild and-"

"Out of the way!" The two taller men pushed Jaden aside before rushing in and quickly springing into action, capturing Wheeler with a large net.

"Ow! I hate being small!"

The short man walked passed Jaden, scoffing, "Please! You think your threats scare me? Besides, you're all just kids! Who's gonna believe you? If you want Wheeler to be reunited with his friends and family, then I can grant that wish...by using them in my lab!"

"What?!"

"Capture every last one of them! We do need new specimen after all!" ordered the short man. Once he knew his partner had Wheeler trapped under the net, the rifle man aimed for one of the monkeys and fired.

"Noooo!" As fast as she could, Jaden got up and leaped through the air to protect the monkeys with her body as a shield. Her idea worked, but she did get a tranquilizer deeply embedded in her shoulder.

"JADEN!"

"NOOO!"

The last things Jaden recalled were the pounding the footsteps, a cat's familiar shrill, and Syrus and Mindy shaking her body, calling out to her, before blacking out.

* * *

 _A week later..._

"Oww...My head..." complained Jaden, sitting up and stretching her tired body. The first thing she noticed was that she was in a white room, more specifically, the infirmary, since ther were sorts of medicine in shelves.

"Jaden! You're awake!" gasped Jasmine, hugging the girl.

"Ow, ow, ow!"

"Jasmine, you're hurting Jaden!"

"Yes, please be aware that Jaden did just wake up."

"Oh! Sorry!"

Now that she was fully awake, Jaden saw that Jasmine wasn't the only person present in the room. Bastion, Chumley, and Syrus were also in the room as well with looks of relief or concern on their faces.

After giving Jaden some water to relinquish her thrist, everyone began explaining the events that happened after she had blacked out. Jaden heroically saved Wheeler's friends and family by putting her life on the life and receiving the tranquilizer. They were lucky that it wasn't a bullet, or who knows what might have happened.

Moving on, after Jaden fell unconscious, Banner arrived and Pharoah disarmed the man with the rifle by scratching his face. Everyone called the police and they arrested the men and their secret group, thus shutting down their project once and for all. Of course, they did take Jaden to the infirmary as soon as possible, and to their luck, Miss Fontaine said that Jaden was simply sleeping and due to the heavy dosage of antithestic, Jaden would be in a sleeping state for about a week or so, since the tranquilizer was designed for animal use only.

Wheeler and his monkey tribe were safe, that was for sure, so that was news to Jaden's ears. However, Banner informed the group before that Chazz had left the academy by his own personal boat, thus explaining his sudden disappearance.

"Oh...I see," said Jaden. "But, I'm sure he'll be back! And we'll duel again!"

"Oh! By the way, here." Grunting, Bastion placed a stack of books right next to Jaden, making her jaw drop at the huge amount.

"Uh...What's that?"

"Your missing assignments, of course! Since you did sleep for about a week, you have to make up all your missing work!"

"Noooo! That'll take forever!"

"Hey, Jaden?" asked Jasmine, kneeling down so they could be at eye to eye. "I just wanted to say thanks again for saving me. And, I thought it was really cool and brave of you to save those monkeys."

"Huh?" Jaden had forgotten about her ruthless homework for a moment before nodding. "Yeah! I couldn't just stand there and do nothing!"

"That's why...I decided that I'll win your heart one day!"

"Huh? What does that mea-"

Before Jaden could finish her sentence, Jasmine swooped in and kissed her new crush right in the cheek before pulling away with a pink blush. Her sudden actions left Syrus, Chumley, and Bastion shocked and speechless.

"There!~ That was your reward! You interest me, Jaden Yuki, even if you are a Slifer! But, I know you need time to process what happened, so I'll leave ya to it!"

She winked flirtatiously at Jaden before skipping off with blissful thoughts. Jaden, unfazed by the kiss, turned to her shell-shocked friends. "What's wrong, guys?"

"Nothing! Nothing!"

"I was not thinking of any lesb-I mean, I like grilled cheese!"

"Right...Well, we should get going! Gentlemen? Let's leave!" Bastion dragged both Syrus and Chumley by the back of their collars, though it was difficult in Chumley's case since he was heavy, but they managed to leave the infirmary.

"...So," spoke up Syrus awkwardly. "When do we tell Jasmine that-"

"We don't," deadpanned Bastion. "If we tell Jasmine, we'll leave the poor girl traumatized and heartbroken. It's best that she doesn't know."

"O-Okay..."

One last thing that Syrus refused to talk about to Jaden was the updated new about the Yaoi Fanclub. Somehow, SOMEHOW, Mindy and Jasmine managed to take pictures of him and Jaden hanging out together while they were searching for Chazz in the forest. If it was normal, friendly pictures, it wouldn't be an issue, but their pictures spelled out "YAOI" right there, making them look like they actually did romantic things.

Hopefully, Jaden never looks at the Yaoi Fanclub bulletin board that was located somewhere in the Boards Room. Then again, even if she did, she wasn't smart enough to figure out what they were implying.

* * *

 **Wow! This is the fastest update I've done to this story! Yay for me!**

 **For the whole Wheeler and Jaden duel, I changed things a little, but they should be enough! I never got why the others couldn't just simply carry Jasmine out to safety while Wheeler was distracted. I mean, one of them had a tranquilizer, and they clearly outmatched Wheeler by numbers. Plus, there was a similar situation where Syrus was held captive by Axel and Jaden had to duel him while Jesse and Hasselberry tried to rescue Syrus. Then again, we'll never know.**

 **So, like I said in the beginning, please don't say "Update soon" because I'll be busy after this, so yeah. Read and review!**


	12. A Spirit Summoned

**Now that the monkey episode's done, here goes the new chapter with a couple added things!~**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"Wow! It's snowing! It's snowing!" cheered Jaden, pressing her face against the glass window. Syrus and Chumley were sitting on the ground criss-crossed, playing a simple Duel Monsters card game only without the duel disks. Jaden was busy watching the little feathers of pure white fluttering down and covering anything they touch with their color and coldness.

It's been a few days since Duel Academy closed down for winter vacation, so most of the students went home already to spend time with their families. The others who remained didn't have any classes, so it was a free no class vacation for a few weeks.

Syrus, looking up from his cards, called, "Hey, Jaden? You've been looking out there for about an hour. Aren't you getting bored?"

Jaden shook her head and prompted down besides Syrus, watching the both of them duel. "Nope! I love the snow! Winter's my second favorite season of the year?"

"What's first?" wondered Chumley.

"Summer, of course! You don't have to do homework, go to school, and stuff like that! It's awesome!"

Chumley nodded, knowing full well the wonderful feeling of summer, even though it may get hot at times. "I get how you feel. One times, I went to this really wicked vacation with my Dad."

"Really? I wanna hear! Me! Me! Me!"

"Okay! It all began with..."

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in the Spirit World..._

 _ **"Target lockdown. #2 and #3, you guys there?"**_

 _ **"Definitely. #2 here."**_

 _ **"Me three! The arsenal is set! Target currently speaking with Avian and Burstinatrix!"**_

 _ **"Alright! Everyone, got your weapons?"**_

 _ **"Yes, sir!"**_

 _ **"Alright, on my mark, get ready to fire, alright?"**_

Meanwhile, while Flame Wingman was engaged in conversation with his two teammates, Burstinatrix and Avian, Avian tapped the two in the shoulders. _**"Just letting the two of you know, the Hero Kids are right on top of a building above us with some snowballs."**_

 _ **"I know. Since it's the time of winter, I knew they would plan something like this,"**_ replied Flame Wingman, holding a large sack before taking out the object inside; a bazooka. _**"That's why I came prepared."**_

 _ **"Isn't that overkill?!"**_ demanded Burstinatrix, overexaggerating. _**"All they're doing is throwing snowballs! Must you shoot them down?!"**_

 _ **"Calm down. There's no explosions in this one. It's just a snowball-filled bazooka that me and Bubbleman worked on last week. I advise the two of you to step back. This might end up...messy."**_

Hero Kids #1, 2, and 3 were all present on the rooftop, spying on their target with binoculars before preparing to launch their snowball assault. Hero Kid #1 raised his arm, ready to throw it down to signal the start of the ambush.

 _ **"Ready...aim...AND FIRE!"**_

At that moment, Flame Wingman twisted around, placed the bazooka onto his shoulder, and pulled the trigger before any of the Hero Kids could even think of unleashing their attacks. Seeing how he was a better, experienced fighter than the Hero Kids, his aim was perfectly accurate, hitting Hero Kid #2 in the face and causing him to fall on his back.

 _ **"Oh no! Big bro #2's been knocked out!"**_

 _ **"The enemy knows we're here! Fire back! Fire back!"**_

 _ **"Oh, boy,"**_ said Burstinatrix, rolling her eyes as she watched from afar. A grown Duel Spirit involving himself in a petty quarrel such as a snowball fight with children using a snowball shooting bazooka that he prepared on ocasions. My, how the times have turned.

 _ **"Hot cocoa?"**_ Avian offered, holding a cup for himself and the other to his lady friend. She accepted it and both watched the snowball fight commence.

 _ **"Hello, Avian. Burstinatrix, good day to you too."**_

 _ **"Oh, hey Clayman."**_

 _ **"...Snowball war again this year?"**_

 _ **"Yup. I think Flame Wingman's gonna win again."**_

 _ **"Maybe he'll go easy on them this time?"**_

Unfortunately for Clayman, he should know better that Fusion Monsters like Flame Wingman have a tendency to uphold their pride and not hold back any power, even if it's against children.

 _ **"Ha! You children thought you could take me on because of numbers? Learn your place! Never underestimate a Fusion Monster!"**_

 _ **"Gyah! I've been hit!"**_

 _ **"Noooo! Bro #3! Don't dieeeeee!"**_

 _ **"I...can't! I'm sorrry! Tell Jaden...I have the hots for her! Bleh."**_

 _ **"Noo! I'll avenge you! Flame Wingman, today is the day you-"**_

 _ **"Ha! Hit you! I win!"**_

 _ **"Gaaaaah! I couldn't avenge anyone! Bleh."**_

Avian, Clayman, and Burstinatrix sweatdropped as they watched Flame Wingman laughing like a villain over his triumph in battle. _'Flame Wingman...the guy who doesn't even hold back on kids.'_

* * *

 _Later, at night..._

"Go, go! I summon Elemental Hero Clayman!"

The respectful Elemental Hero appeared right in front of Jaden, relieved that he was used for offensive instead of defensive this time. He was getting a little tired, even if his defense was much stronger.

Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

Syrus prepared himself for any tricks Jaden was about to unleash with two Monsters on his side of the field; Cycroid and Gyroid. Chumley and Banner watched from one of the tables in the Slifer Red dining room, grilling rice cakes to freshen and heat them up.

Smelling the faint, but delicious scent of the rice cakes, Jaden's mouth watered. "Professor Banner! Chumley! If you're done with the rice cakes, can I have one, too?"

"Hey! Me too!" said Syrus, feeling a bit hungry himself.

"Sure!" Chumley noticed that his portion of the rice cakes was finished and placed one of them onto his hands, trying to cool it down by tossing the rice cake from one hand to another repeatedly. "Hot, hot, hot, hot..."

"Yay! I can't wait to-"

 **CRASH!**

Suddenly, the dining room door crashed down and shattered glass all over, causing Jaden and Syrus to cease their duel as they stared wide-eyed at the intruder. Chumley and Banner turned off their griller and rushed over to see what was happening.

The intruder happened to be an Obelisk Blue student glasses, and he was stumbling back and forth, standing in front of the doorway. He seemed dizzy and exhausted, but still consciousness. "Okay...Okay...I think I'll be alr-Ohmygod!"

 **CRASH!**

It appears that there was another invisible glass door in his way, but his heavy weight made it so that door collapsed once he stumbled forward and landed on the ground, a few scratches on his body due to the glass.

Looking up, the Obelisk Blue student struggled to get up. "W-why would you have t-two doors there?!"

"Ouch..." Jaden winched, walking up to the student with Syrus. "That looked like it hurt. A lot. Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah...I'm fine...B-but someone-No, something's after me! It's-It's Jinzo!"

"Jinzo? The Duel Monster's card?" asked Syrus, confused.

"Yes! He's real! And he's after me!"

"Uh..." Jaden's brain wasn't functioning properly for her to understand what the Obelisk Blue student meant.

"Wait...I know you! Your name's Torrey! You were in one of my classes," spoke Banner, walking up to the Obelisk Blue student to examine any wounds.

"Yeah! That's right, Professor Banner! A-and everything you said about Duel Spirits being real was true!"

"Um...Professor? What's he talking about?" wondered Syrus, thinking that this Torrey fellow was being delusional or just acting crazy.

Banner walked off, only to return with a med kit for Torrey. "Just calm down, and tell me everything that's happened."

"Y-yes, Professor..." With that said, Torrey began his story of the whole Jinzo incident as Banner was cleaning up any sounds and pulling out glass shards while Chumley got a plate of rice cakes to feed to Torrey since he needed it more than anyone.

* * *

 _Torey's P.O.V._

 _Flashback..._

 _A while back, I told some of my friends about Banner's classes and how under certain conditions, Duel Spirits could come to life! Well, we started trying to create some of those conditions, even though we knew the Academy forbids it. We did try several different ways, but nothing ever worked, until yesterday..._

 _Maybe it was because we used our bedsheets as cloaks, or we stol-I mean, borrowed Crowler's bath candles. However, last time, we decided to contact a spirit using an Ouija Board. So, we all put our hands on the board, said the mystic chant, and it happened!"_

 _"From vapor to flesh, wind to aroar! Come, Jinzo to the land of your!"_

 _After that, the Ouija Board spelled out for us, "GIVE ME THREE AND I'LL BE FREE."_

 _We thought that it meant trading cards, so we...we agreed._

* * *

Banner shook his head, concern of the current situation which he unintentionally caused. "Oh, dear me. I'm afraid that wasn't what Jinzo meant. He'd never be satisfied with cards."

"So, what did the three mean, Torrey?" asked Syrus.

"...People as sacrirfices."

'What?! Wait, what happened to your friends?"

"T-they're both gone!" sputtered Torrey, his body shaking from fear. "I looked everywhere for them, but no such luck! First it was my friend, Ken, and then my other friend, Zack. And now, I know it's going to be me!"

Syrus shrieked from the sudden omnious words Torrey spoke, as if Syrus was going to be the new target. Wait, what was he scared about? Duel Spirits don't exist! That's impossible!

"Hey, you sure your friends didn't go home for winter break or anything, Torrey?" suggested Jaden.

"I thought of that too, so I called their parents. But, they said they never reached home. I doubt that they would have made it home anyways. I mean, I did try leaving the island, but I couldn't."

* * *

 _Torey's P.O.V._

 _Flashback..._

 _I had already packed my bags and was ready to leave with the other students on the ferry. That was when I saw a cloaked man with a hat up on deck. When we met eyes, he revealed his face to me, which was Jinzo!_

 ** _"Hello, Torrey..."_**

 _I...I hate to admit it, but I literally screamed like a little girl and ran away._

 ** _"Hahahaha! That's right, Torrey! Run away! But, I will find you and catch you! And when I do-"_**

 **BEEP! _"Attention, passengers! The ship is now leaving the docks!"_**

 ** _"AHAHAHAHAHA! ...No, wait! I have to get off! NOOOOOO!"_**

 _"Martini, sir?"_

 _ **"Ooh! Yes, please!"**_

* * *

"T-there's just n-no escape!" cried out Torrey, close to breaking down at any moment.

While Banner tried to figure out what to do, Syrus and Chumley glanced at each other with concern. Jaden may seem calm, but in reality, she was terrified, though not at the level of Torrey's fear.

 _'He's scared, and so am I. But, as long as we're safe in here, we should be-'_

Just when things couldn't get worst, the lights in the dining room switched off, and everyone knew the switch was far across the room away from them.

"WOW. That's just really bad timing!"

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Syrus, calm down!"

"That wasn't me!"

"What? Then, who was it?"

"Sorry, that was me."

"Chumley? Look, can somebody just turn the lights back on?"

"Ow, you're crushing my hand!"

"Oh, sorry! Ooh! Ohhhhh! I think I reached it!"

"No, that was the-Ooh! Yeah! I got it!"

"Syrus. Chumley."

"Yes, Professor Banner?"

"Please stop messing around and making such...references."

"What?! No! It's not what you think, Professor Banner and-I think I got it!"

A few seconds after the lights turned back on, everyone spotted the famous Jinzo garbed in clothing and carrying an unconscious Torrey onto his underarm.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Jaden screamed, hiding behind Banner and clinging onto Pharaoh so tightly, the poor cat felt like he was suffocating under the girl's unbelievable, unknown strength.

Jaden wasn't the only one frightened; Chumley and Syrus were hugging each other, unafraid to let go of one another. "AAAAH! I-IT'S JINZO!"

Trying to prove her bravery, Jaden stumbled forward with shaky legs. "L-let go of Torrey, J-Jinzo!"

 _ **"No. We had a deal!"**_ With that, Jinzo turned back and started running right into the cold forests; Jaden and the others chasing after him to rescue Torrey and put an end to the visible Duel Spirit.

Since everyone was so fixated on locating Jinzo, they ended up splitting up in different pathways, thus separating from one another. What was worst, was that the forest was huge and it was nighttime out, so there was a very dangerous possibility of running into Jinzo alone. Luckily, no other animals besides monkeys and birds and whatnot lived in these forests, but still, anyone could get lost in parts like these.

Jaden was hugging herself, shivering not just because of the cold, but also of fear of running into Jinzo. Her Elemental Heroes and other Monster Spirits did warn her to stay away from dangerous Duel Spirits, and clearly, Jinzo was one of them. She remembered them telling her all about evil Duel Spirits like it was yesterday...

* * *

 _Flashback..._

 _"Bursty! Bursty! Bursty! Tempty! Tempty! Tempty!" An energetic 6 year-old Jaden rushed towards two of her favorite Elemental Heroes, wanting to ask them something. "I wanna ask something! I wanna ask something!"_

 _Burstinatrix kneeled down to reach the little girl's eye level. **"What is it, Jaden?"**_

 _"I heard Avi and Bubbles talking about a tough battle with the Dark World Monsters! One of my classmates at school has a deck of those! What are they like? Those Dark World Monsters must be so cool!"_

 _Burstinatrix and Tempest looked at each other, wondering what to say. To normal humans, thanks to the whole hologram system, the Monsters fighting one another and inflicting direct damage were nothing. However, in the Elemental Heroes last battle, the fight against the villainous Dark World group was indeed tough._

 _Should Jaden ever encounter an evil entity such as the Dark World or any othe Duel Spirits like that, it would be...disastrous. For all they know, the evil Duel Spirits could easily manipulate poor little Jaden and change her pure, innocent heart to evil. That's why they needed to warn Jaden about the sort of dangers happening._

 _The female fighter of the Elemental Heroes decided to take things slow and steady for Jaden. **"Jaden...The Dark World Monsters are...powerful, that's for sure."**_

 _Jaden gasped, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "They're really strong! Coool!"_

 _Tempest cleared his throat and decided to step in. **"Jaden, you know about the superhero comics you read and the TV shows you watch?"**_

 _"Yeah! They're so cool!"_

 ** _"Well...I guess, in a way, you could say that the Dark World Monsters are as evil as villains. Now, I know not every Duel Spirit is evil, but this certain group is."_**

 _"They're evil? Aww! I wanted to ask more questions about them!"_

 ** _"What kinds of questions?"_**

 _"Like, what's Avi's weakness? How can I fly? Stuff like that!"_

 _Okay, now Burstinatrix and Tempest were going to make sure that Jaden stays FAR away from villains._

 ** _"Jaden...You do realize villains can hurt you, right?"_** _reminded Burstinatrix._

 _"I know! But, in a way, I'll be doing good things like you and the other Elemental Heroes are! First order of business! I'm gonna beat Tom tommorow at school!"_

 ** _"And, who is this 'Tom?"_** _asked Tempest, crossing his arms as he tried to restrain his overprotective instincts._

 _"He's the boy with the Dark World deck! But, don't worry! I'll defeat him like a superhero! For the sake of justice!"_

 _Burstinatrix and Tempest sighed to each other, knowing the reckless dueling Jaden was going to present, trying to beat that boy down. Looks like they'll have to inform the others about the next battle they'll be enduring with._

* * *

Remembering the countless warnings she received from her Elemental Heroes, Jaden stood up straight, her fists tightening by her side.

"Alright, Jaden! Remember your training! Defeating villains helps everyone! Yeah! You should act like a true hero!"

 _ **"Kuri? Kuri kuri-"**_ ("Jaden? What are you doi-")

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!" Winged Kuriboh flinched when he heard his female owner screaming. Once they locked eyes, Jaden sighed in relief before hugging Winged Kuriboh to her chest. "Ohh! Winged Kuriboh! I'm so glad you're safe! I need a buddy right now!"

Winged Kuriboh sweatdropped and simply tapped Jaden's chin with his tiny paw. _**"Kuri, kuri..."**_ ("There, there...")

"Jaden!"

"Where are you?"

"There! She's right there!"

"Huh?" Releasing Winged Kuriboh, Jaden saw Banner, Syrus, and Chumley running towards her, holding long, sturdy sticks in their hands. "Why do you guys have sticks?"

"For protection!" answered Chumley.

"Where did he go?" asked Syrus, looking at Jaden like she had a clue of some sort.

"I...actually don't know. Huh. Guess I should have paid more attention, huh?"

Then, upon hearing Pharaoh's hissing, they turned to the alerted cat. Judging from his loud yowling and bristled fur, they can tell that Pharaoh had picked up something. After all, animals do have different senses than humans.

"Hey, where's he going?" wondered Chumley, watching as the cat rushed off on his own deeper and deeper into the woods. Not wanting Pharaoh to get hurt or worse, everyone followed after him, hoping he might lead them to Jinzo and Torrey.

Thanks to Pharaoh's senses, the group arrived near a small area that was secluded from the others parts of the Duel Academy; one where fences surrounded the aerea full of electrical generators.

"Hey, Professor Banner? What is this place?" asked Syrus.

"Hmm...From the looks of it, this seems like the island's central power station for the entire island. But I do not see Jinzo anywhere."

"Seriously?" Syrus couldn't believe that fact one little bit. "This massive island is powered by this small area? Come on!"

Spotting a lone body not too far away, Jaden recognized it as Torrey. "Hey! It's Torrey!"

The girl ran towards the unconscious boy when a strong, high-voltage current blocked her way. Jaden yelped, shielding her eyes from the illumination and stepping back for distance in hopes of not getting hit.

Without the entire attire of the coat and hat, Jinzo revealed his whole body. Considering how famous dueling is, everyone knows who Jinzo is and who he looks like, so the group recognized the entity as Jinzo without a doubt. However, his body seemed...odd, like he had a ghost-like body.

 _ **"Mwahahaha! None of you are safe!"**_

Pharaoh yelped, leaping into his owner's arms and shaking like a leaf. Syrus turned to Chumley, confused and frightened. "C-Chum? Have any idea what's going on? Why is Jinzo appearing like that?"

Annoyed by his question, Chumley rudely replied, "Seriously? You're asking me? Sy, I don't have a clue how he's doing that! I'm still trying to come into the terms that you still use a Dark Magician Girl night-light while sleeping!"

"Wait, what?"

"I think I may know why Jinzo is like that," said Banner, quivering just like his cat. "Jinzo is using the electrical current to power himself up! He is a clever one!"

As much as she wanted to cower in fear of the evil Duel Spirit, Jaden knew better than that and stood her ground. "L-let Torrey go, Jinzo! Don't do this! If you need a sacrifice that badly, then...then take me instead! You hear that?! Yeah! Take me!"

"Jaden! No!" protested Chumley and Syrus. They knew how selfless Jaden can be at times like this, and sometimes, from the bottom of their hearts, they wished she wasn't like this.

 _ **"Oh?"**_ Hearing her declare such a bold statement perked Jinzo's interest. Not many humans would be this willing to become a sacrifice. _**"You'd be willing to sacrifice yourself for this lowlife? Very well, I shall take upon your offer!"**_

"Not so fast!" interrupted Jaden. "I'll become a sacrifice, but under one condition! You have to duel me! If you win, I'll become your sacrifice! But, if I win, you have to release Torrey and his other two friends!"

 _ **"Hmph. Very interesting! I accept! The electricity around this area should be able to sustain my current form long enough for a match. You'll regret offering as a sacrifice, human!"**_

"Yeah? We'll see!" shouted Jaden, activating her duel disk and trying to avoid getting hit by the electrical currents. "Come on and get your game on, Jinzo!"

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Jinzo - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 _ **"I'll go first,"**_ said Jinzo as he manipulated the electrical currents and his own Duel energy to manifest his own cards; all for only him to look at. Even though he had no duel disk on, when it was his Draw Phase, a different card manifested in front of him so he could look at it. _**"I summon Malice Doll of Demise in Attack Mode!"**_

A wooden doll-like Monster resembling a little boy showed up on the field, wielding a short axe that seem fitable for his size.

Malice Doll of Demise - (DARK/Fiend) - LV4 - (1600/1700)

"Wow! He looks cool in a creepy way!" said Jaden, glancing up and down at the Fiend-type Monster and wanting to pet him.

"You call that thing 'cool?!' He's scary-looking!" cried out Syrus, a bit scared of the doll-like Monster and hiding behind Banner. He once saw this movie about a killer doll before when he was little, and ever since then, he's gained a fear of dolls.

 _ **"And next, I'll activate the Spell card, Ectoplasmer! During the End Phase of their turns, each player can sacrifice a Monster on their side of the field and deal half of their Monster's original Attack Points as damage to their opponent. Since I activated this card, I choose my Malice Doll of Demise!"**_

Malice Doll of Demise hunched over as if completely lifeless before a ghost-like spirit flew out of his lifeless body before swirling around Jaden. Jaden grunted a little, feeling a bit of a headache once the ghost-like spirit did its deed before disappearing.

 **Jinzo - 4000 LP**

 **Jaden - 3200 LP**

"Oh no! Jaden's already lost Life Points in the first turn!" Syrus said, worried like Banner and Chumley.

 _'That's a continuous Spell card!'_ Jaden thought, regaining her strength back, even by a little. _'He'll be able to use that magic every turn! But, on the other hand, I can too!'_

"I draw! ...Only one Monster, huh? And I summon Elemental Hero Avian!"

Quick on the draw, Avian emerged on the field, ready to use his full-fledged WIND powers on the opponent.

Elemental Hero Avian - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (1000/1000)

"Next, I place four cards facedown, and now, I'm activating a Continuous Spell of my own! Mirage of Nightmare! Once, during each of your Standby Phase, I get to draw four cards! But during my own Standby Phase, I have to discard four! But before all that, I'll have Avian attack! Go, Windstorm Strike!"

Avian flew towards Jinzo and slammed his fist onto the Duel Spirit's body, causing some damage to Jinzo, since he did grunted in pain.

 **Jinzo - 3000 LP**

 **Jaden - 3200 LP**

"Oh, but I'm not done yet! Next, I'll help myself to that Ectoplasmer you _generously_ offered! Thanks, by the way! Now, I sacrifice Avian and use half of his Attack Points to deal damage to you!"

Having finished with his direct attack, Avian allowed his spirit to leave his current body to dealt more damage to Jinzo for hurting his mistress. In normal cases, spirits couldn't harm humans, but in this duel, it was a completely different story.

 **Jinzo - 2500 LP**

 **Jaden - 3200 LP**

"Yeah! Keep up with those combos, and you'll win for sure, Jay!" cheered Syrus and Chumley, feeling much more relieved for Jaden.

Banner simply hugged Pharaoh closer, knowing that this duel was far from over. "No...both of them are taking high-risking decisions. Neither of them have any Monsters on their field. Not yet, anyways. And there's a chance Jinzo could summon a powerful Monster. Jaden, be very, VERY, careful."

"Yay! I'm gonna win!" cheered Jaden, all pumped up for more action.

 _ **"Hmph! If that's all you've got, then I'm even more disappointed than I was before. But, now I draw! And, since Malice Doll of Demise was sent to the Graveyard due to an effect of a Spell card, he automatically resurrects!"**_

The creepy doll-like Monster showed up, his axe as sharp as ever and ready to take out his revenge.

"Well, speaking of Spells, mine now activates! Mirage of Nightmare! I get to draw four cards!" reminded Jaden, doing as she was told. "And now, I'll activate Emergency Provisions! And I'll have discard Mirage of Nightmare to regain 1000 Life Points!"

 **Jinzo - 2500 LP**

 **Jaden - 4200 LP**

"What a move! She got back Life Points AND discarded Mirage of Nightmare!" Chumley said, impressed. "Now, she won't have to suffer Mirage of Nightmare's after effect!"

 _ **"Hmph. No matter. I summon Emissary of the Afterlife in Attack Mode!"**_

A Monster greatly resembling a combination of the Grim Reaper and a ghastly ghost flew onto the field, wielding a deadly scythe that could possibly slice through anything.

Emissary of the Afterlife - (DARK/Fiend) - LV4 - (1600/600)

"Oh man! That's bad! Jaden doesn't have any Monsters on her field!" Chumley said, looking at Jaden's field that was completely deserted except for a few facedowns. Hopefully, those facedowns might help her out this turn!

 _ **"And since you have no Monsters left, I wage a direct attack! Scythe Slasher!"**_

"Not so fast! I play my Trap! A Hero Emerges!" shouted Jaden. "Now, you have to pick one of the cards in my hand at random! And, if it's a Monster, I can summon it!"

 _ **"Hmm...Far right!"**_

A bit of electricity crackled on one of Jaden's card, indicating that Jinzo chose that card. Looking at the chosen card, Jaden smiled. "Hey, good choice! For me, that is! Say hello to...Elemental Hero Sparkman!"

Flying to the scene, Sparkman's egotism and courage increased due to the amount of static electricity surrounding the area, Sadly, none of the electricity increased his power, but the electricity did make a dramatic effect for his entrance.

Elemental Hero Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1400)

Both the Emissary of the Afterlife and Sparkman charged at each other, soon engaged in combat. They were equally matched, given the fact that they both had the same amount of Attack Points. Sparkman managed to land a punch straight through his opponent's chest before backing away. Emissary of the Afterlife wouldn't go down that easily, so he slashed at Sparkman's chest, defeating him before the both of them shattered into pieces together.

 _ **"Foolish mortal! By sending Emissary of the Afterlife to the Graveyard, his special effect is activated! Now, each of us can take a Monster from our decks and place them in our hands, so long as it's a Level 3 or below Monster. And I choose Thousand-Eyes Idol!"**_

"Well then, I'll choose good ol' Burstinatrix!" decided Jaden, showing Jinzo her most frequently used female Monster.

 _ **"So be it. Now, to continue with my turn! Malice Doll, attack! Go, Cleaver Heaver!"**_

Malice Doll of Demise, who wasn't used in the previous turn, decided to take his anger out in full-force at Jaden. He stepped back, raised his axe, and threw it straight towards the Slifer Red. Normally, the axe would just phase by, but it unexpectedly slashed through Jaden's shoulder before returning to its wielder.

 **Jinzo - 2500 LP**

 **Jaden - 2600 LP**

Jaden screamed and collapsed on her knees, clutching her bloody shoulder with one hand She hissed in pain when she tenderly tried to tap the wound with one of her blood-soaked fingers. Luckily, the wound wasn't that deep, but if she kept it as it is, she knew it would get infected.

Everyone else stared, gasping over what just happened. Wasn't this supposed to be a duel with normal, harmless holograms? Then, how did Jaden receive that nasty wound?

 _ **"Oh, and don't think I've forgotten all about my own Ectoplasmer!"**_

The ghost-like spirit of Malice Doll of Demise burst out from his original body before swooping by and spinning around Jaden. Just the sight of the spirit spinning made Jaden want to throw up since her headache was getting worse.

 **Jinzo - 2500 LP**

 **Jaden - 1800 LP**

"Are you done yet?" groaned Jaden, resisting the urge to vomit while struggling to stand on her own two feet.

 _ **"Not even close! Ectoplasmer!"**_

"Wait, what are you-"

 **BOOM!** A shot fired from the faceup Spell card straight at Jaden's chest. Jaden coughed and bit her lip to endure the pain. None of her Life Points dropped, but that didn't stop the pain she was experiencing.

"W-wait...What the hell was-"

 _ **"Ectoplasmer!"**_

 **BOOM!** Once again, another beam shot out and fired at Jaden's side, causing her to yell in pain. The visible wound on her shoulder was painful enough, and now two more shots to the chest area? What was his deal?

"Seriously, dude! W-what the hell happ-"

 _ **"Ectoplasmer!"**_

 **BOOM!** This time, it was a shot to the knee, but Jaden managed to stand tall and strong...as well as hurt pretty badly.

"H-hey! I don't even have any Monsters lef-"

 _ **"ECTO FREAKIN' PLASMER!"**_

 **BOOM!** The next shot made her wobble and stagger back, but she held on.

"Stop saying that!"

 _ **"Fine. I was finished anyways. I end my turn."**_

Syrus grew more and more worried for his crush-er, friend out there. Not only did she receive an axe to the shoulder, but she was blasted over and over by Jinzo's Ectoplasmer. Obviously, he had to be cheating with that card, but at least Jaden's Life Points didn't go down and-what happened to her legs?!

"Jaden! Your legs!"

Hearing Syrus's warning, Jaden looked down at her lower body. She was more than terrified when, not just her legs, but the lower half of her body seemed to have been...vanished. Technically, they were still there and she could move, but that didn't stop her from being scared.

"W-what's happening?!"

 _ **"Oh, I'm simply collecting on our deal! You lost half your Life Points, so I'm taking half of your life force! Feels good, doesn't it?"**_

"S-shut up! I-it's my turn! My draw!" said Jaden, quickly making her move before Jinzo could do anything else with Ectoplasmer.

Jinzo, who crossed his arms, was perfectly calm and confident in his assuring victory. _**"It doesn't matter what card you draw! Face it, Jaden! You can't win as long as I have ECTOPLASMER-" BOOM! "-On the field!"**_

Jaden smirked, seeing her cards. "Yeah? Well, I have something you don't, Jinzo!"

 _ **"Hair that looks like a Kuriboh?"**_

"Wha-I-NO! I-Wait, does my hair look like a Kuriboh?"

"JADEN! Focus!" called out Syrus.

"Oh, right! Sorry! Anyways, as I was saying, I have Polymerization! But before I use it, I'm summoning Clayman to the field in Attack Mode!"

The golem-like Monster stood up, clenching his fists at his sides in preparation for a big fight.

Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

"Oh, don't think I'm through yet! Next, I'll play Clay Wrap from my field and equip Clayman with it!"

A sort of gooey-like substance splattered onto Clayman, coating his body completely with the substance. Although he hated the...feeling of wearing this equipment, he knew its special effect and how it could help Jaden.

"Now, from my field, I'm gonna activate Polymerization! Now, from my hand, I use Burstinatrix, and from my field, I use Clayman and fuse them together to create Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster!"

Burstinatrix and Clayman jumped together before a portal absorbed the both of them and fused their powers and bodies together, creating a new being that took the form of a huge defender carrying a shield with a cannon-like arm.

Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2000/2500)

"Here's the sweet part! Since Clayman, who had Clay Wrap equipped to him, was sent to the Graveyard, that activates the special effect of Clay Wrap! And once Clay Wrap is sent to the Graveyard, it allows me to destroy a Spell or Trap on the field! Like that Ectoplasmer!"

 _ **"Nooo! Ectoplasmer!"**_

 **BOOM!** The Spell card didn't fire anything, but managed to create one more loud sound before disappearing to the Graveyard like it was supposed to.

"Aw, 'licious! Now, Jaden won't take any damage from Jinzo's sacrificial Monsters!" said Chumley, finding hope in Jaden once more.

"And now, Rampart Blaster! Attack Jinzo directly! Rampart Barrage!"

Once getting into position, Rampart Blaster unleashed several missiles towards the Duel Spirits, creating explosions all over his side of the field that effectively brought down his Life Points by a lot.

 **Jinzo - 500 LP**

 **Jaden -1800 LP**

"Yeah! I'm not gonna lose to you, Jinzo!" declared Jaden. "I place a card facedown before ending!"

 _ **"My draw!"**_ Using the electricity in the central power generators, Jinzo manifested another card. _**"And I couldn't have asked for a better card! With this card, my resurrection is almost complete!"**_

"What card?!"

 _ **"Hehehehehe...You'll see. But first, I activate Malice Doll of Demise's special ability to resummon him. But, I sacrifice him in order to call out my drawn card! Jinzo!"**_

As he was explaining all these things, Malice Doll of Demise had reappeared on the field only to vanish into thin air. The electricity around the power generators went out of control and were causing massive electrical currents in the air, which then connected and sent a bolt of lightning to crash down on the field. A few seconds later, some dust and smoke circled around where the lightning bolt had aimed for before Jinzo himself appeared, laughing maniacally.

Jinzo - (DARK/Machine) - LV6 - (2400/1500)

"Hang on a sec!" shouted Jaden. "If all you needed to do was sacrifice one Monster to revive yourself, why did you need THREE human sacrifices?!"

 _ **"Foolish human! My current form right now is temporary! In order to permanently regain a physical body, I need three sacrifices, which I'll have once I defeat you! Mwahaha!"**_

"I...I don't...I don't get it!"

Jinzo knew better than to argue with an idiot like her, so he began charging up a pink energy-like sphere in his palms. _**"Fine! Look at my glowy pink ball!"**_

"Ooh! Shiny!~"

 _ **"Now I attack your Rampart Blaster! Cyber Energy Shock!"**_

Jinzo flinged the energy sphere towards Rampart Blaster, and once the attack made contact, it had enough power to literally shock Rampart Blaster and then destroy her from the massive electricity.

 **Jinzo - 500 LP**

 **Jaden - 1400 LP**

 _ **"Your move..."**_

"Oh, man! Jaden's a goner now!" cried out Chumley. "And with Jinzo on the field, Jaden won't be able to use any of his Trap cards!"

"Alright, my turn! And I summon Wroughtweiler in Defense Mode!" said Jaden, seeing that it was all she could do. "Then...I end."

A dark, cybernetic dog creature showed up on her field, growling lowly at Jinzo and viewing him as an enemy. Seeing how he was in Defense Mode, the most he could do is stand back and defend his mistress.

Wroughtweiler - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (800/1200)

"Oh yeah! If Wroughtweiler's destroyed, Jaden can take Polymerization and an Elemental Hero from his Graveyard and put them in his hand!" said Chumley, remembering the effect of Wroughtweiler.

"Yeah...Just hope Jaden picks the right Hero to save the day," said Syrus.

 _ **"Ready for more pain, mortal?"**_ Jinzo manifested yet another card he had drawn. _**"I summon Spirit Caller in Attack Mode!"**_

An old man robed in torn garments showed up, all weakened and pitiful-looking.

Spirit Caller - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV3 - (1000/1000)

Jinzo charged up another one of his energy spheres, preparing to launch another attack. _**"And then I'll attack your Wroughtweiler with Cyber Energy Shock!"**_

The sphere he had thrown transformed into a powerful beam of light which pierced through Wroughtweiler's defenses and destroyed the dog-like Monster.

"Now, thanks to Wroughtweiler's ability, Polymerization and Clayman come right back to my hand!" reminded Jaden.

 _ **"But not the field! That means Spirit Caller can attack you directly! Go, Breath from Beyond!"**_

Eyes glowing red, Spirit Caller widened his jaws and emitted soundwaves at Jaden, thus causing more pain to her. In fact, the soundwaves were so strong, they even caused Jaden to fall right on her back.

 **Jinzo - 500 LP**

 **Jaden - 400 LP**

"GAH!" Crashing to the ground caused the pain on her shoulder to spring up. Soon, some parts of her jacket were absorbing the blood, as evident of her red Slifer Red jacket turning into a darker shade of red and the fact that a small puddle of blood was forming near the area of her slashed shoulder.

"Jaden!" Everyone desperately wanted to rush over and protect Jaden from Jinzo and this duel any further, but they knew they couldn't. One, Jinzo could intervene and use the electrical currents from the generators to block their way. And two, now that Jinzo himself had a physical body now, he could fire more of his attacks at them, causing severe damage. They knew Jaden wouldn't want them to risk their lives, so they stayed put for her sake. They planned to get her to safety once this was all over.

 _ **"Finally, I equip myself with the Equip Spell, Amplifier! With this, I'm no longer bound by my own special ability, and I can activate Trap cards however I please. So, I'll set a card facedown and end."**_

"It's not over yet! I draw! And I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw two extra card! Next up, I'm summoning Elemental Hero Bubbleman in Attack Mode!"

Bubbleman showed up as quickly as possible. He knew the status of Jaden's condition due to watching her duel with the others, so he had to obey her commands as fast as he could so she could get help.

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"Next, I equip him with Bubble Blaster! This Equip Spell card increases his Attack by 800!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1200)

"Now, let it rip! Bombarding Bubble Barrage!"

Bubbleman fired his blaster once equipped onto it, targetting Spirit Caller who immediantly got destroyed the moment he felt the force of the WATER Attribute's attack.

 _ **"Heh, well done! You just fallen to my Trap! Spirit Barrier! This keeps me from taking damage so long as there's a Monster on my field! And, in case you've forgotten, there is one! Me!"**_

"I'm not through yet! I play Fairy of the Spring!" said Jaden. "I can place one Equip Spell card from my Graveyard and put it in my hand! And I choose Clay Wrap! Then, I'll throw down a facedown and end my turn!"

"Hey, that's the Equip card that can destroy one Spell or Trap card if sent to the Graveyard once equipped to Clayman! Could come in handy!" commented Chumley.

 _ **"Heh, no matter! After I destroy your Bubbleman, your Life Points are history!"**_ said Jinzo, once he had gotten through his Draw Phase. He fired a blast at Bubbleman, but it only destroyed his Bubble Blaster.

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"Oops! Forgot to tell ya! When Bubbleman is equipped with Bubble Blaster, his weapon is destroyed, and all Battle Damage is reduced to 0!"

 _ **"That only lasts you one turn! I place a card facedown and end,"**_ finished Jinzo.

"My go, then!" After drawing her card, Jaden saw it was Winged Kuriboh that she drew. She was relieved to see her cute, little Fairy-type card in her hands, but she hissed in pain, remembering her bleeding shoulder getting worse and worse as time gone by.

Winged Kuriboh appeared right besides her, concern about her deadly wound. He flew around her and nuzzled his cheek against her, trying to cheer her up and distract her from the pain.

Jaden smiled happily at the sight of her furry little friend. If it weren't for this duel and her injuries, she would be fangirling all over Winged Kuriboh again. _'Awww! Winged Kuriboh's trying to cheer me up! I'm definitely gonna give him a treat next time!'_

Jinzo, being a Duel Spirit himself, noticed the little winged Duel Spirit. _**"A spirit?"**_

"He's a friend first, and a spirit second!" defended Jaden, thinking Jinzo was trying to insult her cute little friend. "He doesn't need any sacrifices like you do! He's my partner and my cute little friend!"

 _ **"Kuri kuri!"**_ ("That's right!") Winged Kuriboh bounced on top of Jaden's head, also agreeing with his current mistress/friend.

"With that said, it's my turn!" Jaden said, her excitement rising due to Winged Kuriboh's appearance. "I summon Clayman in Attack Mode! Next, I activate the Equip Spell card, Clay Wrap from my hand!"

After Clayman reappeared on the field, he felt the Clay Wrap pouring all over his body, and, ignoring the fact that it was slimy, welcomed it temporarily, as he knew what Jaden was about to do.

Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

"I'm far from done! Next up is Polymerization! So, I'm fusing my Clayman and Bubbleman together to summon Elemental Hero Mudballman!"

Taking both heroes' places, a enormous Hero with a body as strong as a wall yet with Bubbleman's face landed on the ground with a huge thud sound.

Elemental Hero Mudballman - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (1900/3000)

"And since Clay Wrap was sent to the Graveyard, I can now use its special effect and destroy that Amplifier!"

Pointing to the Amplifier equipped to Jinzo, Jaden then used the magic of Clay Wrap to shatter the helmet into pieces. Jinzo grunted and gasped, his one true strong point at the moment now destroyed. Before he could do anything, he, being the Monster himself, exploded, causing smoke to fill the area.

"Awesome! The Monster equipped with Amplifier is also destroyed!" said Chumley, knowing that Jaden had a much higher increased chance of winning, especially since Jinzo didn't have any Monsters left on the field.

"Nice work, Jay!" called Syrus.

"Yeah! I'm gonna win!" said Jaden happily.

 ** _"No!"_** The sharp mechanical voice coming from Jinzo disturbed their short victory. _**"I've come too close to give up! I won't let it end here! I REFUSEEEE!"**_

After the smoke faded away, everyone saw Torrey groaning and slowly getting up on his own. He seemed okay...for the most part.

"Torrey? You okay? Gah!" Jaden got a little bit too excited there, as she had forgotten the pain in her shoulder.

Torrey's body began moving on his own, as evident from the unfamiliar glowing red eyes he now possessed. _**"I am not Torrey...I am Jinzo...And I raise myself from the Graveyard using Call of the Haunted-"**_

Unable to allow that action to be accomplished, Jaden was quick to retaliate. "No, you don't! I activate the Trap card, Solemn Judgement! Sure, I have to give up half my Life Points, but that's okay! That's cause it'll destroy that Trap Card you were about to play!"

 _ **"Noooo!"**_

"Oh, yeah! Now, Mudballman! Finish him off! Do it!"

Red lightning crackled and surrounded the big palms of Mudballman before he cupped them together. Releasing all the power he's gathered, Mudballman fired huge red electrical wave currents aimed straight for the defenceless Jinzo, who was still possessing Torrey's body, making him scream as he was forced to take in the currents.

 **Jinzo - 0 LP**

 **Jaden - 400 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

Jaden sighed in relief as her duel disk deactivated. "Thank God..." She grimanced in pain and fell down, clutching her bleeding shoulder before yelling in pain. This time, the pain felt worst than before, and when she pulled her hand back, it was already soaked and dripping with blood.

Torrey was still standing, though he was doing nothing. His chest heaved up a bit, and suddenly, he was engulfed in a energy force field. The light from the force field illuminated the area and spreaded even further, causing everyone else to black out.

* * *

 _Soon..._

 _ **"Kuri, kuri! Kuri!"**_

"Ow..." Jaden tried sitting up, though she felt pain coursing through her body from her shoulder. Unlike before, the pain actually hurted less. She glanced at her shoulder and noticed that it was completely bandaged.

Winged Kuriboh nuzzled her cheeks, happy to see she was awake and alright. He couldn't bare to see her in such pain, especially against an intensive battle against Jinzo!

"Oh, hey Winged Kuriboh! Aww! You're so fluffy!~" Jaden giggled and happily embraced her little winged friend before realizing she was in her own dorm room in her bed. Although, Syrus and Chumley were nowhere to be found. "Huh? Chumley? Sy?"

 _ **"They've gone with that teacher of yours,"**_ spoke Avian, suddenly appearing near Jaden in his spiritual form.

"Aah! Avian? Whew! Glad it's you! I had this weird dream! It involved me dueling Jinzo, and then-"

 ** _"Actually, that wasn't a dream. That was real."_**

"Really? Kinda explains the pain in my shoulder. Huh?" Jaden spotted a tray of water, some nasty-looking soup with vegetables, and a note all sitting in a chair. She reached out and grabbed the note before reading it.

 _"Dear Jaden,_

 _How are you today? It has been a few days since you went unconsciousness. Don't worry, because Torrey and his two friends are completely safe. Jinzo has been stopped and will never harm anyone again thanks to your hard work. Had we waited a bit longer, things would have become worse for that cut of yours! To help you recover, everyone helped make you some of my special, ancient vegetable soup that should get you up and going in a few hours! ...Hopefully. If you don't see us in your room, that is because I need help cleaning my room, so Syrus and Chumley are helping me put some boxes away._

 _Oh, and by the way, I already knew you were a girl from the moment I met you. I am smarter than I look. That, and I...dueled both Syrus and Chumley in order to force the truth out of them. Hoho! I wonder what other secrets the three of you are hiding? Besides the whole Abandoned Dorm incident. Nevertheless, this doesn't change my view that you are a great duelist. Hope you get better soon!_

 _P.S. Please eat that soup and don't leave anything out or no fried shrimp for...three months. Sincerely, Banner~_

"Noooo!" Anime tears were falling out of Jaden's eyes after reading the note. "No fried shrimp for three months?! I'LL DIEE!"

Winged Kuriboh and Avian sweatdropped. That was the reason she was upset? It seemed she was more worried about her appetite than the injury she received from Jinzo.

"Fine!" Fire ignited within Jaden's eyes as she got determined and took the bowl of soup. "If I want to eat fried shrimp, then damnit, I'm gonna eat the soup!"

After quickly taking a bite of it, however, her face turned...pale.

"Urk! It tastes like rotten cabbage mixed with garbage and stupidity!"

 _'That bad, huh?'_ thought Winged Kuriboh and Avian, relieved that they never have to eat the soup.

It took a while, but Jaden forced herself to swallow the entire soup before gulping down some water. She felt a little bit better, but yawned and rubbed her eyes. "Eh? I feel...so sleepy..."

 _ **"Well, healthy food can do that to you. Even if they do look disgusting,"**_ admitted Avian, crossing his arms.

Laying on her bed, Jaden tugged on his arm lightly. "Avi...? Can you stay here until I sleep?"

Avi...That was the nickname Jaden had given him when she was young, since she couldn't pronounce his name properly. It has been that long since she's called him that, huh? Now he was feeling a bit nostalgic.

Avian nodded, kneeling down with Winged Kuriboh floating near him. Jaden gently closed her eyelids, snoring lightly as her grip on Avian loosen. The two Duel Spirits decided to return back to their world in the deck...where it was currently being terrorized by villains...again.

* * *

 **Finished! Consider this an early Christmas present or whatever since this does take place in the winter vacation time! Read and review!**


	13. Courting Alexis

**Haha! This was one of my favorite episodes! Only because of the abridged version! Thanks for helping me with this chapter, Thunder Crush!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"For today's PE class, we'll be playing tennis!" announced Fonda Fontaine, who was both the PE teacher and the school nurse.

"Yes, ma'am!"

Every student attending PE at the moment all wore the same gym garments regardless of their gender; consisting of light lavender and white jackets and loose pants. Despite the unusual gym wear, it was actually natural due to the weather still being cold, especially since it was a little bit rainy outside. The only other difference for the clothing choice was that the seniors were wearing much more professional sportswear, which contained short sleeves and shorts.

Everyone was randomly partnered up, taking different sections of the courtyard to practice their tennis skills. For instance, Jaden and Syrus teamed up against Mindy and Jasmine who, despite their poor dueling skills, were actually quite fond with tennis and performing a wonderful job. Jaden was doing alright for someone who doesn't play tennis much, and Syrus...

Well, he was getting _slightly_ better. As well as scared of actually getting hurt.

"EEEEKKK!" Screeching loudly while hopping one foot backwards, Syrus cowered behind his tennis racket just as Mindy tossed the ball right back at Jaden and Syrus. Surprisingly, the tennis ball hit Syrus's tennis racket, even while he was hiding his face behind it, and had enough force to bounce it right back to the other team, much to Jaden's confusion.

Of course, Jaden took over and landed a hit on the next ball thrown at her. Tennis might be fun and all, and she was improving as time passed, but...she felt more at ease with practicing dueling rather than tennis.

Taking a few steps back, Jaden decided to allow Syrus to take the next blow. "Your serve, Syrus!"

"Nyeh!" Trying to muster up some courage, Syrus hit the ball with his racket as hard as he could, managing to do so with success.

"Hu! Ha!" Now, Jaden grunted as she hit the next ball back to the other side. Both her and her partner nodded to each other, knowing that they should take turns hitting the ball back to work on teamwork.

"Eh!"

"Un!"

"Gh-!"

"Ha!"

Soon, Jaden and Syrus started making lots of random grunts as they tried their hardest to send the ball packing as fast and hard as they could. They kept running in and out, switching turns in order to have chances to hit the ball back, much to Mindy and Jasmine's slight exhaustion.

Luckily for the two Obelisk Blue girls, a basketball rolling through their side of the courtyard distracted Jaden and Syrus long enough for the ball to swoosh past them, thus earning the Mindy and Jasmine team a point.

Picking up the basketball in her arms, Jaden glanced over and saw another team, most likely the Basketball Club, playing basketball somewhere nearby on a small basketball court with two small teams. She threw the ball back with all her might, watching as one of the members caught it in his hands.

"Wrong court, ya dick!"

"Sorry!"

Jaden groaned as they continued the tennis game, now witnessing Syrus hitting the ball back, though a bit nervously this time. "This is stupid! What does tennis have to do with dueling, anyway?"

Running to get the next throw, Mindy shouted, "Everything! Taking turns, thinking on your feet, and the harder you play..." She paused before taking a shot at the ball, hitting it towards Jaden. "...The better you do!"

 _'Gotta hit the ball! Gotta hit the ball! Gotta hit the ball! Gotta...'_ Jaden leaped off the ground using the tips of her shoes for the most highest jump anyone in the courtyard's ever seen.

"GOTTA HIT THE BAAAALLLL!"

Yelling out the proclaimation, Jaden slammed the tennis ball as hard as she could, sending it directly towards the other side of the tennis net before falling down after her leap. However, the force of the ball was too much, and instead of heading for Mindy or Jasmine, it was heading directly towards a distracted and focused Alexis!

"Hey, Alexis! Watch out!" warned Jaden, her eyes widen in realization.

"Huh?" Turning her head, Alexis saw too late that the tennis ball was gaining closer and closer towards her direction, and she had absolutely no way nor time to intercept or dodge.

Just when it seemed that Alexis was about to get hit, a mysterious young man appeared out of nowhere and slammed the ball back with just about twice the force Jaden placed into, redirecting the ball into another direction.

Meanwhile, Crowler was talking to Fonda on top of an elevated chair that lifeguards use when on patrol. He was telling her about the time when he had a good day, involving the small incident where he was hit by a ball by Bastion that one time. While he was storytelling, he failed to notice the sonic speed-like ball racing towards his way.

"And that was the last time I got hit by a ball-OHGODNOTAGAIN!"

Alexis watched as her savior landed down on one knee gracefully after just saving her life by throwing a fastball towards another direction. Honestly, someone would have to be a skilled player in order to pull that one off.

"Thank you..." she said softly.

"Alexis!" called Jasmine as she and Mindy rushed towards Alexis, worried for her."You're not hurt, are you?"

Alexis shook her head, smiling a little at her two best friends. "No, I'm okay."

The male student who saved her stood up and turned, giving Alexis a dazzling smile which caused part of his white teeth to gleam a little. He had dark auburn-colored hair with dark chocolate-colored eyes with a strong toned body that would describe his full appearance as handsome. Judging from his tennis clothing, he seemed to be a senior, about two years older than Alexis.

"Are you alright? Would you like me to carry you in the infirmary?" asked the male student, still flashing his charming smile.

 _'OMG! He's such a dream!~'_ thought Mindy and Jasmine, clasping their hands together close to their hearts. They were smiling nonstop with heart-like shapes in their eyes as they admired the male student's good looks and tender hearted personality. Not only was he handsome, but polite as well! He was probably Prince Charming's reincarnation himself!

"No, I'll be alright. Thank you for saving me," thanked Alexis, bowing her head slightly before standing up straight and properly. She, unlike her two lovesick friends, wasn't really interested in him or any other guy at the moment. No...that would be a lie. She had a...small interest on one boy. A certain Kuriboh-like haired boy that was a Slifer Red...

Taking in the looks of the person he saved, the male student never did realize how beautiful this girl was up until now. Her beautiful dark blond locks shaping her small framed face, her curious big, brown eyes, and her curvy body fitted almost like a portrait. In his eyes, she was like a princess from a far away land! Maybe...Maybe like Juliet or Snow White or some other famous princess!

 _'That's Alexis Rhodes...She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my life,'_ thought the male student, blushing. _'I can feel my heart swelling and getting bigger! And by my heart, I mean-'_

"Uh...You alright?"

"Huh?" Noticing that Alexis was speaking to him, the male student nervously laughed and tried to play it cool. "O-oh! I'm fine! No worries about me! It's just that...I know you from Obelisk Blue! I've seen you around! But..." He gently grasped Alexis's hand, taking it in his hands as he spoke in a husky tone, _"I've never got the pleasure of talking to a beautiful girl like you before."_

"Um...Sure...?" Alexis said in a confusing state as Jasmine and Mindy squealed behind her. Oh, he was such a charmer! It looks like he's another one of Alexis's admirers, and not only that, but he seemed just about the right position to become her true love!

"O-oh! Please forgive my rudeness!" sputtered the male student, letting go of her hand out of embarrassment and in joy. "I never got the pleasure of touching a girl's hand before, let alone yours! W-well, I better get going to my tennis match! Ahaha!" Trying to cover up his embarrassing act, he turned around and pretended to do practice swings with his racket as he hurried towards the field he was playing in.

"..." Alexis just stood there, unsure of what just happen. Syrus and Jaden were right behind her, wanting to check on her in case she was injured when they overheard the whole thing.

* * *

 _Later, after PE class..._

"I'm sorry, Professor Crowler," apologized Jaden with her head bowed down. "But, I can't help it if balls are attracted to your face."

"If I wanted balls on my face Jaden, I would have gone back to Mardi Gras!" shouted Crowler, whose black eye was being treated by Fonda. The three of them were located inside the infirmary, where Crowler had to have his eye examined by Fonda, and Jaden was forced inside to apologize to her teacher for an incident she had indirectly been involved.

"Alright, this might make your eyes water," warned Fonda, pressing her hands onto Crowler's cheeks, preparing to snap his face back into shape.

"Oh, come on! I'm a big boy-"

 **CRACK.**

* * *

 _Meanwhile..._

"Poor Jay," sighed Syrus as he and Chumley sat together in the Slifer Red dining hall. It just wasn't the same without Jaden eating besides them. After all, she had a much bigger appetite than Chumley, and that was saying a lot. She would have been helping herself to two servings of today's lunch. No, probably four since today's lunch was so small, lots of Slifer Reds got up and asked for seconds.

Chumley, too engrossed in his grilled cheese sandwich, shrugged off his worries. "It's alright! Sure, Crowler can be a pain, but you know that Jaden's gotten through a lot! Like, that Jinzo guy for example."

"Yeah, but Jaden got seriously injured because of him! I just hope Jaden didn't do anything to Crowler that caused him to start screaming his head off."

"Oh, come on, Sy. I'm sure that Jaden wouldn't go that far. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"

"JESUS CHRRRIIIISSSTTT!"

"..."

"..."

"...Oh, that can't be good."

* * *

"You know, Dr. Crowler, I saw the whole thing," Fonda spoke, defending Jaden as she placed an ice bag over Crowler's black eye. 'And, technically, Jaden wasn't even the one who hit you with that ball. So, let's just forgive and forget, okay?"

"No! Not okay!" yelled Crowler, still upset. "Because Jaden was the one who started it all! I saw the whole thing with my own eyes! Well, one eye, really!"

"*cough* Cyclops *cough*," coughed Jaden, trying to somewhat insult Crowler.

However, Crowler caught wind of her 'coughing' and turned his chair to her, trying to hear what she just said. "Care to repeat that, Slifer slime?"

"Um... You feeling any better?" She knew that was a bad thing to say, given the fact that Crowler was not having a good day. Still, at least it would distract him from what she had previously said.

"No. I just deafen myself and now my ears are swollen!" complained Crowler.

"Well, it's not like that's my fault," replied Jaden.

"It's always your fault, Jaden! Just like this whole incident!" accused Crowler, standing up from his seat and heading towards the female student. "And I think the most suitable punishment for this heinous act is for you to spend one day playing tennis nonstop with Harrington, the captain of the team!"

"Oh, come on! I don't even like tennis!" Jaden whined. "Can't you like, give me detention or something?"

"Yes...Tennis! The perfect punishment!"

"Crowler? I'm giving you the opportunity to give me detention! Even a week's worth!"

"Tennis...PERFECT!"

"TAKE A HINT, GOLDILOCKS! I DON'T WANNA PLAY TENNIS!" Jaden hollered; her patience running thin. "Fuck you!"

"Oh?" Leaning in close, Crowler practically had a smug look on his face. "Do you want a year's worth of detention to add to that list?"

"...No, sir."

"Then, get your feet moving to the tennis courtyard!"

* * *

 _Later, in one the co-ed locker rooms..._

Before the male students could use the co-ed locker rooms, it was part of the rules for the girls to use the lockers first. They entered and start packing their things inside their lockers and begin changing out of their gym uniforms. Many of the girls began chatting with each other or just taking quick showers to wash off the sweat they had from exercising.

As for Alexis, she had already finished her quick shower and was already in uniform. She paused for a moment, thinking back on the time when she first dueled Jaden. The only reason she had invited Jaden over to the Obelisk Blue Girls dorm was to duel her to see how good she was. And boy, did she prove her!

Syrus mentioned that the only reason he came to the Obelisk Blue Girls Dorm was because he received a fake love letter from her along with some panties. Apparently, they were supposed to be placed inside Jaden's locker, but for some reason, something went wrong and the intended items ended up in Syrus's.

Wait...how did Syrus get panties anyways? Alexis knew he wasn't the type to snoop around and steal girls panties. He was too nice and innocent to do such a thing. And obviously, a guy who came with the letter and panties would get rejected by the chosen girl because they might think he's a pervert.

Just where did Syrus find those panties?

While she was putting away some things in her locker, she heard her name being called by one of her two friends, Mindy and Jasmine.

"We found out who that hot tennis guy is for you!" said Mindy.

"What are you talking about, Mindy? I didn't ask you to find out who he was," stammered Alexis, surprised to hear that Mindy and Jasmine has done such a task for her. "And anyways, why would I want to find out some stranger?"

"But he's so dreamy! We knew that he must have a crush on you, so we did some investigation!" exclaimed Jasmine, receiving a little bit of attention from a few girls nearby. "He's the definition of hot!"

"Shhh! Keep your voices down!" hissed Alexis, glancing back and forth before taking both Mindy and Jasmine's arms. "Look, let's just talk somewhere a bit more privately, okay? And then I'll listen to what you two have to say."

"Okay!" both girls chirped, giggling out of excitement.

Once they were out of the locker rooms, the three girls stood in the middle of an empty hallway where they could talk more privately. All other students had gone back to their respected dorms or were outside dueling or whatever things they wished to do in their free time.

"Now, try to stay calm!" said Jasmine to Alexis, despite the fact that she was ecstatic herself. "His name is Harrington Rosewood! As in, Rosewood Sporting Goods! And they've got stores everywhere, and he's the heir! Plus, he's a third-year Obelisk Blue! Also, there's rumors about him being as skilled as Zane!"

Alexis, whose arms were crossed, didn't seem quite interested about the details of her savior. Except, maybe about that last part about Zane. "That's...great," she said in a dull tone.

"Great?!" exclaimed Mindy, unable to believe in Alexis's choice of words. "An older guy who's rich AND a hottie? That's not great, Alexis! That's boyfriend-material! So, go on and get him!"

Although she appreciate the hard efforts her two best friends placed themselves into, Alexis didn't seem satisfied. "Girls, please. I appreciate all you've done, but I'm just not interested in that guy. I'm too busy with homework and tests to even bother looking for a boyfriend.'

"Oh man! Oh man! Oh man! Oh man! Where's the lousy tennis team?!"

Syrus, who kept repeating and babbling out words, was running back and forth, seemingly in a hurry of some sorts. He must have been searching for something for quite some time, given how red his face and how heavy his breathing is.

"What are you in a hurry for?" Mindy asked Syrus.

"Who cares?" said Jasmine, disinterested in whatever Syrus was up to.

"Oh! Sorry for *pant* disturbing you ladies!" said Syrus tiredily while trying to attempt to flirt with them. "Do you...*pant*...guys happen to know where...*pant* the Tennis Club meets?"

"Out in the court, Syrus. You know, where we played today in PE class?" answered Alexis, pointing to the correct direction down a different hall.

"Okay! Thank you!" Syrus nodded to himself and ran towards the direction Alexis pointed out. He hurried back to the girls for a quick moment. "Oh! And...*pant* If you want to know, Crowler's forcing Jaden to play tennis with Harrington, the Tennis Club captain right after classes are done! They've been at it for more than an hour and I'm afraid Jaden is going to over exhaust herself! I can't let that captain hurt my Jaden!"

With determination found within his soul, Syrus zoomed out of the hallway in a blink of an eye. Both Mindy and Jasmine blinked before turning to each other with newly discovered facts in their minds.

Syrus just declared his jealously and love for Jaden.

The captain of the Tennis Club is Harrington Rosewood.

Harrington Rosewood is the guy in love with Alexis.

The Yaoi Fanclub is going to have a field day with the new photos and information they would soon receive.

"EEEKKK! YAOI!~" squealed Mindy and Jasmine before sprinting ahead towards the courtyard.

Before Alexis could join with her friends, she heard someone calling her name from behind. "Alexis? May I speak with you?"

"Huh?" Turning around, Alexis saw Banner holding Pharaoh in his arms. "Sure, what is it, Professor?"

"Well, it kinda involves some information about Chazz..."

* * *

 _In the courtyard..._

"SERVICE!"

 **WHACK!** The last fastball Harrington pulled out made an exhausted Jaden fall on her back. She groaned and tried sitting up, preferring to just lay down and rest when she remembered what Crowler might do to her if she doesn't cooperate.

For the past hour and a half, she kept serving and whacking the ball back and forth, though at times she kept missing due to the fierce force Harrington placed onto the balls or the different directions he choose to toss the ball into. As time passed, Jaden was growing more and more tired, her feet were burning and aching, her heart beating rapidly, face burning up and sweating, and her lungs out of breath.

"You're not good at this at all, are you?" spoke Harrington in a somewhat taunting tone. Somehow, he wasn't even a little bit tired even after all those strokes and swinging. In fact, he looked even more energetic and determined to put Jaden into shape.

"N-nope!"

"And by that, I mean-oh, you already answered. Sorry."

Jasmine, Mindy, and Syrus sat on the sidelines, watching the practice matches commencing over and over with Harrington being the victor. Syrus grasped his hands together, praying for the whole session to be done and over with as Jasmine and Mindy watched not only Harrington, but also for Syrus.

 _'Come on, Syrus...Save your boyfriend! Save him!'_ thought Jasmine and Mindy, waiting for the chance to snap a picture. Specifically, a picture of Syrus rescuing Jaden from the clutches of the handsome Harrington.

Unable to handle all the pressure, Jaden collapsed, falling onto the ground facedown. She had bypassed her limits way too much and needed some rest as well as a bottle of water. A cold one with ice would be great right about now.

Syrus was about to rush over and help out Jaden when he and Alexis's best friends spotted Alexis entering the courtyard with a water bottle in her hands.

"Oh! Hey, Alexis!" called Mindy.

Hearing the mention of his beloved's name, Harrington whirled around and saw the gorgeous and benevolent girl he saved before. "Oh! Hey there, Alexis! How's it going!" He ran towards her with a hand raised in order to greet her cheerfully. "I was just kicking Jaden's ass! And by kicking Jaden's ass, I mean I was beating him with succession! And by that, I mean-"

"She walked past you, you know!" pointed out Syrus, annoying and shocking Harrington. No...it couldn't be! The most popular girl skipping out on handsome ol' Harrington like that?

But it was true. As Harrington was bragging on and on about him beating Jaden, Alexis paid no heed and simply went past him over to Jaden's side.

After hearing Syrus's side of the story of where Jaden was, what and why her punishment was like this, Alexis's feminine intuitions told her that Jaden would no doubt be exhausted by Harrington's training. Just in case, she brought a water bottle with her, and just like she guessed, Jaden was on the brink of passing out from exhaustion and thrist.

Kneeling down in front of the gender-mistaken girl, Alexis held up a water bottle. "Here, drink this. Afterwards, I gotta talk to you about something."

Lifting up her head, Jaden's eyes sparkled when she saw the water bottle Alexis was offering. She snatched the beverage from her, opened the cap, and gulped down the contents of the bottle without shame. It was as if all her exhaustion had magically vanished from finishing off the water bottle, causing Jaden to stand up with ease, though she did get a bit wobbly.

"Whew! You saved me, Alexis!" sighed Jaden, swaying her head back and forth as she tried wiping the sweat from behind her neck.

Alexis stared at her, mesmerized by her actions and looks. The way Jaden's sweat dripped away from her skin and landing away somewhere like raindrops, the red cheeks she had that almost looked like the color of lipstick, her curious big, brown eyes full of hope, and that soft, yet spiky-looking dual-colored hair...nearly made Alexis collapse out of...an unnatural sort of heat she's never felt before as her heart pounded.

"Y-yeah," sputtered Alexis, shaking her head in order to focus on her main goal here. "I was on my way here when I bumped into Professor Banner. He told me someone spotted Chazz!"

"Really? Where?!"

"HEY!" yelled Harrington, who appeared out of nowhere, engulfed in imaginary flames that would probably be as hot as his temper and jealously. "I don't like what I'm seeing here! And by that, I don't agree with it! And by that, I mean, GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Wondering what was wrong with Harrington, Jaden raised her eyebrow. "Look, me and Lex were just talking, and-"

"LEX?!" Now, Harrington was not only angry and jealous, but he was also seething with a combination of both emotions. "What is that, a pet name?! Where did it come from?! Huh?! HUH?! How dare you say that to my little Obelisk fairy without my permission!"

 _'Obelisk fairy? Wonder what that would look like,'_ wondered Syrus and Jaden as they allowed their imaginations take over.

* * *

 _Syrus's imagination..._

 _A couple of tiny, Obelisk the Tormentors with white, fairy wings were fluttering all over some flowers. Some of them were sipping the nectar from the flowers like bees, some relaxing on top of the flowers, and other just flying by, greeting one another. They spoke in squeaky voices and didn't seem as threatening as the real, humungous Obelisk the Tormentor._

* * *

"Er...On second thought, never mind," muttered Syrus, not wanting that image to run through his head. Ever.

Jaden, however, had different thoughts about what an Obelisk fairy would be like.

* * *

 _Jaden's imagination..._

 _"Tee hee hee!" giggled a small blue fairy as she soared around the blue skies. She was just a young little female fairy with bushy blue hair while wearing a blue ballerina uniform. Her white wings sparkled from the sun and there was a picture of Obelisk the Tormentor on the front of her uniform, indicating that not only was she a fan of the famous God Monster, but she was also an Obelisk fairy._

* * *

"Awww! That is so cute!~" squealed Jaden, giggling.

Harrington sweatdropped, having no clue what Jaden was thinking at the moment before he remembered why he was talking to her. "Alright! That settles it! You and me! We're dueling now!"

"Huh?" Jaden was more than relieved when she heard him announced that. "Awesome! At least this is better than just plain ol' tennis!"

"So here's the deal! You and I are gonna duel one-on-one! Man to man! And the winner gets Alexis's heart!"

"Wait, what?!" exclaimed Alexis, stunned by the sudden, unexpected reward coming out of this duel.

"A-are you crazy?!" shouted Jaden, rattled by the proposal. "I don't want her heart!"

"Ouch! He didn't even bother sugarcoating those words!" said Jasmine, winching.

"Well, I mean, I get that he's Syrus's boyfriend, but he didn't have to say that in a cruel way!" said Mindy, frowning. "I guess he truly is devoted towards Syrus."

"Wait, what?" Syrus glanced at the two girls before his eyes widen with realization and his cheeks turned red. "Wait, wait, wait, wait! You think that me and Jaden are a couple?! No way!"

"But we saw Jaden kiss you on the cheek after that Tag Duel with the Paradox Brothers," reminded Jasmine. "If that's not what a couple does, then what sort of kiss was it?"

"It was a friendly good job kiss!"

Overhearing Syrus arguing with Mindy and Jasmine, Alexis learned that Jaden was not, in fact, dating with Syrus. She silently sighed in relief. That means that...that she might have a chance with Jaden!

On the other hand, Harrington was arguing with Jaden, who argued back in retaliation.

"How dare you say you don't want Alexis's heart?! Especially in front of her! You heartless duelist!"

"You're the heartless one! Why would you want her heart?!"

"Because I'm in love with her!"

"People don't take other people's hearts out of love! Or, at least, that's what my fairy tales tell me."

"You still rely on baby stories? Even at your age?"

"Oh, hush! I like Little Red Hiding Hood! And anyways, I can't believe you want Alexis's heart!"

"Well, believe it! After I beat you, I'm getting her heart for sure!"

"YOU'RE AN IDIOT! DON'T YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU TAKE HER HEART, SHE'LL DIE?!"

Silence filled the entire courtyard and ceased the argument between Syrus and two of Alexis's best friends. Everyone was staring at Jaden, unable to comprehend what she meant until they were fully aware what she meant.

"...Jaden, he doesn't mean my actual, literal heart. He means that he wants to be my boyfriend," corrected Alexis.

"...Ohhhhhh!" Looking at Harrington, Jaden's attitude changed into her bright, cheery mood. "Well, why didn't you say so in the first place? I thought you were gonna be a murderer!"

Alexis and Syrus facepalmed, Mindy and Jasmine groaned, and Harrington fell down anime-style. If it was one thing Harrington learned about Jaden Yuki, it was that while she may care about her friends, she...can be pretty...oblivious at times.

"...Syrus?"

"Yes, Jasmine?"

"I fail to see what you see in that guy."

"JADEN AND I ARE NOT-Ugh! Never mind!"

"You know what? Let me rephrase the conditions!" said Harrington, wanting to get this over with. "If I win, I get to be Alexis's fiancée! But if you win, you get to be Alexis's fiancée instead! Confused? Too bad! We're dueling now, so get your duel disk ready!"

"You're on, Harrington!" agreed Jaden, rushing towards her backpack which was sitting on a bench nearby.

"Wait! Don't I get a say in this?!" demanded Alexis as Harrington left to grab his own deck and duel disk. "Ughhh! Men! I'll never understand them!"

The two duelists prepared themselves for a duel to come after they fetched their own duel disks and decks. After tying his shoelaces tightly, Harrington stood up straight and said, "Alright! You ready?"

"You betcha I am!" said Jaden, grinning. Just what sort of deck will Harrington have? The thought excites her nonstop and wants her to start the duel already.

"LET'S DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Harrington - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"Get your game on!" said Jaden as she and her opponent drew their first five cards.

"Two cuties fighting it out for you! How do you feel, Alexis?" squealed Mindy.

"Please, I'm not interested and I'm not getting married," said Alexis, her arms crossed.

"Oh, fine! Then, engaged!" rephrased Jasmine. "It'll be so cool! We'll be like bridemaids and-"

"I'm not getting engaged, either!" Alexis snapped, losing her cool a little. "Sorry...I didn't mean to get upset at you two. But, the only reason why I'm still here is to see if the rumors are true. To see if Harrington is really as good as Zane!"

 _'Wait...as good as Zane's?'_ thought Syrus, astonished to see such a fact coming from Alexis. This is the first he's heard of such rumors, but if that were the case, then Harrington must not be any pushover. If Jaden's going to win this, she's probably going to have to play just like she did against Zane, even though she lost.

"It's my turn. Draw!" shouted Harrington, glancing at his choice of cards. "I'll start by playing the Spell card, Service Ace!"

"A Spell card already?" wondered Jaden, surprised. Most duelists would just play a Monster right off the bat, but instead, this guy's playing a Spell card. Now she's really curious as to see what deck he has. For now, she'll allow him to explain the card's effect.

"Yeah! Here's how it works! I pick a card from my hand-" To demonstrate, Harrington took a single card from his hand, only to show the back side to Jaden. "-Then, you have to guess whether it's a Spell, Trap, or Mon-"

"Trap!" said Jaden quickly. "No, it's a Spell! No, it's a Trap! It's a Spell! Sure, it's a Trap! It's a Spell! Has to be a Spell!"

"Er...You do have a third opt-"

"SpellTrap! It's a Spell...er...Trap...Spellap!" stammered Jaden, now combining her two choices together. "No, a Trell! No, a Trapell! The Trap's a Magic! MAGICAL TRAP!"

"SET ONE!"

"Hmmm...Pass!"

"You can't pass, Jaden!"

"Uh...Hmm...Trap!"

"Well, actually, it's a-"

"It's a Spell! No, it's a Trap! MAGICAL TRAP!"

"IT'S A MONSTER!" yelled Harrington, who showing her the card, having just about enough of her random guessing.

"Aww! That was my next choice!"

"Now, I'll just remove this card from play, and you take 1500 points of damage! And by that, I mean-Well, no, that's pretty much it."

"OH, FU-" **BOOM!** The card, Service Ace, fired a beam of light near Jaden's feet, and since it was a hologram, it didn't really harm Jaden. However, it did cause damage to her Life Points.

 **Harrington - 4000 LP**

 **Jaden - 2500 LP**

"But, I'm not done!' said Harrington. "Next, I'll place a card facedown and end! Your turn!"

"Yeah...My move!" Drawing her card, Jaden then looked at her hand and scanned Harrington's field. _'Hmm...I've already taken some damage, but on the other hand, Harrington's completely wide open for a direct attack!'_ "I summon Elemental Hero Avian!"

His wings covering his body, Avian sprang them opened as he soared upwards towards the sky before landing near Jaden.

Elemental Hero Avian - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (1000/1000)

"Avian, attack him directly! Quill Cascade!"

The Elemental Hero of WIND sprang into action by widening his wings, which let loose a barrage of sharp, arrow-like feathers which headed straight towards Harrington.

"Don't think so! I activate my Trap, Receive Ace!" shouted Harrington, grinning since he was expecting this moment to come. "This card negates your direct attack and inflicts 1500 points of damage to you!"

Sudden gusts of wind completely deflected the assault of Avian's feather shots and rushed towards Jaden. The girl tried protecting herself from the heavy winds and feathers flocking towards her path.

 **Harrington - 4000 LP**

 **Jaden - 1000 LP**

"Because I activated that Trap, I have to send the top three cards from my deck to my Graveyard," explained Harrington doing so.

Seeing how there was nothing she could do at the moment, Jaden said, "All I can do right now is throw down a facedown and end my turn."

"Jaden! Don't let that guy beat you! You're way better than him!" Syrus tried cheering and encouraging the girl.

Jaden heard him and waved her free hand at him, winking. "Don't worry! I've got this! But thanks for cheering me on, anyways!~"

"Awww! How sweet! A boyfriend cheering on his boyfriend!" awed Jasmine. 'If only I brought my video camera!"

"Gaaaah! For the last time, we're not lovers!" cried out Syrus, ready to tear his hair apart. "And what's wrong with a guy just wanting to cheer his friend on?!"

"Girls, just focus on the duel for now," scolded Alexis, having enough of their fangirling attitude.

"Alright, alright," both Mindy and Jasmine said, defeated. Still, things were getting interesting. If Harrington won, he would be Alexis's new fiancée and Jaden and Syrus would stay together! But if Jaden won, what would happen? Who would he choose? Syrus or Alexis?

"My turn! Draw!" said Harrington. "I play Smash Ace, which lets me flip the top card on my deck! And, if it's a Monster, you receive 1000 points of damage!"

"Eh? Seriously? Card effect damage is your main point of attacking?" wondered Jaden. If that was all, then this duel wasn't interesting at all!

"Sorry, but that's just the way I duel," said Harrington while reaching for the top card of his deck. "And the lucky card is...a Monster card!"

Jaden groaned, holding the side of her head in annoyance. "Lady luck! She hates me!"

"Well, she loves me! Of course, most girls do! And now, get ready for Smash Ace!"

A tornado-like blast appeared in front of the Smash Ace card and rushed towards Jaden, ready to rip her away with its powerful winds.

"Sorry, but I'm activating my facedown, Feather Wind!" said Jaden. "This Trap card negates and destroys the activation of a Trap or Spell card so long as I have Elemental Hero Avian out!"

Placing himself in front of the blast, Avian then shielded himself using his reinforced wings, which not only deflected the blast, but also sent it packing towards a different direction. More specifically, directly towards where Alexis, Mindy, Jasmine, and Syrus were gathered at. They all shrieked when the blast shot at the ground beneath them, thus causing smoke to rise up and cover their area until it cleared away in seconds.

"Hey! Watch where you're aiming that thing!" yelled Mindy.

"Yeah! You could have hurt us!" said Jasmine.

"Oh! Sorry, ladies!" called out Harrington, causing the two girls to go all lovey-dovey on the Tennis Club captain.

"It's fine!~"

"We love you, Harrington!"

Jaden sweatdropped before noticing that Harrington's field was now, fully, completely empty. No facedowns, no Monsters, nothing! This was more than a perfect opportunity to direct attack him!

"Well, I guess I'll just end my turn now. Show me what you can do, Jaden!" said Harrington.

"Sweet! I draw!" After Jaden drew a card, which happened to be Polymerization, she glanced at her hand, and a new strategy formed inside her mind. "EEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKK! OH MY GOD! YESSSS!"

Her screeching surprised everyone nearby, as they wondered what sort of card she drew. "Well? Go on! Play your turn, already!" said Harrington, anxious to see what she was about to do.

"With pleasure! I play Polymerization and fuse together...Ebon Magician Curran and White Magician Pikeru from my hand! Girls, let's do this! I Fusion Summon Obsidian Magician Umbra!"

Ebon Magician Curran and White Magician Pikeru appeared on the field for a moment before glancing down at the hole on the floor, which happened to be Polymerization. Both twin sisters held hands before leaping down together. Popping out was a brand new Fusion Monster; Obsidian Magician Umbra.

The new Magician had wore dark, gray colored robes that seemed fitting for a small being such as herself. Her long, pink hair was tied up in swirly ponytails and her weapon of choice was a mace-like staff.

Obsidian Magician Umbra - (LIGHT/Fusion/Spellcaster) - LV8 - (2000/1600)

"SHE'S SO CUTE!~" squealed Mindy, Jasmine, and Jaden; all three of their squeals nearly shattering the glass windows nearby. Alexis, Harrington, and Syrus merely covered their ears from the girls, wondering how three females could possess that much squealing in their voices.

Avian and Umbra sweatdropped, glancing at one other. This was the first time Jaden's successfully summoned Obsidian Magician Umbra, and knowing her girly side, they had expected her to act this way, but in present with two other girls? If Jaden gets ahold of more cute-looking Monsters, it was certainly going to be another field day for them.

"Yay! Now that the preparations are done, I'm gonna attack!" announced Jaden excitedly. "Avian and Umbra, do your stuff!"

Both Monsters nodded to each other before leaping up into the air at the same time. Avian pressed his palms together before unleashing a powerful wind-based blast at Harrington. Twirling her weapon, Umbra charged up some combination of dark and light magic and fired a beam from the tip of her weapon. Both her and Avian's attacks merged together and blasted Harrington, causing smoke to cover his side of the field.

 **Harrington - 1000 LP**

 **Jaden - 1000 LP**

"And now, I end my turn!" sighed Jaden, fully satisfied. Sure, her Life Points were down, but so was Harrington's. Just another direct attack like that, and he's finished!"

"Way to play, Jay! You're nearly there!" cheered Syrus, waving at her. Jaden laughed before giving a cheeky grin and holding up two fingers as a sign of victory.

"Don't get carried away before the duel ends," muttered Alexis, her arms crossed as she sighed. Still, she had to admit, that was a miraculous comeback for Jaden.

Jaden turned back to her opponent with her two Monsters standing by her, all tall and strong. "Well, guess we're both tied and you've got no Monsters! It'll be interesting what your next move will be! I can't wait!"

Harrington remained calm as he chuckled and drew his card. "Oh, really? Then, you won't need to wait any longer. I play the Spell card, Deuce!"

Scratching her cheek, Jaden couldn't help but sigh. "Another Spell? What's it gonna be? Another guessing game? No wait, effect damage from a Spell?"

"Far from it! I can guarantee that you've never seen this kind of Spell before!" promised Harrington. "I can only activate it when both of us have exactly 1000 Life Points each! And here's how it works! From now on, each of us can only attack with one Monster during our Battle Phases! And, Life Points don't matter! You win by damaging the other twice in a row!"

"Huh? Those are some weird, but interesting winning conditions!" admitted Jaden, surprised. There was more than one way to win a Duel, like if your opponent runs out of cards, or the summoning of Exodia. But, she's never heard of this kind of condition before!

"Of course! This card is similar to a game of tennis!" said Harrington. "And now, I summon The Big Server!"

The Big Server happened to be a bulky sports-like man who seemed like an expert on tennis, just like his owner, Harrington was. He was even dressed up as a tennis player while wielding a tennis racket as his choice of weapon.

The Big Server - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV3 - (300/800)

"The Big Server's special ability allows him to bypass your Monsters and attack you directly! So, strike back, Big Server!"

The tough Monster roared out a battle cry as it tossed a metal ball with spikes into the air before whacking it with his racket, aiming straight for Jaden. She tried shielding herself with her arms before the ball made heavy contact with her, making her yelp when it exploded.

 **Harrington - 1000 LP**

 **Jaden - 700 LP**

"Advantage: Harrington!" announced Harrington. "That was easy! Just one more hit, and you're done thanks to the effect of Deuce!"

 **Harrington: 01**

 **Jaden: 00**

"Oh, and by the way, The Big Server has another special ability," said Harrington. "If he manages to inflict damage to you, he allows me to take a Service Ace from my deck and place it in my hand. But, there's something good in it for you. You get to draw a card, but it's not like it'll matter anyways."

Jaden silently complied, drawing her card which happened to be Feather Shot.

"And since I got Service Ace back in my hands, I think I'm gonna activate it again!" Harrington said before picking a card from his hands. "You remember how it goes, right? You choose the card's type, and if you're right, you're good! If not, then your Life Points will take another hit, and I'll win the duel!"

 _'She's only got a 1 in 3 chance! The odds are completely against her!'_ thought Syrus, sweat beading down his neck out of the tension. _'Please let her be right for once!'_

Jaden gulped, feeling pressured by her choices when she made her decision. "Alright! I made my choice! It's a Monster, isn't it?"

"Huh? Well..." Harrington flipped over his chosen card,which happened to be...

The Trap card, Exchange of the Spirits.

"Noooooo!" cried out Syrus, his cries echoing throughout the courtyard.

"Too bad, so sad! Did you really think I was going to choose the same card I did last time? That'd be way too obvious!" said Harrington as he removed his Trap card from play. "Now, take 1500 points of damage, and then I'll win this duel!"

"Not so fast! I activate Obsidian Magician Umbra's special ability!" shouted Jaden. "Any effect damage that aims directly towards me is instead added to her Attack Points! So, thanks for the Attack Point bonus, Harrington!"

"What?!"

Obsidian Magician Umbra - (LIGHT/Fusion/Spellcaster) - LV8 - (3500/1600)

"Wow! Not only is that Magician cute, but she's plenty useful too!" said Mindy, impressed. "I just gotta have that card!"

"Um...knowing Jaden, I bet she won't give up Umbra," told Syrus.

Noticing something Syrus had said, Alexis turned to him. "Wait, what did you just say?"

"Huh? I said that Jaden won't give up Umbra."

"No, I mean, could you repeat everything you just said specifically?"

"Er...Knowing Jaden, I bet she won't give up Umbra that easily?"

"...Why did you say, 'she?'"

"...Oh, boy."

Harrington, stunned by the fact that Service Ace failed, asked, "So, no matter if you got the answer right or wrong, you still wouldn't take any damage?"

"Yup, yup!" said Jaden. "Umbra just saved me from losing! Yay!"

Finally calming himself, Harrington smirked and said, "Okay, even if you did dodge that, I still have a backup plan! I activate the Equip Spell card, Giant Racket and equip it to my Big Server!"

A light swirled around The Big Server in a pillar-like manner before a giant tennis racket was equipped onto his back.

Jaden was taken aback by the gigantic tennis racket. "That is a BIIGGGGG racket!"

"There's more to this racket than meets the eye!"

"I can already tell."

"And, I don't mean the size, I mean-"

"WHAT?!" screamed Jasmine, who interrupted the duel between the two. "T-then, you mean...I used my first kiss on...and...she was really a...but not a...a..."

Unable to take it anymore, Jasmine closed her eyes and fainted.

"Jasmine!" Kneeling down besides the girl's side, Mindy felt her forehead and sighed. "Good, she's only unconscious."

Syrus sweatdropped after explaining the whole truth about Jaden. "Uh...if it makes Jasmine feel any better, I don't think kisses on cheeks count as first kisses."

Harrington, having heard everything, glared at Jaden with so much fury in his eyes, that he made her flinch. "YOU! HOW COULD YOU?!"

"What do you mean?"

"If you've kissed girls before, then you don't deserve Alexis! You...You two-timing bastard! You don't deserve anyone!"

Jaden only tilted her head. "I still have no idea what you're talking about! The only girls I've kissed are my Mom and Burstinatrix!"

"..."

"..."

"...What is wrong with you?! I do hope you mean by the cheeks!"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I kiss them on the cheeks?"

Syrus groaned and facepalmed. Sometimes, he wished Jaden wasn't so...dumb in times like these. Avian and Umbra sweatdropped, knowing that Jaden only saw Burstinatrix as a friend and somewhat a motherly figure. It was just...the way she phrased it so...

"...Moving on!" shouted Harrington, having enough of Jaden's nonsense. Clearly, Alexis didn't deserve to be with stupid ol' Jaden! "The Monster equipped with Giant Racket isn't destroyed and can reduce the Battle Damage once per turn!"

"Wait, and since your Deuce only allows me to attack only once per turn, I won't be able to destroy Big Server!" said Jaden. "Big Server can't be beat by one attack!"

"Exactly! Impressive combo, isn't it?" Harrington said, confident in his ability to win. "I'll end my turn now, but don't think that you'll win the duel in your next turn! On my next turn, I'll just have Big Server attack you directly, and then I'll win! And Alexis will be mine!"

"It's not over yet! Not as long as I have cards just itching to help me!" said Jaden. "I draw! Sweet! Just the card I need!"

"Huh?" No, that was impossible! Even if Jaden drew a high level Monster and sacrificed her two Monsters, there was no way she could defeat Big Server! Not as long as Giant Racket was out!

"First, I activate the Spell card, De-Fusion! With it, I'll defuse Umbra back into my cute Magicians, Curran and Pikeru!"

One little girl dressed in black and carrying a whip was Ebon Magician Curan, while the other little girl was pink-haired and wearing white, so she was White Magician Pikeru. Both covered their ears when Jaden squealed and cooed at their cute appearances.

Ebon Magician Curran - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV2 - (1200/0)

White Magician Pikeru - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV2 - (1200/0)

"Now, I have three Monsters on my field! Which means, even if you block my first attack, I can still hit you with two more, and I'll win!"

Harrington laughed. "I can see why you're ranked as a Slifer, because you don't listen! As long as Deuce is out, you can only attack with one Monster per turn! It doesn't matter if you have three!"

"Oh yeah? I can see why you're a snobby Obelisk! Because you underestimate your opponents!" teased Jaden. "I play the Spell card, Feather Shot! It lets Avian attack for every Monster on my side of the field! This card was the card I drew when you activated your Monster's special ability! You thought it wouldn't matter? Well, it did! Go, Avian! Attack three times!"

Flying to the air, Avian then flapped his wings, firing a volley of feathers at The Big Server. The Big Server took the hit, but managed to endure it due to the magic of Giant Racket. However, he wasn't so lucky a second time when Avian fired another swarm of feathers at him, destroying him.

 **Harrington : 01**

 **Jaden: 01**

Having enough energy for one last attack, Avian released all the power within him towards Harrington, who was forced to be pelted by a barrage of sharp feathers from the skies.

 **Harrington: 01**

 **Jaden: 02**

 **Winner: Jaden**

"Yay! She's getting married!' cheered Syrus before realizing how wrong that sounded and blushed. "Uh...I mean...I'm not sure if Jaden swings that way, but hurray for Jaden winning!"

"...She won," spoke Jasmine, who had woken up before and was just as stunned as Mindy and Alexis. They were all excited and rooting for Harrington and Jaden, but after learning that Jaden was actually female...they didn't know what to think.

Harrington fell on his knees, trembling like an earthquake as he tried to comprehend what just happened. He lost? He, a third-year Obelisk Blue, to a first-year Slifer Red? Not only that, but now, some Slifer Red was now going to be Alexis's fiancée! Oh, the horror! The horror!

"Yeah! That's game!" cheered Jaden, winking as she pointed her two fingers at Harrington while her Monsters vanished.

"No! This can't be!" cried Harrington, tears streaming down like waterfall. Clearly, he was still upset and not taking this lightly. "How could I lose?! She was my soulmate! She-I-We were supposed to-WAAAAHHHH!"

Jaden's eyes followed Harrington as he ran off the courtyard, tears still bursting out of his eyes. "Um...Sorry about your loss!" she called. "It was just a game, after all! If you wanna duel again, you know where to find me!"

"Wow! You did awesome, Jaden!" praised Syrus as he, Mindy, and Jasmine went up to the female winner.

"Oh, it was nothing!" assured Jaden, grinning widely as she rubbed her back of her head, a bit embarrassed by the praise.

"Hey, you think this is okay?" wondered Jasmine to Mindy. "I mean, both Jaden and Alexis are girls..."

Mindy shrugged. "Well, love has no bounds, and I did hear of many lesbian couples, so..." Both her and Jasmine turned to Alexis, awaiting for her response.

"So, Alexis...I won, so..." Jaden began walking towards Alexis, causing Syrus, Mindy, and Jasmine to get closer together, itching to hear what was about to happen.

Could it be? Since Jaden won, she's technically Alexis's fiancée, but they were both girls. Even so, could Jaden actually harbor hidden feelings for Alexis despite them being the same gender? Is she actually going to go through with it? Could their forbidden love last in society? Oh, the questions! The drama!

"So, I gotta ask you. What's a fiancée?"

Everyone except Alexis fell down anime-style at Jaden's question. Then again, they shouldn't be surprised after witnessing Jaden's obliviousness about the whole duel for Alexis's heart, or the fact that she went all crazy on her own cute Monsters; something a girl would go nuts over.

"..." Alexis sighed, closing her eyes. "Don't worrry about it, Jaden. It's nothing important. Let's just say we're friends, alright?"

"Uh...Okay!"

"But, I gotta ask you. Are you really a girl?"

"Huh? Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"...Nothing."

In truth, after hearing Jaden confess to that fact, Alexis couldn't help but feel her heart shatter a little. It's not that she's against same gender couples, but she's just not into girls in that way. And she was just starting to love Jaden too...Oh well.

"Hey, so why didn't you tell us that you were a girl?" demanded Jasmine to Jaden.

"Huh? Uh...didn't you know?"

"NO! You look like a guy! Do-do any of the teachers know you're a girl?"

"Professor Banner does!" said Syrus.

"Then, why isn't Jaden listed as an Obelisk Blue? She's a girl!" pointed out Mindy.

"Because Crowler hates my guts?" Jaden answered, not really knowing. "Look, I like being in Slifer Red! It's way cozy and warm there, and the food is fantastic! Besides, I don't like being in Obelisk Blue, anyways! Everyone there is just so selfish and rude and mean! One of them even pulled a wedgie on poor, cute Syrus!"

"H-hey! They don't need to know that!" said Syrus, turning flustered.

Before Mindy and Jasmine could protest and defend the Obelisk Blue title, Alexis shot them a sharp gaze, causing the both of them to back down. "You're right, Jaden. A lot of Obelisk Blues are like that. Selfish, rude, mean, cocky, all those sorts of stuff. And, I'm sorry for whatever bad things happeened to you and Syrus. But, even so, not all Obelisk Blues are like that, you know?"

Jaden nodded. "Yeah, I know! You and Zane are pretty cool! Mindy and Jasmine? I'm not too sure, but I think they're nice, even though they're pretty loud!"

"HEY!" Both the two mentioned girls yelled.

"But, don't worry, Alexis!" continued Jaden. "I'll duel anyone that insults my friends, no matter who they are! After all, we are all fiancées after all!"

"...What do you mean?" asked Mindy, a little creeped out on how she said that so casually.

"I mean, we're all friends, right? Fiancée does mean friend, right?"

"Er...well..."

Alexis sighed and spoke up for her. "Jaden? Could you please not put fiancée as friends like that? We're just...just friends. That's all."

"Huh? Okay!"

* * *

 _Meanwhile, during sunset..._

It was a beautiful sunset to set eyes upon, and the waters glistering under the shine of the sunset made the scene even more beautiful than usual. It would have all been perfect...if not for the loud sobbing of Harrington, who was crying his eyes out while standing on top of a cliff.

"ALEXIS! I'LL WIN YOUR HEART YET! ...Although, Mindy did slip me her number!"

* * *

 _In the Spirit World..._

 ** _"What's the news this time?"_** wondered Hero Kid as the Elemental Heroes and other Monsters gathered in their usual meeting room.

Flame Wingman and Avian showed a board full of pictures that could be potential lovers for Jaden. At first, it was just Jaden's regular friends and Chazz, but now, ever since she spent more duels with male students, the board has been so packed up, that they had to revert to a second board.

 _ **"We have good news and bad news,"**_ announced Flame Wingman, ripping off Alexis's picture off the board. _**"The good news is that Jaden's friend, Alexis, is no longer interested in her since she found out that Jaden is a girl, so she's safe."**_

A few of the Elemental Heroes cheered while the others rolled their eyes. Obviously! Jaden didn't seem like the type of girl to be romantically involved with another girl. They were just friends, that's all.

 _ **"But, there are bad news. Now, Jaden possibly has another potential lover. Harrington."**_ Flame Wingman hissed, posting the picture of the Tennis Club captain onto the board. In reality, he wanted to burn the two boards down and protect Jaden from any perverted boys.

The three Hero Kids gazed sinisterly at the picture of Harrington. Sure, he seemed handsome, looked really athletic, and had a charming smile, but he had traits that he would never have. Cuteness, the ability to fly, and he wasn't even an Elemental Hero; not that he would ever be one to begin with.

 ** _"Bursty?"_** Wildheart turned to Burstinatrix, confused. **_"Why does Jaden have so many lovers? Doesn't child need one?"_**

Burstinatrix sighed and patted her caveman-like friend. _**"It's called overprotectiveness, Wildheart. You'll understand someday."**_

* * *

 **Finished at long last! Just a quick tips for all of ya out there!**

 **No asking questions about the whole co-ed room thing and how the whole system works, okay? I'm still trying to get it all figured out, but I don't think a lot of episodes involving PE classes are gonna happen.**

 **Yeah, so since White Magician Pikeru and Ebon Magician Curran happened to be rare cards at some extent, I just figured that since they're both twins, they deserves some FU...SION...HA! Here's the full descriptive of the new Fusion made-up card!**

 **Obsidian Magician Umbra - (LIGHT/Fusion/Spellcaster) - LV8 - (2000/1600)**

 **The reason why she's a high level is because of her special ability! "Must be Fusion Summoned using the above Fusion-Material Monsters. (White Magician Pikeru + Ebon Magician Curran) Whenever your opponent inflicts effect damage to you, you can choose either to increase this card's Attack Points by the same amount of effect damage or you can increase your Life Points by the same amount of effect damage."**

 **Yeah, that card's definitely going into my Tagforce: Cherished Evolution fanfic!**

 **So, I changed a bit of the duel from the original episode, but it ended up all good in the end with Jaden winning. Once again, her cuteness saved the day again!**

 **Anyways, read and review and Merry late Christmas!**


	14. The Duel Giant

**This chapter's definitely one of my favorites! Why? Two reasons! The abridged version and the fact that the Obelisk Blues got what they deserved!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"I attack directly with Giant Orc! Go!"

The darkness in the night was the perfect setting between two duelists; one a regular Obelisk Blue student and the other was a tall, big-boned giant diguised behind an enormous cloak made of Obelisk Blue uniformed jackets and his eyes were covered with sunglasses.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

After receiving an attack from the giant's Monster, the Obelisk Blue student's Life Points dropped down to 0 and he fell to the ground harshly. Once landing on the ground, his cards scattered all over the grass, visible for all to see. The giant silently picked one up as the Obelisk Blue student trembled in fear, unafraid of being harmed.

"I'll be taking this," spoke the mysterious giant. "You're lucky your card is all you're losing tonight. If you learned from this, then don't ever pick on anyone ever again, got it?"

The Obelisk Blue student didn't have the courage to talk back, for he was frightened that the giant would come back and beat him up badly. All he could do was watch wide-eyed as the giant disappeared into the depths of the forest with his precious, rare card.

Never again would he dare anger the Duel Giant. To do that, he'll never bully Ra Yellows or Slifer Reds ever again.

* * *

 _The next day..._

"Ugh...This is just great..." groaned a drenched and wearily Jaden, squeezing some of the water out of her hair strands. She looked like an absolutely complete mess; her entire body and hair sticking to each other from water, her knee scraped and bleeding, and her abdomen hurted the more she walked.

Here's how the day went; Jaden tried defending Syrus from another one of his bullying problems when the Obelisk Blue bully decided to take matters into his own hands. He drove his fist into her stomach and then pushed her to the ground, thus causing her to slide and made a tear at her jeans which scraped her knee as a result. Later, some Obelisk Blues thought it would be nice to pull on a prank on some Slifer Reds, so they waited and hid somewhere before splashing water onto Jaden's unfortunate group. Jaden shoved Chumley and Syrus to take the blow, but before she could do anything, the Obelisk Blue students left.

Needless to say, Jaden looked ready to throw a chair at someone. Specifically an Obelisk Blue.

"Okay, Jaden...Just calm down," said Syrus as he and Chumley walked alongside Jaden, trying to prevent the tomboy from doing anything reckless.

"Grrr...! I know, but I seriously want to beat up an Obelisk Blue or...or five!"

 _'Okay, pretty sure the Obelisk Blues went too far this time,'_ thought Chumley, almost feeling sorry for what might come to the Obelisk Blues later on. _Almost._

"Look, not all Obelisk Blues are bad!" Syrus tried saying to a stressed Jaden. "I mean, there's Alexis! She's nice! Look! There's a couple of Obelisk Blues! Just say hi to them and then walk away!"

"And what if I don't?"

"...I'll...lend you my UFOroid for one day!"

"I'M IN!"

Standing in the middle of a hallway were a group of male Obelisk Blue students. They seemed to be quietly gossiping something about a giant, rare cards gone missing, and about some duels during midnight.

"Did you guys hear about this Duel Giant stealing cards from the academy?"

"Yeah! I heard he picked another one last night!"

"Me too! They say he's huge and that he can't be beat!"

"I heard-"

"Hey, guys! How's it going?" asked Jaden, mustering a smile and trying her best not to throw herself towards the Obelisk Blue students like she was the bowling bowl and they were the pins.

The three Obelisk Blue students turned their heads towards Jaden and her friends; their fearful expressions changing to sneering ones. "Oh, look! It's the Slifer slackers!"

"Ahahahahaha!"

"Yeah, good one!"

 **SNAP!** Flinching, both Syrus and Chumley couldn't help but feel afraid of what was to come when they sensed a dark aura surrounding Jaden. From the looks of things, her eyes showed anger and frustration and her teeth were clenched. They couldn't help but shrink back when they saw a few veins sticking out from under her skin.

"What?! Wanna say that again?! YOU WANNA REPEAT THAT, YOU FUCKIN' PRICK?! HUH?! YOU WANNA FUCKIN' START SOMETHING?! Come on, let's go! Three-on-three! Red vs Blue! No camp-kills! I'LL FUCK YOU UP!"

Nobody could blame the Obelisk Blue students for being shocked...as well as scared.

"J-j-j-just calm down, man-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, MAN! WE'RE ALL PUMPED! WE'RE READY TO FUCKING GO! LET'S DO THIS!"

Syrus and Chumley backed off a little, not wanting to be in the crossfire. They knew that Jaden's understandable anger wasn't directed towards them, but at the poor souls of the Obelisk Blue students. In a way, they did kinda deserve being yelled at like right now, but still, Jaden was not one to be approached so lightly if she was like this. It might be best to stay out of it.

The Obelisk Blue students were frozen stiff, unsure what to do or say. What was with this Slifer slacker's problem? They didn't bother asking but stood there and took in her words. Instead of insulting back or anything of the sort, the students did the most reasonable thing and ran off.

"YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT! You better fucking walk away! YOU BLUE BASTARDS! Huh? HUH?!"

Realizing that they were already gone, Jaden placed her hands on her knees, gasping for breath since her throat was sore from all that screaming. Most of her anger vanished thanks to her outburst, thus calming her down.

"Jaden? You alright?" wondered Syrus, placing a hand on her arm as he frowned out of concern. Despite her little scene, he couldn't stop worrying about her. Chumley, on the other hand, was ready to run the moment she opened her mouth, but he stood his ground, trembling.

"Yeah...Sorry for worrying you guys!"

 _'Worry?! You scared us!'_ thought Chumley and Syrus, though they knew better than to run their mouths right now.

"Oh! Hey, guys! I think I figured out what they were whispering about!" Chumley said, wanting to change the topic into something else. "You see, there are rumors about a Duel Giant running around and dueling Obelisk Blues! He even uses the forbidden Ante Rule, so when he wins, he gets all their rare cards! Scary part is, he only comes out at midnight!"

"Oh! I've heard of those rumors too!" Syrus gasped, supporting Chumley's word. "But, aren't Ante Rules illegal?"

"Yeah, that's why he duels in disguise. You see, he wears the blazes of all the Obelisks he's beaten!"

"Hmmm..." Hearing all of this from her two friends, Jaden couldn't help but feel that something was off. Not her friends, but their explanation. So, some Duel Giant is off stealing cards after winning duels? Interesting.

Meanwhile, Crowler was pacing down the hallway. He was too deep in thought to notice three scared Obelisk Blue students running past him when he should have scolded them for running in the hallways. The rumors of a Duel Giant wandering around didn't concern Crowler one bit until he noticed the rumors frantically spreading as the Duel Giant slowly became infamous.

"This is outrageous! A Duel Giant stealing my students' cards and crushing their spirits?! ...That's my job!" said Crowler, scowling. "Not only that, but this Duel Giant breaking campus rules using an Ante Rule! If the Chancellor finds out, I'll be held responsible and soon be fired! I need a solution! I need to fight this prick...WITH A BIGGER PRICK! But where would I find such a-"

At that moment, Crowler could truly say that it was a miracle when his eyes spotted Jaden Yuki.

"Wait, of course! He could be the way out of this predicament!" gasped Crowler, mentally hitting himself for not thinking about this earlier. "OH, JADEN, MY BOY!~"

Spotting the professor walking towards them with a creepy smile on his face meant one thing. Trouble. For Jaden, she was glad he was actually being nice for once.

"He's being nice! Something's wrong!" said Syrus, being skeptical of their teacher. After all, if he was singing Jaden's voice like that, then there has to be something up! Obviously, it wasn't going to end well.

"How would you like to have no homework for the rest of the year?" asked Crowler. "All you have to do is complete this special assignment I'm about to give you, and you, Syrus, and Chumley won't have to do any homework for the rest of the year! So, what do you say?"

"Alright, I'm fine!" Jaden didn't waste any time answering with a grin.

Syrus wasn't as naive as Jaden and questioned Crowler with a suspicious look. "Wait...What kind of assignment?"

"Oh, nothing much, really! It's just a small little assignment that requires real-life dueling!"

"*gasp* Will I get to duel?"

"Yes! In fact, Jaden, you'll be the only one dueling!"

"Sweet! I'm in if there's a duel involved!"

"Jaden..." sighed both Chumley and Syrus, dismayed at the fact that their friend was so easily convinced by something she might regret later. Syrus facepalmed himself while Chumley seemed down; both completely at a loss. Once Jaden gets in that stubborn mode of hers, there's very little to change her mind. It was at this moment that they wished they had some fried shrimp on them.

"So, what's the assignment about?" asked Jaden, getting a bit too excited. "Will I have to duel one of your students? Or is it Zane? Do I duel you? No, is it Zane? No wait, do I have to duel a pro? Or is it Zane?"

 _'Jaden must really want to have that rematch with Zane,'_ thought Syrus and Chumley, sweatdropping since their friend made it obvious that she'd rather duel Zane.

Crowler seemed to have similar, yet different thoughts. _'Wow, this Slifer slacker must be really want to duel Zane. Or...Could it be...? No! He couldn't possibly be falling in love with Zane! But then again, rumors has it that he's in a relationship with Syr-Wait, why do I care?! I'm not some goddamn gossiping fangirl!'_

"...Hello? Teach? You there?" Jaden waved her hand in front of Crowler, snapping him back to reality.

"U-uh...Oh, yes! I remember! Now, all you have to duel and identify this fellow who's been having these illegal matches! You know, the one that's called the 'Duel Giant?'"

"Yeah, I know him! The guy who's been kicking your dorm's ass!"

Crowler shrieked a little and paled, backing away. If the rumors have reached this far, the Slifer Reds might think they'll be more superior than the Obelisk Blues, and he can't let the reputation of the Obelisk Blues be tarnished!

"I-I don't keep track of such things! Anyways, good luck, Jaden!" he encouraged, walking away to avoid anything further about the topic. _'This is perfect! Once Jaden reports to me who this Duel Giant is, I'll have them both expelled for illegal dueling! As a bonus, if he loses, he'll have his rare card taken! In the end, it'll all work out with me being the victor!'_

"Alright! Let's go find us a Duel Giant!" cheered Jaden, pumping her fist into the air.

"Uh...Jaden? Isn't this too late to say that this is a bad idea?" asked Syrus, looking uncertain about their assignment.

"Huh?"

"Well, it is Crowler we're talking about," supported Chumley, his arms crossed. "Who knows what nasty schemes he has planned? He's probably trying to get you expelled again, Jaden!"

"Oh, lighten up, guys!" said Jaden, clueless to what both her friends are talking about. "Not only will I have to duel this Duel Giant, but we all get no homework for the rest of the year! It'll work out in the end!"

Once again, both Chumley and Syrus sighed in defeat. Yup, they absolutely can't get Jaden to change her mind. Even if they had an unlimited amount of fried shrimp right now, they couldn't persuade her to do something else. Why? Why did Crowler have to bump into them, of all times?

Then again, the reward didn't sound so bad. Watching Jaden duel could be fun, but the Ante Rule case didn't seem that good. Still, at least they would get to see what sort of deck the Duel Giant possesses, plus, if Jaden won, they'd absolutely get no homework for a whole year. Anyone would have taken that offer of no homework, so they couldn't honestly blame Jaden for taking that chance.

"So, how are we going to find this guy?" asked Syrus, turning to Jaden for help since she was the one who got dragged into the whole mess.

"Uhhhhhhhh..."

"Wait, so we don't even have a plan?! Then, how are we going to find him?"

"Don't worry about it, Sy! I'll think of something!" promised Jaden, holding her fists up. Then, her stomach growled loudly enough for Syrus and Chumley to hear. "...After we eat lunch!"

Chumley and Syrus fell down anime-style, yet their stomachs were rumbling too. They were fixated on their own duels during lunchtime that they forgot to eat. Hopefully, there were still some sandwiches Dorothy could offer at the cafeteria.

* * *

 _Later, in the Duel Arena..._

An Obelisk Blue student was facing off against a petite male Ra Yellow; both with Monsters and low Life Points each. On the Obelisk Blue student's side, he had a facedown and a Monster called Maruading Captain.

Marauding Captain - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV3 - (1200/400)

The Ra Yellow's student field contained one Monster; Mad Sword Beast, but no other facedowns. Even though the Ra Yellow had a clear advantage with his Monster having higher Attack points, he still looked nervous and unsure what to do next.

Mad Sword Beast - (EARTH/Dinosaur) - LV4 - (1400/1200)

 **Obelisk Blue student - 200 LP**

 **Ra Yellow student - 300 LP**

"Jaden, if we keep taking breaks, we'll never find the Duel Giant!"

"Oh, come on, Sy, it looks like a fun duel! And there's no harm in showing a little bit of support!"

The Slifer Red trio entered the Duel Arena while in midst of their investigation for the Duel Giant when they saw a duel occuring. Interested, they decided to sit down in some empty seats to take yet another break.

"What's wrong?! It's your turn, you know!" yelled the Obelisk Blue student impatiently.

Glancing at his cards, then at his opponent, the Ra Yellow tried to visualize his own strategy to win. While the Ra Yellow student tried his best to think carefully on his next move, Jaden recognized one of the cards as Earthquake.

Earthquake was a type of Spell card which automatically places all face-up Monsters on the field in Defense Mode. All the Ra Yellow had to do was play that card, change his Monster back into Attack Mode, attack, and use Mad Sword Beast's special ability to inflict piercing damage and win the duel.

 _'Alright, Brier...Calm down,'_ thought the Ra Yellow, trying to calm his breathing. _'I could just attack and use Mad Sword Beast's special ability to win...But I'm still worried about his facedown card. Should I use Earthquake now to change his Monster into Defense Mode and then attack? But, what if his facedown negates my attack? What if his facedown is something like Magic Cylinder, or-'_

"Jeez, it's not hard to play, you know! Just hurry up and make your move!" The Obelisk Blue student snapped, growing more and more restless by the minute.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry! Please just wait a moment!"

To make matters worse for Brier, some of the Obelisk Blues standing near their fellow member started taunting and insulted the tensed boy.

"Just give it up! You can't win!"

"Just end your turn already and get it over with! Obelisk Blues are superior to Ra Yellows anyways!"

Trying to select which cards to use, Brier started sweating, getting confused and less focused on the match. "I...I choose...No, wait...I-"

"Look, just hurry up and attack or end your turn! I don't care which!" clamored the Obelisk Blue student.

Brier yelped, unable to handle the pressure before closing his eyes. "A-alright, then! I attack with my Mad Sword Beast!"

"Huh?" Jaden wondered why Brier would just suddenly attack out of nowhere when he should have played Earthquake first.

As Mad Sword Beast began rushing towards Marauding Captain, the Obelisk Blue student smirked, preparing for what was to come as he revealed his facedown card.

"I activate my Trap, Reinforcements! During the turn that this card is activated, one of my Monster's Attack Points goes up by 500! And what better way to use it than on my Marauding Captain?"

Marauding Captain - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV3 - (1700/400)

Once boasted up by the effect of the Trap card, Marauding Captain plunged towards the Monster who was charging towards him. After getting closer, Marauding Captain let out a battle cry as he slashed the Monster in half. Not only was Brier's Monster destroyed, but that mini explosion caused the rest of his Life Points to deplete down to 0. Defeated, Brier fell to his knees.

"And he was so close..." muttered Jaden, sounding sorry for poor Brier.

"A classic case of stage fright."

Jaden and her friends heard a clear voice coming from their left and saw Bastion standing besides them on the stairs. His arms were crossed and his eyes were focused on the playing field, indicating that he had witnessed the duel not too long after Jaden and the others arrived.

"Oh! Hey, Bastion," greeted Syrus. "What did you mean before?"

"The boy has tremendous skill," explained the Ra Yellow genius. "But when he's dueling, he gets nervous and ends up losing. Most cases are when his opponents snaps and insults him, like right now."

Reverting their attention back to the dueling platform, everyone saw Brier on all fours, unmoving. It wasn't clear what expression he was wearing since his back was turned to all of them, but they could tell that he was upset and not in any positive mood.

Unfortunately for the boy, the Obelisk Blue student who dueled him, along with his friends, all had their confidence risen up after seeing the defeated form of the pathetic Ra Yellow. They all decided that now would be a good time to crush Brier's hopes and dreams along with his crumpled spirit.

"Hahaha! What pathetic dueling! If you couldn't beat me, then you can't ever hope of being an Obelisk Blue!"

"Yeah, loser!"

"Go back to the Ra Yellow dorms where you came from!"

"Better yet, you should be demoted to Slifer Red! Hahahaha!"

"Stop it..." growled Jaden, clenching her fists. Noticing her angry state, Syrus and Chumley held onto her shoulders, preventing her from going down there and starting a physical fight with the Obelisk Blues. They, too, wanted to teach those Obelisk Blues a lesson, but they knew violence was not the answer. Deep down, Jaden knew too, but she really wanted to smash her fist into one guy. At least, one!

Brier stood up and walked away, trying to hold back his tears and ignoring the insults coming his way. Seeing the bitter-filled expression on Brier's face made Jaden flinch, as well as cause her to sense something ominous from the elfin-sized student.

 _ **"Kuri kuri!"**_ ("Jaden! Did you feel that?") Winged Kuriboh appeared near Jaden's head, trying to notify her of the presence that he also felt.

As much as Jaden wanted to cuddle Winged Kuriboh for the hundredth time, she knew now was not the time and mentally linked to her Duel Spirit. _'Whioa! You're right, Winged Kuriboh! I felt that one too!'_

"By the way, mind if I ask something?" asked Bastion, looking at the group. "Did you guys come here to watch some duels? And why's Jaden looking like she past through a waterfall and beat up?"

"Obelisk Blues tried to prank us, but Jaden took most of the hits," replied Syrus. "Also, you might want to stay on her good side today. She sorta...swore and screamed at a couple of Obelisk Blues today. It wasn't pretty."

"Oh, come on, Sy! I didn't scream at them that loud!"

"You nearly broke my ears and I'm pretty sure you traumatized those guys with your threats. So...Yeah. Screaming is an appropriate word."

"...Thank you, Syrus. I'll keep note of never angering Jaden. Ever. Especially since she's a girl."

"A girl who's fla-"

"CHUMLEY, NO!"

"Oh! Thanks, Sy! I almost said the forbidden word! Whew!"

"...You guys know I'm still here, right?"

"Anyhow," said Bastion, changing the subject. "You three up to something again? Last I heard, you went to the Abandoned Dorm."

"That was a completely different story," defended Syrus, not wanting to bring up the terrible memory again. "But, yeah. We're looking for the Duel Giant. You know, the one who's been beating all the Obelisks?"

"Ah. That. Yes, I've heard about this titan."

Wanting to check up on Brier, Jaden saw him being welcomed by a taller and robust-looking Ra Yellow student. Both stopped to talk about something which was unheard due to them being too far away.

"Whoa! Check that guy out! He's big enough to be the Duel Giant!" exclaimed Syrus pointing to the big-boned student.

Bastion noticed and shrugged his shoulders. "Who, Beauregard? He's just-"

"Bigger than a frickin' house?"

"Hahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahaohohohohohaheeaha-! But seriously, he's no duelist," said Bastion, looking serious after his constant laughter. "I know him. We've played chess. Besides, he's at the Academy studying to design games, not play them. He can hardly duel, anyways."

"Oh, games, huh? Oh, well."

Jaden's eyes trailed after Brier and Beauregard. Brier still had that strange anger-filled aura, but Beauregard seemed to have a kinder and tranquil aura than Brier.

 _ **"Kuri! Kuri kuri kuri!"**_ ("Jaden! Why don't you follow them?") suggested Winged Kuriboh, nudging Jaden in the shoulder lightly.

 _'Yeah, just what I was thinking,'_ thought Jaden, getting up from her seat and running down the stairs.

"Jaden! Wait up!" called Syrus as he and Chumley followed after her, wondering where she was going.

Bastion stared off after them and called out, "You know, if you guys need any help or anything, I'll be happy to-Aaand, they're gone."

* * *

Beauregard and his small friend, Brier strolled down the hallway, whispering words to each other so nobody else could understand what they were talking about. Unfortunately for the two bullied victims, they just happened to encounter the same group of Obelisk Blues back at the Duel Arena.

Vincent, the Obelisk Blue student who defeated Brier earlier, scowled at the fact that two Ra Yellows were blocking him and his friends' way despite the fact that they were the ones who ran up to them in the first place.

"Hey, beat it, punk!" shouted Vincent.

Taken aback by the snappy tone Vincent used, Beauregard looked scared for a moment. Despite his huge size, he had a gentle, big heart, and could never stand up to bullies like Obelisk Blues.

"Are you deaf? I mean, get out of the way! This is Obelisk Blue territory! Now, MOVE!"

Beauregard turned to Brier for help, and all the small-sized boy did was look down on the ground and tug on his sleeve. "Come on..." Brier step-sided out of the way, which Beauregard followed suit.

"Hmph. That's much better! Maybe now, you'll learn your place!" said Vincent arrogantly before he and his friends laughed, walking past the two Ra Yellow students. Beauregard didn't look okay, and Brier was gritting his teeth, trying his best not to unleash his anger out on them.

"Quickly! After them!"

Looking to their left, Beauregard and Brier saw a few Slifer Reds coming after them. Feeling cautious, Brier hid a little behind Beauregard as Jaden slowed her pace and stopped in front of them, looking up at Beuregard with determined eyes.

"Duel! You! Me! Now! Triangles!"

"H-huh?" Jaden had spoken so quickly, Beauregard could hardly understand her, or her intentions at all.

"Boy, don't you pretend you didn't hear me! I know you're the Duel Giant! Mmm hmm!" Jaden nodded her head, her hands on her hips as she declared her accusation on Beauregard.

"What are you talking about? You're sounding ridiculous!" said Brier, suddenly getting defensive as he yanked on Beauregard's sleeve before walking away to avoid anymore nonsense. "Come on, Beauregard! Let's get outta here!"

Jaden blinked, watching the two leave. "No?"

"No," called back Brier, not bothering to face her.

"Nooo?"

"No!"

"Just leave them alone, Jaden! It can't be them!" said Syrus. "After all, you heard what Bastion said! Beauregard's here as a game designer, not a duelist! And Brier can't be the Duel Giant because he's small, like me!"

"No! It's definitely them! I know it!" said Jaden, determined to prove her theory. "And I'm gonna prove it later tonight! But first...There's something I gotta take care of. You guys should go back to the dorms! I've gotta do something!"

"What is it?"

"...I gotta get more sandwiches from Dorothy! I'm...still a little hungry! Yeah!"

"Oh! Make sure she has some extra grilled cheese!" requested Chumley.

"Sure, sure." With that said, Jaden turned around and headed towards a different direction...the same direction where the Obelisk Blue students went through.

* * *

 _Later..._

Bastion checked each card in one of his six decks, calculating possibilities and new strategies for upcoming duels while sitting in one of the seats at the Duel Arena. He was alone for now, and would soon be returning to his dorm after checking through his deck one more time.

"Alright! Here we go!"

"Hmm?" Bastion's eyes went wide when he saw Jaden dueling. But it was only her against four Obelisk Blue, thus a one-on-four match! A complete disasterous disadvantage for Jaden! Why was she in a duel like this in the beginning?

"You better keep your word once I win!" shouted Jaden, staring at the four Obelisk Blue students. "If I win, you can't bully anymore Ra Yellows or Slifer Reds!"

"Yeah, yeah! Whatever! Bur if we win, you gotta be our servant for a month! That's what you promised!" spoke a glasses-wearing student named Trevor.

 _'What? That's the whole point of this duel? A wager?'_ thought Bastion, deciding not to interfere. _'Interesting. This might give me a chance to look into the depths of Jaden's deck even further. If she can defeat four Obelisk Blues at the same time, perhaps she does have a shot of being the next King-or, Queen of Games.'_

While Jaden has a disadvantage of facing off her opponents alone, there are rather some good advantages for her. First, she gets to go first, plus in an odd player duel such as this, none of the players can attack on their first turn. In addition, Jaden will gain additional Life Points instead of just 4000 because she's facing four opponents.

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Jaden - 16000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Vincent - 4000 LP**

 **Trevor - 4000 LP**

 **Gabriel - 4000 LP**

 **Kelvin - 4000 LP**

"My move! Ha!" Jaden drew her card and glared at it. "Alright! I play Polymerization and fuse together Burstinatrix and Avian to create Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"

Sucked in a swirling portal of multiple, mixed colors, Burstinatrix and Avian merged their bodies and powers together to create brand new power to aid Jaden in her duel. A few seconds, Jaden's favorite Hero Monster, Flame Wingman, came to her rescue.

Flame Wingman - (WIND/Fusion/Warrior) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

Flame Wingman scanned the field with his red eyes, which burned with anger once he found out that Jaden's opponents were... _boys._ Not just that, but filthy, cocky Obelisk Blue boys to top that. It was safe to assume that Jaden must have been treated harshly by these boys, judging from her terrible, beaten up appearance.

Oh, he couldn't wait to scrotch these boys alive.

"Next, I summon my cute Winged Kuriboh in Attack Mode!~" squealed Jaden, happy to introduce her winged friend to her opponents. "Then, I'll set a card and end my turn!"

Winged Kuriboh - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV1 - (300/200)

 _ **"Kuri, kuri kuri?! Kuri kuri kuri!"**_ ("Wait, in Attack Mode?! I'm gonna get creamed!") Winged Kuriboh panicked and started bouncing up and down from his position, something Jaden cooed at.

Seeing Jaden cooing at her Monster made the four boys think she looked kinda...cute. Only for a moment before they remembered they were in a duel.

Vincent glared at Jaden with disgust. "Ugh! You think that thing's cute? That hairball's got low Attack Points! No way he's gonna beat what I'm gonna bring him!"

Winged Kuriboh got angry at the fact that he was insulted, again. This wasn't the first time that he's been underestimated by Jaden's opponents, such as Chazz. Boy, did he find such pleasure when Jaden activated Transcendent Wings to boost up his true power.

"Grrrr...!" Jaden suddenly stepped back, clutching her head with one hand. The stress was getting to her head, thus giving her a terrible headache.

Glancing behind their shoulders, Winged Kuriboh and Flame Wingman grew concern for their owner before fiercely turning back at Jaden's opponents. Okay, screw holding back! Jaden wasn't feeling too good, and it was thanks to these people!

"My turn! Draw!" Vincent smirked once he saw his card and said, "I summon Marauding Captain in Attack Mode!"

Marauding Captain - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV3 - (1200/400)

"And why stop there? I activate Marauding Captain's special ability! When he's Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Monster from my hand! And I choose Command Knight!"

A female knight coated in red swung her sword at her side before standing tall with her ally, Marauding Captain.

Command Knight - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV4 - (1200/1900)

"Command Knight's special ability activates! All Warrior-Types I control gain 400 Attack Points, including my Command Knight! But wait! I equip two Magnum Shields and equip them to Marauding Captain! Now he gets Attack Points equal to his Defense, so it's double the trouble! And I'll end my turn with that!"

Marauding Captain - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV3 - (2400/400)

Command Knight - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1900)

"It's my turn now!" shouted Trevor, drawing his card. "I set a card facedown and activate Meteor of Destruction! If your Life Points are higher than 3000, you automatically get 1000 points of damage!"

A burning ball of fire sprang out of nowhere on top of Trevor's head, rotating over and over until it flung itself towards Jaden, dealing damage to her large amount of Life Points.

 **Jaden - 15000 LP**

 **Vincent - 4000 LP**

 **Trevor - 4000 LP**

 **Gabriel - 4000 LP**

 **Kelvin - 4000 LP**

"Still, I've got more Life Points!" reminded Jaden.

"Next, I play Snipe Hunter!" said Trevor.

A small goblin-like Monster wearing a dark suit and wielding a toy gun flew onto the field, sporting a sinister grin as he crackled with glee.

Snipe Hunter - (DARK/Fiend) - LV4 - (1500/600)

"Awww! He looks so small and cute!~" squealed Jaden, hearts popping up besides her.

 _'Jaden, you find every small Monster cute,'_ thought Winged Kuriboh and Flame Wingman, sweatdropping.

"Now, by discarding a card, I target one card on the field, and I choose your Flame Wingman! Next, I roll a six-sided dice and if I get a number of 2 to 5, I get to destroy Flame Wingman! However, if I get a 1 or 6, he's not destroyed! So, dice roll! Go!"

Since nobody had a dice, the game system automatically projected one before spinning the dice around to ensure that no cheating was happening. Once finished, the dice landed on the ground and tumbled around a bit before everyone looked at the top of the dice.

A six.

"Damnit! I end my turn!"

"Yay! Flame Wingman's safe!"

"I'll fix things up!" said Gabriel, drawing his card. "I summon Spear Dragon in Attack Mode!"

A prehistoric dragon screeched as he landed down on the ground, ready to strike at anything that gets in his way.

Spear Dragon - (WIND/Dragon) - LV4 - (1900/0)

"I set a card facedown and end!"

"Then it's my turn!" shouted Kelvin. "I summon Card Guard in Attack Mode!"

A fiendish Monster with wings bearing sharp fangs and saliva escaping from its open stomach appeared, licking its lips as if it was hungry for something.

Card Guard - (DARK/Fiend) - LV4 - (1600/500)

"When Card Guard is summoned, I can place 1 Guard Counter on him, and he gains 300 Attack Points for each Guard Counter! I set one card facedown! Now, I'll end my turn!"

Card Guard - (DARK/Fiend) - LV4 - (1900/500)

"Then, it's back to me! Draw!" said Jaden. "Sweet! I activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw two additional cards! Ooh! Another Pot of Greed and two more cards for me! I activate Polymerization and fuse Sparkman with Clayman to create the Elemental Hero Thunder Giant!"

Making his appearance as flashy as lightning, Thunder Giant landed on the field with a large thud noise, startling Jaden's opponents and their Monsters. Though Thunder Giant and his allies may seem outnumbered, they'll still protect Jaden.

Elemental Hero Thunder Giant - (LIGHT/Fusion/Warrior) - LV6 - (2400/1500)

"Now I activate Thunder Giant's special ability! When he's Fusion Summoned, I can target 1 Monster whose original Attack Points are less than Thunder Giant's and destroy that Monster! I destroy...Snipe Hunter!"

 _ **"Eeek!"**_ Snipe Hunter squeaked and frailed around before Thunder Giant stomped over and crushed him with a simple lightning blast from his robotic palm.

"I'm not finished! Thunder Giant! Attack the glasses guy directly!" ordered Jaden.

Trevor copied his destroyed Monster's movements completely; frailing his arms around as he tried to back away from the gigantic Fusion Monster. Thunder Giant grunted before storing electricity into his palms and shocking Trevor, delivering his Life Points down by a large amount.

 **Jaden - 15000 LP**

 **Vincent - 4000 LP**

 **Trevor - 1600 LP**

 **Gabriel - 4000 LP**

 **Kelvin - 4000 LP**

"Now, Winged Kuriboh!~ Show the glasses guy your cute attack!~"

Winged Kuriboh sighed, but obeyed Jaden's command, knowing that it would make her happy. All Winged Kuriboh did was fly over to Trevor as everyone watched, and simply headbutted the student in the shoulder before bouncing back from the impact.

 **Jaden - 15000 LP**

 **Vincent - 4000 LP**

 **Trevor - 1300 LP**

 **Gabriel - 4000 LP**

 **Kelvin - 4000 LP**

"Awww!~ You did such a good job, Winged Kuriboh! You'll get a special reward later!~" giggled Jaden happily.

Winged Kuriboh huffed and hid behind Thunder Giant out of embarrassment. Thunder Giant and Flame Wingman couldn't help but chuckle silently to themselves, knowing that Winged Kuriboh was easily spoiled by Jaden. Still, they had to be grateful for the small Fairy-Type. Ever since he arrived, Jaden's been feeling happy everyday.

"Now, Flame Wingman! Finish him off!"

Flame Wingman was more than happy to teach one of the Obelisk Blue students a lesson as he zoomed towards them at a fast speed while Trevor screamed like a little girl. His screams echoed throughout the Duel Arena as Flame Wingman shot fire from his claw, lowly chuckling out of malice.

 **Jaden - 15000 LP**

 **Vincent - 4000 LP**

 **Trevor - 0 LP**

 **Gabriel - 4000 LP**

 **Kelvin - 4000 LP**

 **Lose: Trevor**

"Damnit! I'm out!" said Trevor, punching the ground out of frustration.

"I end my turn!" said Jaden happily. One down, three to go!

"It's my turn!" announced Vincent. "And before I take down Flame Wingman, I noticed that you seem fond of Winged Kuriboh, so I'm taking the furball out first! Ahahaha!"

Winged Kuriboh squealed, hiding behind Flame Wingman and Thunder Giant. He really hated having to be slashed and hacked, and under the pressure of so many Monsters outnumbering him and his allies, he felt scared.

Jaden gasped, then glared angrily at Vincent. "Don't you dare! I won't let you!"

"Oh, really? You can't stop me! Command Knight! Slay that furball! Flame Slash!"

Command Knight held her sword close to her chest, closing her eyes in concentration before her blade lit up in flames. Quickly, she hurried over to Winged Kuriboh, prepared to take him out.

"I activate Transcendent Wings! Now, by ditching two cards from my hand and sending Winged Kuriboh to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon Winged Kuriboh LV10!"

Winged Kuriboh crotched down before feeling power swell within him. On his furry back sprouted new, radiant angel-like wings whose feathers fluttered to the ground gently, then disappeared.

Winged Kuriboh LV10 - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV10 - (300/200)

"Next, by sacrificing Winged Kuriboh, I can destroy all the Monsters you control and deal damage equal to the combined Attack of your destroyed Monsters!"

"Crap!" cursed Vincent. "Both my Monster's combined Attack Points are...4000!"

"Enough to beat ya! Winged Kuriboh, do your stuff!" ordered Jaden, excited to see her powerful Winged Kuriboh's attack, as if she hasn't seen it already.

Winged Kuriboh squeezed his eyes closed as his body emitted a bright light which filled the entire field. The light reached Command Knight and Marauding Captain, destroying them as their Attack Points were deducted from Vincent's Life Points.

 **Jaden - 15000 LP**

 **Vincent - 0 LP**

 **Gabriel - 4000 LP**

 **Kelvin - 4000 LP**

 **Lose: Trevor and Vincent**

"Awesome! Too bad Winged Kuriboh's gone, though..." mumbled Jaden sadly before she found joy in the duel. "Oh yeah! I guess since that guy lost, it's the next guy's turn!"

"R-right! Draw!" Gabriel knew he didn't have many options, considering that Jaden might have hidden tricks up her sleeves before he lowered his arms. "I...I switch my Monster to Defense Mode and end my turn."

"Fine, my turn!" said Kelvin before smirking. "Alright! I sacrifice my Monster and Gabriel's Spear Dragon to summon Felgrand Dragon!"

"Wait, my Monster?!" exclaimed Gabriel. "But I'll be defenceless! Damnit, don't you dare-!"

"Too little, too late! Ahahaha!"

Both the selected Monster glowed before disappearing, and standing near Kelvin's side was an elegant dragon with a sharp beak.

Felgrand Dragon - (LIGHT/Dragon) - LV8 - (2800/2800)

"I attack Thunder Giant! Go, Felgrand Dragon!"

The beautiful dragon soared upwards and flapped her wings like a butterfly before letting out a melodious cry. She fired a white beam from the insides of her mouth and struck Thunder Giant, destroying him.

 **Jaden - 14600 LP**

 **Gabriel - 4000 LP**

 **Kelvin - 4000 LP**

"I end my turn! There's nothing you can do to stop my dragon!" shouted Kelvin confidently as Jaden drew her card. "Nothing!"

"I activate the Field Spell, Skyscraper! Whenever an Elemental Hero I control battles with an opponent's Monster whose Attack Points are higher, Elemental Hero Flame Wingman gains 1000 Attack Points during battle calculation only!"

"...SHIT!"

"Attack, Flame Wingman!"

Flame Wingman leaped into the air, reaching the same aerial grounds as Felgrand Dragon. Once in midair, Flame Wingman pulled his demonic arm back and prepared to charge up a fireball attack.

Flame Wingman - (WIND/Fusion/Warrior) - LV6 - (3100/1200)

 **BOOM!** Due to being in close contact, once Flame Wingman unleashed his fire attack, an explosion occurred up in the skies. The only one unscathed was Flame Wingman as he flew down safely.

 **Jaden - 14600 LP**

 **Gabriel - 4000 LP**

 **Kelvin - 3700 LP**

"Flame Wingman's special ability activates!" said Jaden. "When he destroys a Monster by battle, he can inflict damage equal to the destroyed Monster's Attack Points!"

"CRAP!"

Kelvin felt a shadow hovering over him, causing him to look up and widen his eyes out of fear. Just how did Flame Wingman sneak up on him like that?! Oh yeah, he's a Duel Monster, and in this game, Duel Monsters have the power to do anything as long as they're strong enough to do so. Oh, jeez...

Gabriel looked away as his only remaining partner was being scorched alive by Flame Wingman. Technically, thanks to the hologram system, he's not physically burning, but he felt bad for him.

 **Jaden - 14600 LP**

 **Gabriel - 4000 LP**

 **Kelvin - 900 LP**

"I end my turn!" said Jaden, relieved.

Gabriel drew his card and raised his hand. "Sorry, but I forfeit."

"What?! Damnit! Don't be such a wimp!" yelled Kelvin.

Gabriel glared at Kelvin, displeased at his choice of words. "Dude, it's over! I don't have any Monster cards in my hand! And even if I did, you'd just sacrifice my own Monster to get your own! No way in hell am I letting that happen!"

 **Jaden - 14600 LP**

 **Gabriel - 0 LP**

 **Kelvin - 900 LP**

 **Forfeit: Gabriel**

"Well, that makes things way easier!" commented Jaden, turning to Kelvin. "Alright, show me what you can do!"

"With pleasure!" Kelvin drew his card and shouted, "If I'm going down, your Monster's going down with me! I summon Exploder Dragon!"

A dark dragon shot into the air, holding an egg-like object in its paws. Since it was a light object, the dragon didn't seem to have a problem carrying it and flying at the same time.

Exploder Dragon - (EARTH/Dragon) - LV3 - (1000/0)

"Next, I activate my Trap card, Call of the Haunted! This lets me Special Summon a Monster back in Attack Mode, and I choose Felgrand Dragon!"

Felgrand Dragon - (LIGHT/Dragon) - LV8 - (2800/2800)

"I attack Flame Wingman with Exploder Dragon!"

"Why? Exploder Dragon's weak against him!" pointed out Jaden, confused.

"Not for long! I activate Exploder Dragon's special ability! If he's destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, he can destroy the Monster that destroyed him! A sort of kamikaze, as you say it! Now, go!"

Exploder Dragon released the egg he had been holding onto once he was close to Flame Wingman's range. Flame Wingman blasted fire from his demonic arm at the same time, hitting Exploder Dragon in the chest before the egg exploded right in front of the Hero, destroying both Monsters at the same time.

 **Jaden - 14600 LP**

 **Kelvin - 0 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

"Wait! Why did I still lose points?!" exclaimed Kelvin, shocked that he lost to a Slifer Red. "It doesn't add up! Any Battle Damage involving Exploder Dragon automatically turns to 0!"

"Yeah, well, Flame Wingman's ability inflicts damage to Monsters he destroys."

"Yeah, but-"

"His effect counts as Effect Damage."

"...Goddamnit."

"So then!" started Jaden, tucking her duel disk and deck away in her backpack. "I won, so you all have to keep your promise! You can't bully anyone anymore!"

"Feh! Fat chance!" scoffed Vincent.

"What?"

"Yeah! You think we learned anything from this? Not!" said Trevor, unfazed by his defeat. "You were just lucky! That's all!"

"Besides, did you honestly think we were gonna keep our promise?" questioned Kelvin. "We're one of the best! We're Obelisk Blues! Why wouldn't we go around, crushing everyone's spirits?"

"Uh...Because you promised?" reminded Jaden, growing more and more upset.

"That doesn't matter!" said Gabriel. "Ra Yellows and Slifer Reds are beneath us! We'd never respect scum like them! Ahahaha!"

All four Obelisk Blues chortled together, thinking that Jaden was stupid for believing in them. Gritting her teeth, Jaden's body trembled with anger as she reached for her duel disk and deck before activating it and summoning a Monster.

A robotic dog with a glass turquoise-colored visor appeared, whimpering in confusion. He turned around just before Jaden started ruffling his head, making him bark in joy. Ah, he always loved it whenever Jaden spent time with him! It made him feel like an actual loved dog! But the more surprising part was the sadistic smile Jaden was wearing.

"Wroughtweiler? See those four laughing boys over there?"

 _ **"Arf! Arf!"**_

"Sic 'em."

Bastion had to look away and ignore the cries coming from the four Obelisk Blue boys as they were being assaulted by a Machine-Type dog Monster. He was quite impressed at how Jaden handled those four singlehandedly, but was annoyed at how the four boys proclaimed that they weren't going hold up on their end of the deal. Just before he could go down there and help out Jaden, he saw her summoning Wroughtweiler, and he just knew what she was planning.

Perhaps now would be the best time to leave. Jaden could handle herself just fine, plus it wasn't like the Obelisk Blue students were going to be injured or anything. All they're going to be doing is be attacked by a ravaged holographic dog.

* * *

 _That night..._

Hiding behind a stone pedestal near the front entrance of Duel Academy, Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley were awaiting for the Duel Giant's arrival. Rumors has it that he shows up at midnight, but it's already been past the hour. Chumley was yawning repeatedly, wanting to head back to the dorms and sleep while Jaden discussed her plan with her friends.

"Okay, so here's the plan! While Chumley distracts him with a game of checkers, I unmask him!"

"I don't think Duel Giants play checkers!"

"You don't know that, Syrus!"

"We've been sitting here for hours! Can we please go and get some sleep?"

"No! ...We're waiting!"

"What for?!"

"AAAAAAHHHHH!"

"There it is!" said Jaden, waiting for the moment where the Duel Giant would take his next victim. An abnormal high-pitched scream like that was bound to be curious to look into, and a high chance that the Duel Giant was where the scream took place.

The trio didn't need to be told what was to come; they ran towards where the scream had occurred and hurried to rescue the person. Eventually, they saw an Obelisk Blue student on his knees in the ground, seemingly defeated by the Duel Giant.

"He took my best card..." he bewailed, still at a loss.

"Which way did he go?" asked Jaden. The Obelisk Blue student looked up to answer her when his eyes widen in fear. Jaden recognized the student as one of the Obelisk Blues she's dueled before in that one-on-four duel right before she summoned Wroughtweiler to take care of them.

Whoops.

"AAAAHHH! PLEASE DON'T GET YOUR ROBOTIC DOG TO SIC ON ME AGAIN! I PROMISE TO BE GOOD! PROMISE!" begged the Obelisk Blue student, whose name is Vincent. It was bad enough that a Slifer Red beat him and his friends, but he also had a case of cynophobia, which he'd rather keep it a secret.

Jaden sweatdropped, mentally making a note to apologize him later. Right now, she needed to track down the Duel Giant before he gets away. "I'm not gonna hurt you! Which way did the Duel Giant go?"

Raising a shaky arm, Vincent pointed towards the direction which he believed the Duel Giant was heading. Wasting no time, Jaden rushed past the fallen student and went ahead of Syrus and Chumley, who soon zoomed past him as well.

After Syrus and Chumley passed the boy, Chumley glanced behind to see if he was alright and recognized the student. "He's from this afternoon! At the arena!"

Shortly afterwards, Jaden and her friends spotted a large figure completely garbed in many of the Obelisk Blue jackets. He either didn't notice Jaden and her friends from behind, or he was trying to ignore them as he walked away from his crimes.

"Hold it right there, big guy!" called out Jaden, stopping the Duel Giant by his tracks. "You've got nowhere to run now!"

Knowing that the others would just follow him if he made a break for it, the Duel Giant decided to face the three duelists, silently intimidating Syrus and Chumley with his silent gaze and huge size that screamed, "I'm gonna hurt you if you come any closer." However, Jaden, being the fearless one of the trio, wasn't even the slightest scared. In fact, she was excited to meet the Duel Giant!

Jaden strapped her duel disk onto her left arm and pointed to the Duel Giant. "Duel!"

"..." The Duel Giant did nothing but stare at his challenging opponent. He made no attempts in activating his duel disk or even moving an inch forward.

A small light luminated from Jaden's back pocket, and Winged Kuriboh popped out from her deck and flew besides his owner's side, causing Jaden to notice and nearly squeal at his arrival.

"Awww! You came to cheer for me, Kuriboh? That's so sweet!" whispered Jaden, winking at Winged Kuriboh.

Winged Kuriboh sweatdropped, but nodded. Well, in a sense, he did came to cheer her on, but also, he wanted to tell her that it was alright to duel this fellow and that she can win. Still, it was nice to receive a compliment from her, as always.

"Alright, tough guy! Since I know you only duel with an Ante, I'll put...this card up!" Jaden presented her Winged Kuriboh card upwards to show to the Duel Giant.

Syrus's eyes widen, knowing how much Jaden cherished and loved that card as if it was her own loved one. "No! You can't!" As much as he was annoyed every single time she mentioned how much Winged Kuriboh was very cute, he knew that Jaden would be sadden if it were gone.

"Check it! This rare card was given to me by Yugi Motou himself, personally!" bragged Jaden, trying to edge the Duel Giant into dueling. "Just imagine a rare card such as this in your own deck! Especially since it was Yugi Motou's card!"

"I know that look! She's definitely wagering that card! No joke!" said Chumley, seeing the serious look in her eyes. Now there wasn't any other way to stop this duel from happening! All or nothing! Just like a game of poker!

"...Very well. I accept your challenge, duelist," spoke the Duel Giant monotonously.

Those were just the words Jaden needed to hear. "Heh! Alright! Show me what you're made of!" she said, quickly activating her duel disk to initiate the duel. The Duel Giant followed her example, and both of them inserted their duel disks in.

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Duel Giant - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"I'll go first! Draw!" Looking at the card he drew, the Duel Giant began his turn. "I summon Giant Orc in Attack Mode!"

A muscular shirtless Monster wielding a bone-like club growled and patted his club under his palm, ready to bash anyone's brains out.

Giant Orc - (DARK/Fiend) - LV4 - (2200/0)

Jaden smirked, remembering the effects of this Fiend-Type Monster. "Even though that Monster's powerful on Attack Points, he switches to Defense Mode once he attacks! Now, that wouldn't be a problem, except that he has 0 Attack Points!"

"...I end my turn."

"Then, it's my turn! Draw!" said Jaden before hearing Winged Kuriboh's cry for her. She didn't need to look at her card to know that it was her dear, cute friend, Winged Kuriboh. "You wanna have a go? Okay! I summon Winged Kuriboh in Defense Mode!"

A second later, Winged Kuriboh appeared on the field, greeting Jaden's opponent and blinking. Jaden was more fueled up than ever since his appearance boosted her confidence up. No way was she handing her cute Duel Spirit over to the likes of this guy!

"Now, I'll end my turn!"

"That's a nice card. I look forward to winning it from you," commented the Duel Giant before drawing. "But first, I'll have Giant Orc attack Winged Kuriboh! Bone Basher!"

"Noooooo!" Jaden cried out, watching one of her favorite Monsters get destroyed by the Duel Giant's Monster. She peered at the Duel Giant with snake-like eyes, hissing like one as well and startling him. "You're gonna pay...but of course, thanks to Giant Orc's effect, he has to go to Defense Mode."

Just like she said, Giant Orc kneeled down and switched to Defense Mode automatically.

"Alright! Now Jaden can destroy that Monster on her next turn!" said Syrus.

"If you think I didn't plan things ahead like that, then you're far more naive than I thought," spoke the Duel Giant. "I summon Second Goblin in Attack Mode!" Instead of placing the card in one of his Monster Zones, the Duel Giant set it in his Spell/Trap Zones.

"Wait, why would he place it in his Spell and Trap Zones if it's a Monster?" Syrus wondered, surprised as the little goblin starting fanning Giant Orc. Once Giant Orc became refreshed and motivated, it stood back up in Attack Mode.

"Once per turn, this card can be equipped onto Giant Orc as an Equip card," the Duel Giant explained. "In addition, this card can change Giant Orc back to Attack Mode. With that, I end my turn."

"Whoa, that's a well-thought out strategy," complimented Chumley, nodding his head. "I should remember stuff like that."

Jaden gritted her teeth; a little mad since Winged Kuriboh's sacrifice was basically for nothing! Now that Giant Orc was back into business, she can't attack him with just any regular Monster! Regardless, she'll figure out a way to destroy Giant Orc for the sake of Winged Kuriboh!

"My turn! Draw!" Jaden couldn't have picked a much better card than the Polymerization card in her hands. "Nice! I play Polymerization and fuse together Elemental Heroes Burstinatrix and Clayman from my hand! Now, allow me to introduce Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster, in Defense Mode!"

Rampart Blaster bent down, aiming carefully from her defensive position right after Polymerization worked its magic and fused her Fusion-Material Monsters to create her.

Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster - (EARTH/Fusion/Warrior) - LV6 - (2000/2500)

"Even though she's in Defense Mode, that doesn't mean I can't play her special ability!" continued Jaden, entering her Battle Phase. "When she's in Defense Mode, she can inflict half of her Attack Points as Direct Damage to you!"

Noticing that was her command to launch, Rampart Blasted leaned back, took aim, and fired towards the Duel Giant's Life Points. The missiles landed straight at the Duel Giant, creating an harmless explosion that blew off the Obelisk Blue jackets that the Duel Giants wore around his body. The Duel Giant tried covering his face and body as an attempt to hide his identity, but it was too late. Everyone recognized him as Beauregard.

 **Beauregard - 3000 LP**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"What the-?! Beauregard?!" exclaimed Syrus. And he thought that Beauregard wasn't a very good duelist! Guess he was wrong, since Beauregard did have the body built the same way the Duel Giant has.

"W-What should I do?" wondered Beauregard, glancing back at a large rock behind him. Now that his identity's been spotted out, there wasn't anything he could do to cover up the facts!

"Well, first...Why don't the real Duel Giant come on out!" shouted Jaden.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Well? Hurry up!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...That's it!"

Losing her patience, Jaden picked up a rock from the grass nearby and throwing it as hard as she could. The rock flew into the air and landed right behind the rock, earning a sudden "Ow" from out of nowhere.

"Huh?! Who's there?" asked Chumley, query over where the cry came from.

Leaping out of his spot and standing tall on top of the rock, a petite-looking Ra Yellow student with dark green hair appeared, wearing some sort of earpiece installed near his ear and mouth to communicate to someone. This Ra Yellow was Brier, the duelist who panicked in his duel against the Obelisk Blue from before.

"Ow...Who the hell throws a rock at someone?" grumbled Brier, rubbing the spot where the rock landed on.

"Wait...So, Brier was there...but wasn't the Duel Giant Beauregard?" questioned Syrus. "But why would he-I don't-But the Duel Giant is supposed to be-But-GAH! WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

"No! I don't care! I knew it was you guys all along!" shouted Jaden, irritated. "I even said-! I-I did say it was those guys, Syrus."

"It's true. Jaden did."

"That's impossible!" gasped Brier. "How did he know?!"

"Everyone knew! You would have to be a frickin' moron not to guess it was you two!" Jaden started to explain. "Let me explain! Back at the arena, I knew how mad you were at the Obelisks. I mean, I would too if they started teasing me! Anyways, when I saw that you were pals with the big guy, it started to all come together to me!"

"But...I lost that duel! Why did you think I could beat any Obelisk Blues?" asked Brier, taking off his earpiece.

"Because I heard you were a great duelist! Only problem was, you had stage fright! That cleared up why the Duel Giant only dueled at midnight and used a radio transmitter!"

"...Fine. Everything you've said up till now is the truth," admitted Brier as Beauregard walked closer to his small friend.

"But, then why would you do all this?" Syrus asked. "If you were being teased, you could have just told a teacher, or-"

"Even if I did that, that still wouldn't teach those bastards a lesson!" hollered Brier, startling Syrus and Chumley. He calmed down and began speaking normally, placing a hand on Beauregard's shoulder to comfort him. "I was always teased for my size and nicknamed stuff like 'shrimp' or 'little Brier.' Then, I met Beauregard and I found out that he was teased for his big size. So, we decided to form this whole Duel Giant identity thing and teach those Obelisk Blues what they deserve most!"

"Of course! That's why you put on the costume!" Now it all started to make sense for both Syrus and Chumley. "So you wouldn't get caught breaking the rules! Especially the Ante Rule part!"

"That's right! So, what of it?"

"Well, what now? Your secret's out! Pretty soon, everyone's gonna know who you are, including Dr. Crowler!" pointed out Jaden before grinning. "That is, unless you and I continue dueling! Here's the deal! If you win, then me and my friends will keep your Duel Giant thing a secret!"

"Huh?" Seeing how he and Beauregard had no other options, Brier agreed. "Fine! Guess you're not giving me much of a choice! Ready, Beauregard?"

"Y-Yeah!"

"Okay then, my turn! Draw, Beauregard!"

Obeying his friend's commands, once he drew his card, Beauregard lowered his hand and presented his cards to Brier only. It took only mere seconds for Brier to make his move once he figured out which cards to play.

"I summon Goblin King in Attack Mode!" said Brier, nodding to Beauregard to place the card on the duel disk. The big male student nodded and allowed the Monster to take form as a small green-skinned king.

Goblin King - (DARK/Fiend) - LV1 - (0/0)

"0 Attack Points?" Jaden looked confused, wondering why Brier and Beauregard would play such a Monster in a situation like this?

"Not for long! See, for each Warrior-Type I send to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Half Goblin from my hand! I send two of my Warrior-Types and Special Summon two Half Goblins!"

Bandit-like goblins emerged, snarling at Jaden and her Monster as they twirled their daggers with their crooked fingers playfully and skillyfully.

Half Goblin - (DARK/Fiend) - LV3 - (500/500) X2

"Now I activate Goblin King's special ability! It lets Goblin Kings gain Attack and Defense Points times 1000 for every Fiend-Type Monster that I control, excluding him! And other than Goblin King, I have three other Fiend-Types on my side of the field!"

Goblin King roared, increasing in both strength and size as his Attack Points grew with every subordinate under his control.

Goblin King - (DARK/Fiend) - LV1 - (3000/3000)

"What the-?!" Shocked by the sudden Attack Point boost, Jaden couldn't help but be taken aback by such power coming from a small goblin. That power was enough to take out her defensive Monster, Rampart Blaster!

"Goblin King! Attack Rampart Blaster!" ordered Brier.

Goblin King pulled his fist back, then unleashed it with all the strength he had, thus taking out Rampart Blaster in one blow.

"I'm not finished! Giant Orc! Attack Jaden directly!"

Second Goblin jumped off Giant Orc in time before the mighty Monster went towards Jaden and swung his bone-like club at her stomach, sending her packing a fair distance before she landed on her back on the soft grass.

 **Brier & Beauregard - 3000 LP**

 **Jaden - 1800 LP**

"Owie..." groaned Jaden, clutching her stomach. Had that blow been real, she would have received more than just broken bones in her abdomen and back. Thank goodness for the whole hologram system!

"Now that Giant Orc's gone back to Defense Mode, Second Goblin's Equip card effect sends him back to Attack Mode!" reminded Brier. "And don't think I haven't forgotten about my Half Goblins, either! Attack, the two of you!"

The two Half Goblins snickered under their nasty breaths before leaping up into the air and landing on either side of Jaden's fallen figure. They slashed at her face with their daggers before running back to their owners' side.

 **Brier & Beauregard - 3000 LP**

 **Jaden - 800 LP**

"...That's it. Those mini guys are going down first," grumbled Jaden, annoyed at her cat-like scratches on her face. She shook her head a few times before standing right back up. "You're done, right?"

Brier nodded. "Face it, you're gonna lose, Jaden! With two strong Monsters on my side of the field, and none on yours, there's no way you can beat me!"

"Yeah? Wanna bet? My move!" said Jaden, drawing her card. "I activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw two more cards! Now I summon Elemental Hero Sparkman to the field!"

Elemental Hero Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1400)

"Next, I activate the Equip Spell card, Spark Blaster and equip it to Sparkman!"

A gun attached itself to Sparkman's hand before he took aim and prepared to fire whatever target Jaden wanted him to fire at.

"Now, here's how Spark Blaster works!" Jaden explained, forming a hand gun of her own to imitate Spark Blaster.. "For every shot fired from Spark Blaster, its effect activates and changed the Battle Position of any Monster on the field! And I'll choose one of the Half Goblins and Giant Orc!"

Sparkman pulled the trigger twice and fired streams of electricity at the two chosen Monsters; switching Giant Orc and Half Goblin #1 to Defense Mode.

"Phew! Phew!" Jaden started imitating the gun sounds and proclaimed her last shot. "Now, I'll switch that defensive Half Goblin to offense again! Phew!"

Sparkman sweatdropped; what was the point of changing that Goblin to Defense if she was just going to change it back to Attack Mode again? Guess she still wanted to play around with Spark Blaster's effect. She did do that a lot when she was a little girl but it was a surprise to see her act childish again. Nevertheless, he obeyed the command and fired at the Half Goblin, reverting him back to Attack Mode.

"Now, I activate The Warrior Returning Alive card!" said Jaden. "This card adds a Warrior-Type Monster from my Graveyard to my hand! Next up, Polymerization! I fuse together Clayman and Sparkman to create Elemental Hero Thunder Giant!"

Polymerization fused both Elemental Heroes together before the giant of thunder stomped onto the field, larger and powerful than Giant Orc. Still, his power can't stop Goblin King...yet.

Elemental Hero Thunder Giant - (LIGHT/Fusion/Warrior) - LV6 - (2400/1500)

"Now, when he's Fusion Summoned, I can select and destroy 1 Monster whose original Attack Points are less than Thunder Giant's! And I choose Goblin King!"

Wasting no time, Thunder Giant slammed his electrified fist down onto Goblin King's bald head, pushing it all the way underground until he was destroyed.

"Now I attack! Attack one of the Half Goblins, Thunder Giant!"

Thunder Giant places his hands together, creating a sphere of electrical energy before firing it at one of the Half Goblins, destroying him.

 **Brier & Beauregard - 1100 LP**

 **Jaden - 800 LP**

"Not after this! I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, De-Fusion!" announced Jaden as her Thunder Giant split back into Sparkman and Clayman; both in Attack Mode. "By returning a Fusion Monster back to my Extra Deck, I can Special Summon the Fusion-Material Monsters that were used to call him! And I'm not done attacking! Clayman, attack Giant Orc! Sparkman, finish off the last Half Goblin!"

Clayman charged in first, tackling Giant Orc to the ground with all his strength. Brier was lucky that Giant Orc was in Defense Mode, but his Half Goblin sure wasn't. Defeating the last Half was not only an easy task for Sparkman, but the battle calculations was enough to empty out the rest of Brier and Beauregard's Life Points. The electrifying explosion blasted both Brier and Beauregard to the ground, unharmed of course.

 **Brier & Beauregard - 0 LP**

 **Jaden - 800 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

"Nice job, Jay!" cheered Syrus as he and Chumley walked up to the female duelist, who gave the boys a victory sign with her two fingers.

However, the only ones sullen about their loss were Brier and Beauregard, who were on their knees and unable to meet their winner in the eyes. Since they lost, they knew that Jaden was going to turn the both of them in, and it was a one-way trip back home.

"...He beat us. We're through," spoke Brier sadly.

Beauregard shook his head. "No, not 'we.'" He sat up and looked at Jaden and her group with determined eyes. "Please, just turn me in! Forget Brier!"

"Huh? But...Beauregard! Why?"

The giant student glanced down at his friend, explaining, "I've always been alone, and I'm not going to let them expel you for showing me what...what a true friend is. After all, didn't we promise to always stand up for each other? You're the best duelist I know! I won't let them kick you out of here!"

Although he didn't want to be expelled, he didn't want his friend to take the blame for him. "No...I can't! I won't let them expel you! What about your dream as a game designer?"

Beauregard shook his head and smiled. "Not all dreams come true."

Touched, Brier's eyes began to water by his good friend's kindness. "Beauregard..."

"Hold everything!" announced Jaden, walking up to the two fallen best friends. "I'm not turning either of you two in! I know what it's like, being made fun of. Everyone gets a dose of that sometimes. Besides, I never intended on turning either of you in from the beginning. The only reason I said that earlier was to get you to duel me, and boy, what a match that was! You and Beauregard are good duelists, and maybe with a bit of help, you can overcome your whole stage fright fear thing."

Standing up, Brier nodded, understanding what she meant. "You know, Jaden? You're right. Maybe, with a little bit of practice, I can overcome my fear and stand up not just for me and Beauregard, but for other bullied people too. And...When I get stronger, do you wanna have a duel again?"

"Yeah! I'm looking forward to that! But you have to get out of here first. After all, you don't want anyone like Dr. Crowler finding you here, right?"

Both Ra Yellows nodded and turned around before running towards their own dorms to turn in for the night and end their whole Duel Giant charade for good. They all yelled their goodbyes to Jaden and her friends, promising never to act so violently to others ever again.

"Oh wait! I remember something!" gasped Syrus, causing his two friends to look at him. "Because we let them go, we're going to have to start doing homework again! Including all the stuff we missed while looking for this guy!"

Jaden paled as she and Chumley groaned. Oh right, the reward for turning in the Duel Giant was a whole year without homework. While not turning in two best friends was good and all, they certainly didn't want to face current and future homework assignments.

Just their luck.

* * *

 _The next day..._

It was a beautiful Saturday morning filled with the birds chirping and singing a tune. The sun was shining and filling students with warmth, the soft breezes cooled off everyone's bodies, and the early duels energized many students. Today was a special day for those who wished to have picnics or such.

Except for three Slifer Reds who had mountains of papers to fill.

"So, let me get this straight: You found the Duel Giant, beat him...AND THEN HE WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE?!" exclaimed Crowler, asking Jaden for the hundreth time.

Syrus and Jaden were busy filling out their homework and many other papers which they placed in a pile besides them. They had to come early in the morning to explain and then was re-assigned to all previous homework they missed. Chumley was sitting close by, watching in amusement after finishing his homework when Syrus and Jaden were halfway there.

"Uh...Yup! That's right! We tried looking for him all over, but couldn't find him! Nope! Sorry!"

Crowler scowled and turned around as his two students kept on writing. "And you're saying that you didn't duel using the illegal Ante Rule, but all the other Obelisks did?!"

"Did they? I heard they kinda...lost their cards! Temporarily...?"

Crowler was growing more and more confused over Jaden's testimony, tilting his head back and forth. "So, first you find the Duel Giant, then he escapes! First all those cards were lost, now they're found!"

"First, I had no homework, and now-"

"KEEP WRITING!"

* * *

 **Happy late New Years, guys! I was hoping to update this before the end of the year or yesterday, but I guess today's fine since in a few days, I have to go back to school.**

 **So a few pointers for this chapter!**

 **I decided that the Duel Giant duel wasn't enough, so I decided to give Jaden her own one-on-four duel with some Obelisk Blues! With her overpowered Elemental Hero deck, there was no way those cocky Obelisk Blues stood a chance! Especially since she did defeat Crowler, whose supposed to be more powerful than them! Plus, those Obelisk Blues were obviously not cooperative!**

 **Next up, the whole Wroughtweiler appearing thing! Yeah, don't bash me on this! In the GX anime, it showed Jaden summoning four of his Elemental Heroes before his duel with North Academy, and he wasn't in a duel then! Plus, there was Bastion trying to wake up Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley with his Monster and commanding it to wake them up with some bazooka or whatever. If people can summon their Monsters outside of duels, why not Wroughtweiler? Especially since they can't harm anyone.**

 **Lastly, the bullying problem! Yeah, bullies suck and they make you want to beat them up, but that's no good! If there's someone bullying a person, stand up to that person and tell the bullied victim to bring a teacher while you distract the bully! Or, tell on a teacher or the principal or whatever on the bully! One time, I read this article about some bullied victim not receiving help from the principal or a teacher or whatever, so they called the police with evidence, and the School Board replaced the adults with better, kinder adults. I don't remember much about the article, but it is true.**

 **So, don't fight the bullies! Just bring an adult around!**

 **With that said, read and review and any ideas is appreciated!**


	15. Interactions

**Heya, guys! Not an episodic chapter or anything, but just some extra short story stuff. You'll see!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"Zzzzzzzzzz...Mmmm...fried shrimp..." muttered Jaden, tossing and turning in her sleep as she laid on the soft, green grass while hiding under the shade of a tall tree. It was a normal Sunday morning where everyone was out enjoying themselves. For instance, Jaden found herself a perfect place to nap for a while, enjoying the cool weather and the warm sun bathing down on her body.

Nearby, her Duel Spirits watched over her in case she was in danger, but mostly because they wanted to see her. After all, as Jaden was growing older and older, she's rarely have time to spend with them, given that she was slowly blooming into a strong, independent girl who would get married someday, have kids, and grow old like any other human.

Each one of her Duel Spirits has a tale of their own. Although they have many shared memories of the past when Jaden was a young child, they don't recall every memory. Still, some of those memories helped Jaden become who she is today. An cheerful, tomboyish girl who's very oblivious to the acts of romance. She's so oblivious, she doesn't even know what fiancèe means due to some...influence. It was almost like yesterday when they spent time with little Jaden...

* * *

 _Flame Wingman's flashback..._

 _Little Jaden, around 6 or 7 years old, glanced around the kitchen left to right before entering, barely making a sound. Her parents were out buying dinner for the family, leaving Jaden all alone temporarily. While that may not seem like a problem for Jaden, she has another issue._

 _Her Duel Spirits._

 _While her parents were away for work, they usually hire a babysitter. But the real problem for her was her protective Duel Spirits. They were like family to her, especially Flame Wingman. He may seem scary, but he's a really nice guy once one gets to know him better. But at times, he can be strict. Not always, though._

 _And one of his main rules was to never take the cookie out of the cookie jar before dinnertime._

 _Being the disobedient girl she is, Jaden ignored his warning and pushed a chair towards the kitchen counter, where the small cookie far was. She eagerly wanted to taste her Mommy's delicious, homemade cookies that were made this afternoon since they were the best._

 _"Yummy! Yummy! Cookies!" squealed Jaden, reaching out to grab the cookie jar. Once her tiny hands grabbed hold of it, she pulled it towards her and lifted up the cover, ready to try out the cookies._

 _But, before she could take one out, a clawed hand gently grasped her wrist. It didn't surprise Jaden to see Flame Wingman standing over the other side of the kitchen counter with a displeased look on his face. Worst, Burstinatrix was with him, also not satisfied._

 ** _"No, Jaden. No cookies before dinner time,"_** _reminded Flame Wingman sternly._

 _"Just one...?" Jaden asked, wanting to taste one so badly._

 _Burstinatrix shook her head. **"No, Jaden. Just wait until dinner time's over."**_

 _Knowing she had no other choice, Jaden knew Flame Wingman's weakness and decided to try it out. She tiled her head and bit her quivering lip, tears at the corner of her eyes nearly pooling over. "P-pleeeeeeeaaaaassseee?"_

 _Flame Wingman's breath hitched, causing him to lower his grip on Jaden as sweat trailed down his forehead.'Oh, God! That face again! The puppy dog eyes!' he thought, desperately trying to figure out what to do. 'I can't resist such big...wide...eyes...and tears going over...No! Get it together, Flame Wingman! You can do this! You can-'_

 _It took less than four seconds for the Fusion Monster to give in._

 ** _"GAH! Just...Just take them! Take them all!"_** _The Fusion Monster cried, diverting his eyes away from Jaden, unable to stare into her adorable face any longer. Burstinatrix looked quite annoyed and disappointed in Flame Wingman as Jaden happily enjoyed her chocolate chip cookies._

* * *

 _Flame Wingman's second flashback..._

 ** _"Jaden? How was school toda-Why are you crying?!"_**

 _As usual, Flame Wingman always appeared inside Jaden's room whenever he was off duty to see how she was doing. However, this was the first time he's encountered her, crying her eyes out and trying to hide her tears with her bed covers._

 _Jaden sniffed and blinked; more tears rolling down her rosy red cheeks. "F-Flamey! I-I-! Waaaaaahhhh!"_

 _Concerned, Flame Wingman sat down next to Jaden and placed a hand on her back, despite the fact that he doesn't have a physical body and his hand would just phase through. He didn't know why Jaden was crying, but it broke his hardened heart seeing a little girl like this crying. Naturally, he's a hero, and he's supposed to be protecting the weak, like Jaden. Whoever made her cry was going to pay for such a cruel act. Just the thought of someone hurting his little princess filled him with determination to crush that someone._

 ** _"Jaden? Why are you crying? Please, tell me."_**

 _A few minutes later, Jaden managed to calm down, but she was still crying. "O-Okay...Today, some bullies were teasing me and saying that I couldn't be a good duelist...And they pushed me around and ripped up my...my...my cute Petit Dragon card!"_

 _With shaky hands, Jaden presented the Petit Dragon card which had been torn in half, rendering it useless. Flame Wingman looked away, not wanting Jaden to see the enraged look on his face, for he feared it might scare her unintentionally. How could those bullies do such a thing to a girl?_

 _"And...And they called me names, too!"_

 ** _"What kind of names?"_**

 _Jaden went over to Flame Wingman and whispered the words to his ear as if somebody else was in the room, eavesdropping on their conversation. His enraged expression twisted into an uncontrollably face of seething rage._

 ** _"...Put me in the Extra Deck and challenge those bullies to a duel tommorow, Jaden. That way, no one will bully you again."_**

 _The next day, and the days following after, the bullies made sure to stay FAR away from Jaden; having experienced something they wish to never experience ever again._

* * *

 _Clayman's first flashback..._

 ** _"Jaden! Come out, wherever you are!"_**

 _For the past_ _fifteen minutes, Clayman had been searching nonstop for Jaden in a little game called Hide-And-Seek. He had to admit, Jaden was seriously good at playing this game! That, and because she was several times smaller than him, since she's still a child._

 _Clayman sighed; his rock-like shoulders slumped. Who knew human children could be difficult to handle? He never knew until now. Guess Burstinatrix was right. What comes with experience comes with hardship, or something along the lines._

 _He stopped in the middle of a hallway when he heard faint giggling right near him. Turning to his left, Clayman saw a closed closet and instantly knew Jaden was inside. If he could, he would have pried it open with his bare hands, but sadly, he couldn't physically thanks to his spiritual body. Instead, he had another idea._

 ** _"Oh, I guess I can't find Jaden anywhere! I guess I'm just going to have to take all of the cookies myself..."_**

 _The closet doors burst opened, revealing a frantic-looking Jaden before she tackled herself towards Clayman. Well, technically she phased right through him and fell to the ground, but that still got her determined to face the Duel Spirit._

 _"No! I like cookies! You can't have them, Clay-Clay! I'll tell Bursty!"_

 _Clayman chuckled and kneeled down. **"Okay, okay. I won't."**_

 _That seemed to convince the little girl, thus placing a bright smile on her face. "Good! Your turn to hide! Ready?" She covered her eyes with her hands and began counting. "One...Two..."_

 _Taking that as his cue to run and hide, Clayman began to do so. When he turned around, he saw a gap in between Jaden's fingers and her grinning face._

 ** _"Hey! You're cheating! You can't peek!"_**

 _"Nuh-uh! Rules didn't say I COULDN'T!"_

 ** _"No fair! You said I couldn't! Why can't I do it, but you can?"_**

 _"Uh...I'm special!"_

 ** _"Oh, yeah? Get back here!"_**

 _"Aaaahh! Run away!"_

* * *

 _Clayman's second flashback..._

 _"Clay-Clay! Clay-Clay!"_

 ** _"Hmm?"_** _Seeing Jaden running towards him with her hands behind her back, Clayman assumed that she's got something up her mind. **"What's wrong, Jaden?"**_

 _"Here!" Jaden presented him with some Play-Doh shaped in a...oddly figure resembling a large body, some arms and legs, and...why does it look awfully similar to him? "It's you, Clay-Clay! I made it with Play-Doh! It's super squishy and funny! A gift!"_

 _Clayman wished at this moment to take the gift with him, but remembered that he didn't have a physical body. Still, he was grateful for Jaden's hard-earned gift._

 ** _"Jaden...Thank you. But, why not put it in your room for safekeeping?"_**

 _"Okie-dokie!"_

 _From that day on, every time Clayman entered Jaden's room, he would also see the Play-Dog figurine of him standing tall near her bookshelf and feel instantly better if he ever had a bad day. Of course, a few years after that, the Play-Doh was starting to harden and stink up the room, so Jaden's parents threw it away without Jaden's knowledge, and slowly, Jaden began forgetting about her gift to Clayman._

 _Of course, Clayman knew that it was inevitable and eventually, the gift would have been tossed away. Even so, he was a bit sadden to see it go._

* * *

 _Avian's first flashback..._

 _"Wheeee! I can flyy! I can flyyy!" squealed Jaden, bouncing up and down on her bed and trying to flap her arms around to imitate a bird. Seeing Avian flying while attacking during her duels inspired her to try and gain "flying powers" even though it was impossible._

 _Avian, having finished his faily heroic duties back in the Spirit World, reappeared into Jaden's room to check on the little girl. **"Jaden, I-What are you doing?"**_

 _"Oh, hi Avi! I can fly! I can-"_

 _At that moment, Jaden jumped off her bed and crashed onto the ground facedown._

 _Eyes widened, Avian rushed towards his master's side. **"JADEN! Are you alright?!"**_

 _Jaden appeared to be okay, as evident of her lifting up her head. However, a red bump formed on her forehead as she tried to contain her tears. "I...*sniff*...I..."_

 _Avian sighed in relief, though he wasn't too keen on her attempting to fly. **"Jaden, next time, don't try to fly, alright? I was really worried there for a second."**_

 _"I...I COULDN'T FLY! WAAAAAHHHHH!"_

 _'That's what she was worried about?!' thought Avian, astonished and fighting the urge to facepalm himself while he tried to deal with a crying, little girl._

* * *

 _Avian's second flashback..._

 ** _"Jaden, don't be silly. You have to eat your broccoli."_**

 _"No! Yucky!"_

 _There were those times when kids refused to eat their vegetables simply due to their looks or tastes; mostly their looks. This case was no different for little Jaden Yuki, who refused to eat her broccoli on her dinner plate. Her parents were currently busy with some work in their rooms, but they forbidden Jaden to leave the kitchen table until her plate was clean. At this time, Avian appeared and tried convincing her that broccoli was good for her._

 ** _"Jaden, broccoli is good for you!"_**

 _"Noo! Broccoli is yucky! No good!"_

 ** _"Hmmm..."_**

 _A_ _vian wasn't exactly the calmest nor the smartest person on the team, but he's...around between the two. He's never really interacted with humans much, but the first human being to see him is his current master, Jaden Yuki. If he wants to convince Jaden to eat her broccoli, then he has to think of something that only Jaden would like._

 ** _"Jaden! There's a prize inside the broccoli if you eat them all!"_**

 _"But how am I supposed to get the prize if I eat them? Won't they be inside my belly?"_

 _Damn, she was good. No matter. Avian had other plans in mind...As soon as he thinks of one real quick. He didn't want his master to be in anymore trouble than she already is simply because she refuses to eat her vegetables. Then, a thought occured to him._

 ** _"Jaden...If you eat all your broccoli...You will...gain the power to fly!"_**

 _"*Gasps* Really?! Okay, then!"_

 _What Avian didn't expect one hour later was for Jaden to attempt flying...and failing miserably. That forced the WIND Attribute Hero to try comforting a crying girl whose arm got broken by the continuous failing falls._

* * *

 _Burstinatrix's first flashback..._

 ** _"Sparkman, we have got to get you to stop swearing all the time!"_**

 ** _"I know, but I can't help it! Those annoying things just keep bothering me every time we get into battle!"_**

 ** _"Not the point! What if Jaden heard you and-"_**

 _"Bursty! Bursty! Bursty!"_

 _Burstinatrix, who was arguing with Sparkman, noticed Jaden running up to her. It was rare for the little girl to enter the Spirit World all by herself, usually by her own dreams. Still, seeing her here always placed her mind with ease._

 ** _"Jaden? What's wrong?"_** _Burstinatrix kneeled down in front of the girl so they could meet at eye level._

 _"I wanna tell you a story! I learned how to speak words at school!" Jaden presented a simple little storybook in her hands with the title of "The Sheep and the Frog."_

 _Seeing no harm in spending a little bit of time with her master, Burstinatrix agreed to listen since it seemed like a short, everyday storybook. Sparkman stayed to listen as well for the little girl's sake._

 _Jaden flipped to the first page and spoke outloud. "Once upon a time, there was a little...Um...Sh...sh..."_

 ** _"Jaden? Can I see that for a second?"_** _asked Burstinatrix. After being handed the book, she looked at the words and nodded in understandment before giving the book back to Jaden. **"Sheep, Jaden. 'Sheep.'"**_

 _"Sh...Shh...Oh! Shit!"_

 _Shocked and stunned, Burstinatrix and Sparkman glanced at each other before turning to Jaden. Then they looked upon each other once more before diverting back to Jaden. Did she...seriously say a bad word?_

 _Nervously, Sparkman tried to correct her, knowing this could end up as his fault for his foul language. **"Uh...No, Jaden! Say, 'sheep!'"**_

 _"Shit!"_

 _Burstinatrix was getting onto Sparkman's plans, glaring at him with fierce anger in her eyes that he's never seen before. Sparkman decided to deal this situation with a better approach._

 ** _"Jaden, how about you read the next part?"_**

 _"Oh, okay! Um...There was also a...a...per...perf...Fro...Fr...There was also a pervert fuck!"_

 _Yanking the book out of her Jaden's tiny hands, Sparkman frantically searched the lines in the first page. He was practically begging from the inside that the words she spoke were not the same as the ones in the book. Turns out, Jaden was supposed to say, "There was also a perfect frog."_

 ** _"Okay, Jaden. Repeat after me. 'There was also a perfect frog.'"_**

 _"Ok! There was also a...um...a pervert fuck!"_

 _Burstinatrix's eye twitched as she slowly stood back up from her kneeling position. She yanked the back bolts of Sparkman's helmet and spoke in a sweetly sickly tone to Jaden, **"Jaden? I have to go do some...things to do, alright? I'll see you later."**_

 _Jaden smiled and nodded innocently, waving her hand. "Okay! Bye-bye, Bursty and Sparky!"_

 ** _"NOOOO! JADEN! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE! SAVE MEE! SAVE SPARKY!"_**

 ** _"Oh, Sparkman? We're going to have a long, LONG chat...In the training room."_**

 ** _"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"_**

* * *

 _Burstinatrix's second flashback..._

 _"ACHOOO!" Jaden sniffed her runny nose, curling more with her blankets as she tried to keep warm. Her parents weren't home yet, since they had to go fetch some medicine for their daughter. For now, she was trying to stay warm in her own bed with the heater on and a small ice pack over her forehead._

 _Burstinatrix appeared out of nowhere and wanted to ask Jaden something when she saw how sick her master was. She rushed over and asked, **"Jaden? Are you alright?"**_

 _"I-I-I f-f-f-f-feeel so c-c-cold..."_

 _Knowing that using her own power to make herself appear in her spiritual form like this is already causing a strain on her, Burstinatrix didn't care about her next move. She sat down gently near Jaden's side and concentrated on bringing forth her powers even further, causing a small heatwave to fill the room._

 _"Aaahhhhh...Thank you, Bursty! I-ACHOO!"_

 _Smiling, Burstinatrix stared down at her little master with soft eyes. **"Rest easy, Jaden. I'll stay here for a little bit longer."**_

 _In truth, Burstinatrix was tired enough since she couldn't really interact with the human world much due to the laws of the Spirit World, but if she mustered up enough power, she could at least do something to affect the human world, even if it was a little. And, if it would help make her little master feel better, then she'd be willing to do it, no matter the price._

* * *

 _Bubbleman's first flashback..._

 ** _"What's wrong, Jaden?"_** _asked the older, WATER Attribute Monster, kneeling down in front of his master. She must have taken a nap since it was daytime and the only possible way for her to enter the Spirit World would be through dreams._

 _"I'm bored! There isn't anything fun and it's rainy outside!" pouted Jaden. "Mommy and Daddy are out for work again and there's nothing to do! There's nothing fun around!"_

 ** _"Well, why don't we duel?"_**

 _Jaden gasped; her eyes gleaming with joy. "Really?! But...Sparkman says you're not good at dueling."_

 _From that moment on, Bubbleman made a mental note to tell Sparkman to keep his mouth shut at times. Especially when he swears._

 _"Don't worry! I can teach you all about dueling!" said Jaden excitedly. "Um...you...you need a Monster...and You Direct Attack the enemy! The end!"_

 ** _"Er...Jaden, I know how to duel. But, thanks anyways."_**

 _Of course Jaden wasn't a fully experienced duelist, but she's slowly learning by dueling her classmates everyday. At first, she kept wanting to Direct Attack her opponents, arguing that her Monsters will bypass their Monsters. She may lose many times, but she's learned from her experiences each time. Just like a person learns from their mistakes._

 ** _"Oh, Jaden! Check this out!"_** _Aiming his water blaster attached to his gauntlet, Bubbleman shot out several harmless bubbles, all for Jaden._

 _"Wow! Bubbles! Hehehe!~" Jaden leaped off the ground and started popping them with her fingers, giggling. "More! More! Bubbly! More bubbles!"_

 _Bubbleman chuckled; enjoying the sight of the little girl having some fun herself. It always was nice to see kids being happy like this. **"What's the magic word?"**_

 _"Please! Please make more bubbles!"_

 ** _"Well, since you asked so nicely..."_**

 _Jaden's grin widen as she kept poking the bubbles over and over. Her continuous giggling filled Bubbleman's ears, making him enjoy the cute scene before him. Jaden let out a small, cute sneeze when one of the bubbles popped on her nose, causing Bubbleman to chuckle as she played with the bubbles for a little while longer._

* * *

 _Bubbleman's second flashback..._

 _"Wheeeeeeee!"_

 ** _"Jaden, I have to ask-Uh...What are you doing?"_**

 _Jaden, who had been running down and across the hallways nonstop, stopped in front of Bubbleman. The only difference about her this time was that her tiny body was covered with an oversized blanket._

 _"I'm playing superhero! I play as you, Bubbly!"_

 ** _"Uh...How?"_**

 _"See? See?" Jaden frailed her arms up and down while holding onto her blanket. "I'm wearing a cape! It's so cool, like yours! Avi, Bursty, Sparky, and everyone else don't have cool capes like you! That's why I'm dressing up as you, Bubbly!"_

 ** _"...I see. But, you're missing one prop. I have a water gun, but you don't."_**

 _"Oh! I know! I'll use Mommy's hairspray! I'll use it to defeat Mr. Teddy Bear! ...That's the bad guy right now! Be right back!"_

 _As soon as Jaden was out of sight, Bubbleman sighed and smiled to himself. Kids these days were sure a handful, especially someone like Jaden. Sure, she was energetic and tends to get into trouble, but he always knew how to put a smile in a tired Duel Spirit such as him._

* * *

 _Sparkman's first flashback..._

 _"Sparky! Sparky! Fly! Fly!" cheered Jaden, clapping her hands together as she sat on Sparkman's shoulders._

 ** _"Er...Jaden, you know I can't do that,"_** _pointed out Sparkman as if it was obvious. Last time he tried to fly with her on his shoulders...The result was NOT pretty._

 _"Don't worry! I won't tell on Sparky! Sparky's a friend!"_

 _As much as Sparkman appreciated Jaden's honest opinion for him, he really shouldn't think of flying like that, ever. Especially when he's got a human's life, more specifically, his master's, on the line._

 _"Hey, Sparky? Can I ask something?"_

 ** _"Sure."_**

 _"Where do babies come from?"_

 _That seemed to catch Sparkman's attention as his eyes widen in shock from underneath his helmet. Why, of all things, do children have to ask the forbidden question? Why can't they ask simple things like...Like why do women have chests? Why is blood red? Okay, those were all inappropriate questions, but still! She cannot have her innocent mind tainted!_

 ** _"Um...You'll learn when you're older, Jaden. It's an adult thing."_**

 _"Okay...Where do puppies come from?"_

 ** _"Lalalala! I'm not answering!"_**

* * *

 _Sparkman's second flashback..._

 ** _CRASH! BOOM!_** _The thunderstorm that late night was one of the many intense and fierce ones yet. The winds were blowing from all directions, even enough to near tear trees apart. The neighborhood outside was a mess, with the winds blowing stuff around and all._

 _Jaden hid herself in her own bed sheets, too afraid to come straight out. She quivered and covered her ears out of fear, unable to fall asleep. Her voice was shaky, and there was nobody here to comfort her._

 _Sparkman, who had finished training back in the Spirit World, thought he should pay a visit to his master in order to check up on her. He heard thunder crashing sounds, and a sudden, familiar scream coming from her room, so he quickly phased through her bedroom door and found his master hiding under the bed covers._

 ** _"Jaden? Are you okay?"_**

 _Hearing a soft gasp, Sparkman could only assume that she was surprised to hear him. The bed covers that veiled her body were shaking, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that Jaden was scared of thunderstorms._

 _Slowly approaching, Sparkman let out a gentle tone. **"Jaden? It's...it's alright. It's me, Sparky? Remember?"**_

 _"S-Sparky, I-" **BOOM!** "AAAAAAHH!" The bed sheets covering her body increased their shaking as Sparkman hurried to sit next to her on the bed. "I-I'm sorry! I'm scared! T-Thunder's scary and I...I...!"_

 _It pained Sparkman to hear her cry. No child as young as her should cry or feel sadness. They should enjoy some of their happiness while it lasts before they become teenagers, then fully, responsible adults._

 _Therefore, Sparkman stayed with her that night, and although he couldn't hug the girl, he spoke tender words that would make her comfort or laugh. Anything to ease her mind off the fear. Once she fell asleep, Sparkman stayed a little bit longer before he felt that the thunderstorm had passed._

* * *

 _Hero Kids' first flashback..._

 ** _"Jaden! Jaden! Jaden! Wanna play with me? Wanna play with me?"_**

 ** _"No way! Don't listen to him! I wanna show you my cool toy gun!"_**

 ** _"J-Jaden? I got you some flowers! They're a gift from me to you! Please, take them!"_**

 _"Um...Uh...Huh?"_

 _Ever since Jaden has been making visits to the Spirit World, the three Hero Kids brothers always tried to find an excuse to hang out with Jaden, having small crushes on the girl despite the fact that she isn't a Duel Spirit. That never bothered them one bit for several reasons._

 _1; She can see and speak to Duel Spirits. 2; She's pretty cute. 3; She's around their age, about 6 or 7. 4; She's fun to play with. 5; She's kind and uses them a lot in her duels. 3; They kinda have this protective instinct for her._

 _Each of the Hero Kids are different in personality-wise, though it was pretty obvious who was the oldest and who was the youngest. Hero Kid # 1 was the oldest, with # 2 being the second oldest. That left # 3 being the youngest and oblivious of the trio._

 _Hero Kid # 1 seemed all confident and brave out of the three, seeing how he's older and much more experienced than his other brothers. Hero Kid # 2 was the smart one of the three and about neutral with his brothers. Hero Kid # 3 is a little shy, but mostly cheerful and tends to be blunt about things, making him sometimes a terrible liar._

 _As of now, they were surrounding Jaden, eagerly asking her to hang out with one of them. Two of them were pulling on one of Jaden's arms, playing Tug-A-War while the other brother was trying to push flowers onto Jaden. Jaden's head was spinning as she tried to figure out what to do or what to say._

 _Suddenly, Jaden was picked up with such great strength, causing the three Hero Kids to release her and fall on their bottoms. Glancing behind her shoulder to see who had picked her up, Jaden then grinned and giggled upon seeing Flame Wingman._

 _"Flamey! Flamey!" Jaden kicked her legs around, wanting to be put down so she could hug him on the leg like always._

 _Flame Wingman couldn't help but smile a little at the little girl. Before he decided on letting her go, he told her, **"Jaden? There's a small park not too far from here. You know where it is, right? How about you go play there?"**_

 _"Okay!" After Flame Wingman lowered her to the ground, Jaden ran towards the direction for the park; having already gone that path many times before. It was basically like the back of her hand for her._

 _After watching her vanish from plain sight, Flame Wingman whirled around and faced the three Hero Kids; his demeanor changing from a kind and calm one to a nasty, angry one. He crossed his arms, allowing his furious aura fill the three brothers with fear and a slight urge to run away, even though they knew Flame Wingman could easily catch them._

 ** _"Now, listen up, the three of you. I don't mind you three hanging out and being friends with Jaden, but that's all you're going to be. FRIENDS. Anything else beyond the friend zone, I will personally deal with you myself. GOT IT?"_**

 _Considering the many punishments they've received from him for slacking off or anything of the sort, the three Hero Kids nodded. Who knows what he'll do if they anger him even further?_

* * *

 _Hero Kids' second flashback..._

 ** _"Owwwww! My leg!"_** _cried out Hero Kid # 3, rolling around the grassy plains of the Spirit World and clinging onto his leg._

 _"Oh, no! What's wrong?!" Worried, Jaden rushed over and kneeled down near his side as his two brothers hurried as well. They have been playing a game of Tag when Hero Kid # 3 started crying out in pain._

 ** _"I...My leg's hurt badly! And an injured leg means there's almost no cure!"_**

 _"I-I'll go get Bursty and Avi and-"_

 ** _"No! Uh...There's no cure for it! Except for one... Jaden? Could you come here, please?"_** _pleaded Hero Kid # 3, his tone holding an urgency for the little girl. He began whispering something in her ear; something his brothers couldn't hear._

 ** _"How did this happen?"_** _wondered Hero Kid # 1._

 ** _"And what are they talking about?"_** _asked Hero Kid # 2, pointing to Hero Kid #3, whose knee was being kissed by Jaden. Wait...WHAT?!_

 _"T-there! I kissed it! The injury's gone, right?" asked Jaden, ready to burst into tears._

 _Hero Kid # 3 stood up and ran around. **"Yeah! It's gone! Thanks, Jaden! You're amazing!"**_

 _"Really? Yay! I'll be right back!" After Jaden ran off, Hero Kids # 1 and 2 rushed over, still stunned over what just happened._

 ** _"...Your leg wasn't really hurt, was it?"_**

 ** _"Yup!"_**

 ** _"WHAT?! We were really worried, you idiot!"_**

 ** _"Yeah, how could you? We'll just tell Flame Wingman on you!"_**

 ** _"Oh, yeah? Then, I'll tell Jaden that you two pushed me down, and she'll tell him on you guys!"_**

 ** _"Grrrr...! You sneaky little-!"_**

 _"There! There!" Jaden came running back to the plain fields with Burstinatrix, whose expression indicated that she was NOT happy. "Hey, guys! I tried to find Avi and the others, but Bursty told me they were busy! I can only get Bursty!"_

 _Jaden turned to Burstinatrix, smiling. "See? Hero Kid 3's fine! I healed him with my kiss!~"_

 _'Oh no! Why would you tell her that?!' thought Hero Kid # 3, panicking as he heard his two older brothers snickering. Technically, he didn't exactly tell her to keep it a secret, so that was his fault partially, but still! Now he was going to get in trouble, if he's not burnt to the ground first, that is!_

 _Burstinatrix kneeled down, diminishing her anger for a second as she smiled gently at the girl. **"Jaden? Could you do me a favor and go collect some flowers? They're not too far from here."**_

 _"Okay, Bursty!"_

 _After Jaden was gone, Burstinatrix turned back to the Hero Kids, which # 3 was trying to escape as the other two were standing by, wondering what was to come. She chuckled to herself before cracking her knuckles; the sounds echoing throughout the plains and sending shivering down the Hero Kids' spines._

 ** _"I'm assigning a special assignment for all three of you. You'll start running as I chase each and every one of you. Think of it as...a training exercise. I'll give you a head start."_**

 ** _"What?! Why us?! We didn't do anything!"_**

 ** _"Yeah! It was # 3's fault!"_**

 ** _"Admit it. You just had about the same idea as he did when he tricked a poor, innocent girl into kissing his knee, didn't you?"_**

 ** _"...Maybe?"_**

 ** _"#1! Bro!"_**

 ** _"Hey! We're going to be punished, anyways! Might as well tell the truth while we're at it!"_**

 ** _"Why must boys be like this? You can't trick a girl no matter how much you like her! I'll give you the count of 5. 1..."_**

 ** _"I'm outta here!"_**

 ** _"2...5!"_**

* * *

 _Wroughtweiler's first flashback..._

 _"Puppy! Puppy! Where are you?" called out Jaden, running around Skyscraper City, where she was being watched by Clayman and Burstinatrix for her own protection while the others were off doing their duties._

 _Clayman turned to Burstinatrix, confused. **"So...Why does Jaden keep calling Wroughtweiler, 'puppy?'"**_

 ** _"Apparently, it had something to do with Jaden mispronouncing his name. She called him something like Rock Wire, or something. Eventually, she decided to just call him Puppy. Maybe in the future, she'll be able to say his name. Wroughtweiler's name is a little hard for a girl her age."_**

 _"Puppy! There you are!"_

 _Wroughtweiler's mechanical ears picked up the sounds of Jaden's cries. Recognizing them, the dog-like Monster stopped whatever activity he was doing and pounced onto Jaden, licking her face as his tail wagged happily._

 _"Ahahaha! Puppy! Stop that! It-Ahahaha! It tickles! Hahaha!" Once Wroughtweiler stopped and sat up straight, Jaden crawled behind him and began lifting up his paws, laughing as she began playing with him._

 _The dog Monster barked lightly, showing how much he enjoyed making Jaden laugh. He used the back of his head to nuzzle into her neck, making her giggle before she hugged him from behind._

* * *

 _Wroughtweiler's second flashback..._

 ** _"Sparkman, I wanted to ask-What are you doing?"_** _asked Bubbleman, coming up from behind._

 _Sparkman, who had been covering his mouth, or rather, his jaw area, was containing his laughter as he watched the scene in front of him. He couldn't speak properly but all he did was point, and Bubble got the answer he was looking for._

 _Jaden was sitting on top of Wroughtweiler, which proved no problem given Jaden was very tiny and held little weight for the dog-like Monster. But that wasn't the issue; it was the kitty ears headband Wroughtweiler had on._

 _Wroughtweiler knew that girls always perferred cats more than dogs, so somehow, he managed to get his hands on a headband with kitty ears. How he managed to place it upon his head, nobody knew, but at least it made Jaden happy._

 _"Run around, Puppy! Run around!" cheered Jaden, clinging onto Wroughtweiler's neck. The pet barked before running around and back in full circles, taking extra precaution not to let Jaden fall._

 _Since Jaden never had a real-life pet before, Wroughtweiler promised himself that he would play the role for her sake._

* * *

Having decided that standing around wasn't going to do anything, her Duel Spirits left their master fully asleep in a peaceful manner. They knew when the time would come when they would assist Jaden, which wouldn't be very long considering how energetic she can be when it comes to duels.

They only wished that the cheerful spark igniting Jaden's heart would never go away.

* * *

 **Okay! Sorry for all the long wait! My Midterms are at last at an end and I am all good so far!~**

 **So, yeah! I got some of these ideas from reading a bit of Undertale comics because they're so cool and fun and hilarious! If you don't know Undertale, it's a pretty fun game if you're interested!**

 **Also, the end shows some foreshadowing, so unless you already know what it means, I'm not telling a single soul! Also, it may take a while for me to update but, whatever!**

 **Read and review! If you guys have anymore fluffy or cool ideas for Jaden's interactions with her Duel Spirits, feel free to say so in the reviews!**


	16. Nature of the Draw

**Sorry for the wait guys! Here's the new chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"Jaden, hurry up! It's Sandwich Day!"

"Gotta get it! Gotta get it! Gotta get it! I'm so excited!"

As the bell rang a few times, signaling for lunch time, Jaden and Syrus rushed towards Dorothy's card shop as fast as they could. Luckily they knew a shortcut which led towards the cafeteria located near the card shop. Every single Friday during lunchtime, there held a special lunch event that every student was eagered to try out. This event consisted of Dorothy cooking a large batch of mysterious sandwiches which had different flavors each, but there was always one, single sandwich that many students desired.

The Golden Egg Sandwich.

This sandwich's delightful egg ingredient came from one of Duel Academy's hens, who lays a golden egg at least once a day. The golden egg is used for cooking up the Golden Egg Sandwich, but in order to obtain it, students have to 'draw' in the cart full of mysterious sandwiches in order to retrieve it. In a way, the fun event is also a way for students to practice their drawing in dueling.

Once Jaden and Syrus arrived, they saw hordes of students gathering around the sandwich carts; murmurs buzzing around as several students paid for their attempts for grabs at the sandwich event. While most tried their hand, others were sitting at tables, eating the sandwiches they caught, talking amongst each other, or just playing Duel Monsters on the table instead with their duel disks.

Choosing a random cart, Syrus and Jaden rushed over and gazed admirably at the various choices before them. Sure the other sandwiches were delicious, but none of them compared to the Golden Egg Sandwich! Syrus knew deep down that he might get some sloopy sandwich, but if Jaden manages to get it, then she'll share it with him just like she always does! After all, she did managed to obtain the Golden Egg Sandwich for ten days straight! Ah...to enjoy the taste of the Golden Egg Sandwich for ten days straight... It sure was heavenly.

"Huh...Which one should I talk?" muttered Jaden, glancing from one sandwich to another. Since they're wrapped up in the same wrappings, it was difficult to tell what sort of sandwiches are inside, which made things even more suspenseful and interesting.

"Careful, Jaden! There's some nasty flavors in there!" warned Syrus, eyeing around the sandwiches. "You've got fish bun, steamed dust, grilled rock, and yesterday, somebody pulled a sandwich OUT of a sandwich!"

"Really? What did that taste like?"

"Nobody knows..."

"Well, today might be my lucky day, then!" said Jaden, grabbing one of the sandwich containers before ripping half of it off and chowing a bite down. The moment she allowed her taste buds to take over, she instantly regretted choosing the sandwich she held in her hands. Letting out a groan, Jaden fell to her knees; her shoulders slumped in defeat.

Curious as well as concerned, Syrus bent down besides her. "Hey, you alright, Jay?"

"It tastes like rotten eggs mixed with a rock's stupidity!"

"That bad, huh?"

"So, neither of you got it, huh?"

Turning to face whoever spoke to them, Syrus and Jaden recognized Alexis holding two sandwiches in her hands. From the looks of things, it seems that she already unwrapped her two sandwiches.

"Oh, hey Alexis! I bet you were the one who found the Golden Egg Sandwich!" guessed Jaden. "Good for you, I guess!"

Alexis shook her head. "Nope. I didn't get the sandwich either. All I got was a taco sandwich and a fried shrimp sandwich."

 _Fried shrimp sandwich._ Syrus didn't even need to glance at Jaden to tell what sort of expression she was wearing on her face.

"REALLY?!" Clasping both of Alexis's hands together, Jaden got down on one knee and stared deeply into Alexis's eyes. This caught some others' attention as they watched out of interest or jealously.

Syrus facepalmed, knowing exactly what Jaden intended to ask, yet was doing so in the wrong position. _'Jaden...Do you want the sandwich or just a proposal?'_

"Alexis..."

Face burning red, Alexis momentarily forgot that Jaden was a female and focused on her handsome charms. "Y-yes, Jaden?"

"CAN I PLEASE HAVE THE FRIED SHRIMP SANDWICH?! I'LL TRADE YOU FOR MY OWN SANDWICH!"

Sweatdropping, Alexis nodded and swapped sandwiches with a hungry-looking Jaden, who eyed the fried shrimp sandwich and rubbed it against her face affectively. Glancing at her new sandwich, Alexis wondered about one thing. "Hey, Jaden? What kind of sandwich is this?"

"Uhhhhhhh..." Not wanting to trade back sandwiches, Jaden tried to come up with the best sandwich idea she has. "...Golden Egg Gummy Bear sandwich?"

"...Jaden, that's a lie and you know it-"

"Lalalala! I got the sandwich! Can't trade it back!" Before anyone could stop her, Jaden bit down on her sandwich...only to realize that tiny tacos were stuffed inside. "W-what?! Taco sandwich?!"

"Huh?" Checking the contents of her second, untouched sandwich, Alexis realized that she must have given Jaden the wrong sandwich. "Oops. Guess I handed you the taco sandwich instead of the fried shrimp sandwich. Then again, you probably deserved it for trying to lie to me."

"Nooo! Now I'll never have the delicious sandwich!" complained Jaden; anime tears running down her face.

Just once...just once, she wanted to cherish the everlasting taste of her favorite food in the whole world combined with the sandwich! It would have been the perfect meal for her! Now it'll take a while for her to retrieve such a sandwich because of the whole Sandwich Day event! And...Was Syrus eating the beloved sandwich?

"Sy!"

"Sorry, Jaden! I was just so hungry that I couldn't resist! Besides, Alexis handed me her sandwich," defended Syrus before noticing the soft, puppy dog look Jaden had on his face. Feeling sympathy for his best friend, he broke half of his sandwich and gave it to Jaden.

"Eeek! Thank you, Sy! You're the best!" squealed Jaden, hugging a blushing Syrus tightly to her chest. In the background, a couple of Yaoi Fanclub girls were squealing at the romantic moment before them and started taking pictures with their phones.

"Sy...you're too gullible," sighed Alexis, shaking her head back and forth. Whenever it comes to girls, Syrus could easily be captivated in their charms, especially with the powerful puppy dog eyes tactics. Maybe she'll put up some sort of training course on girls for Syrus only.

"Has any of you drawn the Golden Egg Sandwich yet?" asked Dorothy as she approached the three of them with a concerned look on her face.

"No, not yet," spoke Syrus as Jaden was licking the crumbs off his fingers after finishing her sandwich. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"Well, it's just that nobody's been able to find the Golden Egg Sandwich since a week ago. At least not anyone I know," explained Dorothy. "I think that there's a possibility that it's been stolen several times!"

"Stolen?" frowned Alexis. Maybe someone just wanted to hog the sandwich to themselves? Nah, most students in the cafeteria would have bragged and declared that they drew the sandwich anyhow.

"Whoa...for a whole week?" wondered Syrus, amazed. "If this person really did keep stealing the Golden Egg Sandwich, then he must really be good at drawing!"

"If the Golden Hen could sprout more of her golden eggs, I would have cooked up a whole batch of Golden Egg Sandwiches," said Dorothy sadly before looking down at her feet out of depression. "I'm so sorry..."

Jaden gritted her teeth and clenched her fists out of anger. No, she wasn't angry towards Dorothy, but more towards the Golden Egg Sandwich thief! She could _never_ be mad towards kind, sweet Miss Dorothy! Whoever keeps stealing the Golden Egg Sandwiches she's worked so hard to cook must be stopped!

"This isn't any of your fault, Miss Dorothy!" protested Jaden. "The one who's at fault is that drawing thief guy! That's why I'm gonna capture him!"

"Yeah! Way to go, Jay! That's the spirit!" encouraged Syrus, nodding his head. If there's anyone in the world who could stop the thief, it would probably be Jaden! She'll probbaly challenge him to a duel and win, just like she always does!

"Alright, Syrus! From today on, we're going on a stakeout!" Jaden turned to Syrus with fierce, determined eyes. From the looks of things, it didn't seem like she was joking around and truly wished to get to the bottom of things.

"Yeah! ...Wait, what?"

* * *

 _Later that night..._

Since it was late at night, the store was completely closed and dark with no customers available. Around the corner of the store laid a large cart full of sandwiches, which was supposed to be the bait to lure out the sandwich thief. Meanwhile, the others grouped up inside of the staffroom located near the store.

Inside, Chumley and Syrus were planning a game of cards while Alexis was entertaining herself with a book. Jaden and Dorothy were nowhere to be found because the duo decided to prepare some midnight snacks for all of them. Well, originally Dorothy was going to cook the snacks alone, but Jaden decided to accompany her due to the fact that she wants dibs on the snacks first.

Syrus held two cards in his hands while Chumley tried to figure out which of the two was the correct one. When Chumley's hand moved over to the right card, Syrus grinned, thinking he had Chumley cornered. However, seeing Syrus's amused expression and recalling one of the oldest tricks in the books for cards, Chumley's hand switched towards the left card, where Syrus's gleeful expression changed to one full of puppy dog eyes, as if begging Chumley not to choose the left card.

Thinking that he's gained the upper hand, Chumley, without a second thought, picked the left card, only to discover it wasn't the card he was looking for.

"Hey!" shouted Chumley indignantly as Syrus snickered to himself. "That's not fair! You tricked me with your expressions!"

"Oh? What do you mean? I was just waiting for you to pick a card, that's all. I didn't do anything, really!" said Syrus, trying to feign innocence. "Right, Alexis?"

"..." Alexis was too deep in thought to respond to Syrus's question.

"Hey, come to think of it, why did you agree to tag along, Alexis?" Chumley asked as if it was the first good question asked all night.

"Huh?" Turning to the boys, Alexis answered, "Well...I have nothing better to do, that's all." In actuality, she wanted to know whether or not the sandwich thief had anything to do with the disappearances of the missing students. Maybe he had some sort of link with her brother? Whatever the case is, she was determined to find out for sure!

The door slid open, gaining everyone's attention before they noticed Dorothy and Jaden holding their own plate of rice balls. Dorothy's looks much more delicious and better-looking than Jaden's, whose rice balls looked a bit...charred and nasty.

"Whoa! What flavors are they?" asked Chumley; drool dripping from his mouth as his stomach growled for food. He usually judges food by appearance by seeing how hungry he was, he didn't care at this point what Jaden's food looked like.

"They're apricot, dried fish cracker, and salmon-flavored," spoke Dorothy.

"Ooh! Ooh! Try mine! Try mine!" said Jaden, eagerly showing off her rice balls to her friends. "Mine are chocolate, lemon custard, and my personal favorite, strawberry!"

Nobody wanted to know what was going on in Jaden's head when she attempted to cook the rice balls. Just the mere thought of tasting Jaden's rice balls almost made them want to barf, but they didn't exactly wanted to hurt the girl's feelings, so they just nodded.

"Hey, so which one's salmon-flavored?" asked Chumley, glancing at Dorothy's tray of rice balls.

"Oh, it's right-"

"Wait!" interrupted Jaden, stopping Dorothy midsentence. "We should draw! I want strawberry!" She plucked a rice ball off her own plate and took a bite before presenting her friends her riceball's pink-colored filling. "I got strawberry!"

"Whoa! And on your first try, too!" gasped Syrus, impressed by Jaden's skill despite her usage of strange rice ball fillings.

"Yup! Even more, it was my favorite filling!" said Jaden as she munched more on her strawberry-filled rice ball. "Yummy!"

 _'Were they really as good as Jaden claims they are?'_ Alexis, Chumley, and Syrus wondered as they took a riceball from Jaden's plate each. Curious, they cautiously took a bite and began tasting the contents of the rice balls.

Their faces dreaded once their taste buds started to react negatively towards Jaden's rice balls. It took every ounce of their willpower to swallow down what they ate before gasping for breath. It...it was...horrendous, horrible, bland, nasty, anything to describe how bad her rice balls were!

"So...how are they?" wondered Jaden, beaming at them and awaiting positive reviews for her cooking. It was then that they noticed that several bandages were wrapped around her hands, indicating that she must have injured herself countless times in the kitchen.

How could anyone say no to a hardworking girl like her? "It's...good," the three tasters forced themselves to say, smiling at her.

Jaden gasped happily. "Really? Oh, that's such a relief! Want more?"

"NO!" the trio shouted, wanting nothing more than to eat Dorothy's food and rid of the nadty taste left lingering on their tongues forever.

Alexis was the first to composure herself. "What we mean is that, you can have the rest of the rice balls, Jaden. Me and everyone else will taste Dorothy's, alright?"

"Yay!" Cheering to herself, Jaden stuffed her mouth with her cooked rice balls, squealing at the delicious taste as everyone else focused on Dorothy's rice balls. The others decided to make sure that in the future, they wouldn't let Jaden cook, for who knows what sort of disaster she'll make in the future?

* * *

 _Much later that night..._

After snack time ended, everyone turned off the lights in the staffroom and hid in their own respective spots. Alexis hid inside a locker which was somewhat half-opened, Dorothy was underneath a computer desk and Syrus and Chumley huddled close under a table. But where was Jaden?

The answer was right inside the cart full of sandwiches. Jaden didn't tell anyone but she had an idea of her own, so once the lights were turned off, she sneaked off and dug her way inside the cart. Luckily, thanks to her petite size, she was able to fit perfectly in, hiding deep underneath the pile of sandwiches while digging a small hole for air. In addition, her tiny companion, Winged Kuriboh, decided to show up and keep her company.

Cuddling Winged Kuriboh in her arms like a baby, Jaden began humming a soft tone to him while rocking him back and forth. Winged Kuriboh softly began to drift off to sleep while purring and nuzzling his fur against her chest. Despite the tight spot they were in, he enjoyed his master's company.

A rattling sound was heard across the area, snapping the group into action. Syrus, Chumley, Dorothy, and Alexis slowly crept out of their hiding spots and gathered around the staffroom's glass door to check to see what was happening. The rattling sounds continued until the store's shutter was lifted up by two muscular-looking hands.

"Whoa! What strength!" gasped Syrus, only to received 'Shhs' from Alexis, Dorothy, and Chumley. The shadow-like figure snuck inside the store once the shutter was opened and he walked towards the sandwich cart; the one Jaden was currently in.

The stranger took a sandwich from the cart, being extremely close to grabbing Jaden's hair. Once he got what he came for, he was satisfied...until the lights turned back on, that is.

A closer look at his appearance can make anyone summarize what they see as a...Tarzan impersonator. He was tall, muscular, had crazy long black hair, and the only clothing he was wearing was his pants. The rest...well, he was shirtless and barefooted, so that speaks a lot of things.

"Hey! There's the thief!" shouted Syrus, pointing to the stranger.

"Stop! You've got nowhere to hide!" said Chumley. It was then that Dorothy realized who it was and gasped out of surprise.

Thinking this was her cue to make her entrance, Jaden popped out of the sandwich cart and started screaming, waving her arms frantically as she attempted to scare the stranger. The plan worked perfectly as the stranger was caught off guard and let out a Tarzan-like scream, which caused everyone else to scream out of surprise. Without having time to think, the stranger began pushing the sandwich cart and making his escape. Jaden squirmed around and as soon as she realized that the stranger was heading towards the store's shutter, she panicked and dove back into the sea of sandwiches, hoping to avoid any heavy damage.

The speed and force the stranger was going through was so immense, it was enough to break through the shutter's defenses, leaving a large gapping hole as the stranger continued running. He shoved the sandwich cart aside; having already completed his objective and not wanting the cart to slow him down before continuing to run away from his pursuers.

Once the cart halted, Jaden climbed out of it as fast as she could, clutching her head as she groaned. The impact of the door practically had Jaden's head banged against the side of the cart once the cart and shutter collided with great force. Right now, she could complain about her headache later. For now, she and her friends had a sandwich thief to catch!

Eventually, their chase ended up from the stranger jumping off the high rooftop of Duel Academy, towards him swinging from vine to vine in the forests, until all the way towards the small waterfalls. By the time the group managed to catch up to the stranger, they were red-faced and completely out of breath as they witnessed the stranger climbing up the waterfalls by the ledges sticking out. Seriously, just how physically strong was this guy?

"Damon!"

The stranger known as Damon paused his climb upwards as Dorothy appeared at the site. She too, was exhausted from the nonstop running, but she still kept her gaze upon the muscular sandwich thief.

"You know him?" asked Jaden.

Dorothy nodded. "Yes, I know him! And he knows better than stealing!"

"..." Damon slowly turned his head towards her, but his hand loosen its grip on one of the slippery, wet ledges, causing him to yell out a cry before plummeting down towards the rushing water. A few bubbles sprouted from underneath the water before Damon emerged, gasping for breath.

"Just as I thought! You are Damon!" said Dorothy, a bit alarmed, yet relieved as well.

"Miss Dorothy! It's been a while!" spoke Damon, surprising the others besides Dorothy. They figured that since he imitates Tarzan perfectly, he would have quite a lack of grammar, but it seems that they were wrong.

"Miss Dorothy, who is this guy?" Jaden asked, turning towards the store manager.

"His name's Damon, and he was an Obelisk Blue student," Dorothy began explaining. "One day, he disappeared! I was so sad! He was one of my favorites! Always visiting me at the card shack, especially on Sandwich Days! Shame that he was bad at drawing, both at dueling and on Sandwich Day events..."

"But this guy keeps drawing the Golden Egg Sandwich each time for a full week now! You sure it's the same guy?" wondered Jaden, having doubts of whether or not this man really was an Obelisk Blue student. If he was, where was his blue blazer?

Gently chuckling, Damon began to burst into a fit of somewhat mad laughter until the waves of the water pushed him back, causing him to stop. Afterwards, he stepped out of the water and sat down on a rock before calming himself with deep breaths.

"Miss Dorothy is right, I am Damon," he admitted to the group. "During the year I vanished, I confined myself in the mountains and trained myself to the bitter end. I was always the smartest Obelisk Blue around, but I sucked at drawing during duels. I prayed everyday to the ocean waves, begging to be better and stronger at my draws. Then, I realized that I must be in tune with nature."

While Damon continued with his explanation on his experiences on training and being one with nature, Alexis was beginning to think that perhaps Damon doesn't know a single thing about the missing students, including her brother. In fact, she thought of him as somewhat of a lunatic. Then again, she did feel bad for him, since people like him take dueling very seriously and it would be a serious wound to his pride if she told him right there and then that dueling isn't everything. Especially since he spent an entire year of his life training.

"...And to make sure that my training was completed, I challenged myself to drawing the Golden Egg Sandwich!" declared Damon before covering his face with one arm, sobbing loudly. After all his hard work, he managed to get ahold of the Golden Egg Sandwiches for a full week!

"Hang on," said Jaden, walking up to the sobbing Tarzan cosplayer. "Way before you came along, I was setting off my own world record of drawing the Golden Egg Sandwiches! And I didn't even need to be uh...what did you call it? 'Sync with the nature?'"

His sobbing ceased as Damon looked at Jaden, unable to believe what she just said. "W-what?"

"So how about a duel? You and me!" she offered, extending a hand towards him. "If I win, then you've gotta stop snatching the sandwiches! But if you win, then they're all yours! What do you say?"

"Huh?" After a moment of thinking things through, Damon smirked and took her hand before standing up from his sitting position. "Very well. But I'm an expert drawer, so it'll be tough beating me."

Pulling her hand back, Jaden placed both hands on her hips. "Hey, I'm no slotch!"

"It's true," commented Syrus as Chumley nodded out of agreement. Alexis facepalmed herself and shook her head as Dorothy smiled, amused.

Soon, both duelists had duel disks latched to their arms as they remained activated. Both inserted their decks inside and stared at one another right as the duel started. Who would win? The lucky tomboy? Or the wildly trained beast? Both were about to find out.

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Damon - 4000 LP**

"It's time to throw down! I'll go first!" Jaden offered. "Draw! Time to introduce a new friend! Here comes Elemental Hero Lady Heat!"

The field burst with orange-red flames, making it too flashy and bright for anyone to see clearly. Emerging from the flames came a shadowy figure that turned out to be a brand new Elemental Hero Jaden now owned; another female Elemental Hero.

Elemental Hero Lady Heat - (FIRE/Pyro) - LV4 - (1300/1000)

"I'll also throw down a facedown and end my turn!" Jaden said. "Oh, and during each of my End Phases, because of Lady Heat's ability, I get to inflict 200 points of Damage to you for every face-up Elemental Hero Monster I control!"

Lady Heat demonstrated her firey powers by focusing on a small, rounded orb full of intensive firepower with all her might. Yelling, she threw the fireball with all her might like a baseball, successfully hitting Damon on his naked, muscular chest.

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **Damon - 3800 LP**

"Just one turn and Jaden's already inflicted some damage! Way to go, Jay!" cheered Syrus.

"It's not over yet," said Alexis with her arms crossed. "It'll take more than Effect Damage to beat Damon. My guess is that he'll summon a Monster to defend himself with."

"I'll show you who's the better drawer! Draw!" shouted Damon before eyeing Jaden. "First, I'll set a card facedown! Then I summon the card I just drew; Drawler!"

As Damon unleashed another one of his infamous Tarzan-like cries, a giant totem stone-like Monster with wheels as his hands appeared from being buried underground, looking straight ahead.

Drawler - (EARTH/Rock) - LV3 - (?/?)

"Drawler's total Attack and Defense Points are 500 times the number of cards in my hands that I send back to my deck," explained Damon. "I'm sending all four of my cards back to my deck!"

"Wait, all of his cards?" wondered Chumley. Sure, giving away those cards would definitely increase Drawler's Attack and Defense Points, but wouldn't it be more easier to use the cards wisely instead of recklessly throwing them away?

"Eh?! In one turn, he's already out of a hand!" pointed out Syrus; a move that he definitely wouldn't do.

Drawler - (EARTH/Rock) - LV3 - (2000/2000)

"Drawler, attack Lady Heat! Stone Roll Wrecker!"

The large stone Monster raised up his heavy steam roller-like arm and brought it down on Lady Heat, who covered her face with her fully-enhanced flaming arms as an attempt to block the attack. Though she tried, it failed miserably and she was destroyed in an instant.

 **Jaden - 3300 LP**

 **Damon - 3800 LP**

Instead of her card being sent to the Graveyard, Jaden noticed Lady Heat's Monster card was being relocated towards the bottom of her deck, as indicated from the illuminating light spotted at the bottom of her deck.

"Wait, why is Lady Heat's card-?"

"When a Monster in Attack Mode is destroyed by Drawler, that Monster returns to the bottom of the deck instead of going to the Graveyard," explained Damon. "Therefore, if you use a card like Monster Reborn, you can't ever get Lady Heat with the card at the bottom of your deck. Now, I end my turn."

"Never heard of an effect like that before! Not bad at all! My turn!" announced Jaden, drawing her card before smirking. She twirled her drawn card in between her fingers and declared, "From my hand, I activate Polymerization! I fuse Elemental Heroes Burstinatrix and Clayman from my hand and Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster in Defense Mode!"

The two Elemental Heroes sprang onto the air once their names were called upon; momentarily on the field before vanishing into the vortex where their bodies would merge together. Coming towards their owner's aid, both Burstinatrix and Clayman fused to create one of the heavily defensive Monsters in Jaden's Extra Deck; Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster.

Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2000/2500)

"Good defense!" commented Damon.

"Yup!" Jaden agreed with him, smirking. "But if I take her Attack Points and split them in half, I'm allowed to wage a direct attack even with her in Defense Mode! Now, Rampart Barrage!"

Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (1000/2500)

Aiming for her half-naked target, Rampart Blaster wasted no time in firing her missiles at the shocked target. Her missiles were accurate and directly blasted him as he released another Tarzan-like scream while being blaster by simultaneous small missiles.

 _'Looks like he was telling the truth. He is indeed a good drawer! But I'm the better drawer!'_ Damon thought, trying to strategize as he pondered about the dire situation he was in. His Monster couldn't exactly destroy Rampart Blaster's high defense, and if he continued to ignore the Fusion Monster, she'll keep bringing his Life Points down bit by bit! He had to try the risky strategy he's trained hard to accomplish! If it works, it could change the tides of this duel!

Meanwhile, Jaden had a million thoughts in her mind as she wondered what sort of card Damon would draw next. _'I wonder if he'll draw a Winged Kuriboh next? It would be so cute!~ No wait, maybe a Dark Magician Girl! Yeah! He has to pick that one! No, no! A Watapon! Eek! Those things are so cute!~'_ she thought, grinning.

"Now I activate my Trap card, Miracle Draw!" shouted Damon. "Here's how it works! In every one of my Draw Phases, I have to declare the card that I think I'm going to draw! If I'm right, I get to inflict 1000 points of damage directly towards you! But if I'm wrong, I receive 1000 points of damage!"

"Wait, but that's impossible!" cried out Syrus.

Chumley couldn't help but agree with Syrus on that statement. "Yeah, it's way too risky! There's no way he'll do it!"

Amazed by this newfound strategy, Alexis thought, _'Of course it's risky. There's about 40-60 cards in Damon's deck. The chances of him actually declaring a card correctly are very low!'_

"Wow! Really? Then, I declare that you're going to draw a Winged Kuriboh!" declared Jaden, pointing to Damon.

Damon sweatdropped along with everyone else but Dorothy, who still doesn't exactly know the rules to the game. "I...I never heard of that card before, but I'm pretty sure I don't have it. Besides, only I can declare the card name, not you."

"Oh...Well, I still think you're going to draw a Winged Kuriboh!"

"We'll see about that!" Laying his fingers onto the top card of his deck, Damon closed his eyes and focused on his surroundings of the nature. The smell of the waterfall and air...The feeling of the card in his fingertips...the utter silence surrounding him as his senses tingled for the right card...until his instincts told him the answer!

"The card I'm going to draw is Card Loan!" Swiftly taking out the card, Damon raised it high in the air for everyone to see...

"No way!" gasped Syrus.

"Card Loan?!" wondered Alexis, amazed.

"He got it right?!" said Chumley.

"Awwww! You didn't get a Winged Kuriboh!" complained Jaden, completely forgetting all about the 1000 point penalty.

"Now, according to Miracle Draw, you now receive 1000 points of damage, Jaden!" reminded Damon, pressing a button on his duel disk to deliver the Effect Damage towards Jaden, whose duel disk surged with static electricity.

 **Jaden - 2300 LP**

 **Damon - 3800 LP**

"Now, I think I'm going to activate my drawn card, Card Loan," said Damon. "My opponent regains 1000 Life Points while I take 1000 points of damage."

 **Jaden - 3300 LP**

 **Damon - 2800 LP**

"And then, I draw one card from my deck! The drawn card is then returned to my deck at my End Phase!"

"All that just to make a draw?" wondered Chumley, unable to comprehend how much the Tarzan lookalike was risking just for a good draw.

 _'He must be pretty confident in his draws to go so far,'_ Alexis thought, continuing to observe the battle.

"I like! Okay! I now activate the Spell Card, Drawber! Now you get to draw a card and I guess what it is! If I'm right, then all cards on your field and hand are returned to your deck and shuffled!"

"If he guesses right, then Jaden's field will be wide open!" gasped Chumley, fully capable of Damon's remarkable drawing ability.

 _'Even so, there's no way that he could guess right again,'_ thought Alexis, having her doubts. There's quite a possibility that Damon may not even know all of the cards in Jaden's deck, so it's a high chance that he might not get the next guess correct.

Once again closing his eyes to concentrate on his senses, Damon began to visualize everything in his surroundings, even inside his opponent's deck. The sight, smell, hearing, taste...everything is connected to the nature around him...And now nature has once again given him an answer.

"You have drawn De-Fusion!"

Glancing at her drawn card, Jaden laughed, having a total blast over this duel. "Wow! You got it right! For once, I'm glad I didn't draw Winged Kuriboh!"

"No way! He's right?!" said Syrus, stunned that Damon had once again, proven that nature heeded his calls. Alexis and Chumley were just as surprised as Syrus was; unexpecting the turn of events.

Taking Rampart Blaster's card off her duel disk along with any cards in her hands, she returned all cards to her deck and began to shuffle them over and over; doing as the card conditions told her to do.

"Not good! This is gonna hurt!" commented Syrus, turning away from the sight that was to come.

"Drawler! Attack him directly! Stone Roll Wrecker!" ordered Damon. The gigantic Monster rolled towards Jaden, and due to the fact that he was still a holographic Monster, Jaden wasn't splattered across the ground, but her Life Points took heavy damage.

 **Jaden - 1300 LP**

 **Damon - 2800 LP**

"I end my turn," said Damon, placing Drawber back to his deck.

"Alright, my turn!" Seeing that it was one of her dear good Monster cards, Jaden knew what new move to pull. "I summon Wroughtweiler in Defense Mode!"

Wroughtweiler - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (800/1200)

"Now, sic him, boy!"

Startled, Damon shielded his face with his muscular arms; wanting to avoid any rabid bites coming from the mechanical dog. However, the dog Monster turned his head back at Jaden, giving a mechnical arf sound as well as what looks like a confused expression.

"Jaden...he's in Defense Mode, remember?" reminded Alexis, shaking her head back and forth.

"Oh right, sorry...but I always like to see him in action!" pouted Jaden. "He's such a good little boy!"

If Wroughtweiler could, he would pounce on Jaden and start licking her face affectively, but...no! He must guard her against the giant Monster who could easily flatten him like a pancake! Protection first, then hugs and kisses later! He wasn't dog sidekick to the Elemental Heroes for nothing!

"I...suppose it's my turn!"

"Oh man, this is bad!" said Chumley, expressing worry for the girl. "On Damon's next turn, if he manages to guess his next draw, then it's all over for Jaden!"

 _'It all comes down to this,'_ thought Damon, clenching his fist to boost up his confidence. _'If I guess the next card right, then I'll win, and all my hard training will be over! His Monster's in Defense Mode, so if I draw Shield Crush, I can win! I must draw Shield Crush to win...I must...I must...Give me Shield Crush!'_

Focusing with all his might to obtain the card he absolutely needed at the moment, Damon pictured the card in his hands and his eyes shot wide. Now he was sure that he drew the card he needed!

"Draw will be...Shield Crush!" He drew the card in the blink of an eye and raised it high for everyone to see. But, the card he drew was...

Doron.

 **Jaden - 1300 LP**

 **Damon - 1800 LP**

"I summon Doron in Attack Mode!" said Damon, still fazed by his error.

Doron happened to be a mummy-like figure that spelled out spooky and dangerous for the opponent, but he wasn't as strong as Drawler anyways.

Doron - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV2 - (900/500)

Jaden smirked, thinking that the tides of the duel were back on her side. Seeing Jaden's triumphant smirk mocking him, Damon defended himself. "So I guessed wrong, big deal! I'll still beat you! Just wait and see! Drawler attacks Wroughtweiler!"

In all honesty, it didn't take Drawler that long to crush Wroughtweiler and flatten him to the ground, much to Jaden's dismay. However, since Wroughtweiler was in Defense instead of Attack Mode, Drawler's effect didn't activate.

"Noooo! Wroughtweiler! You were my only friend!" Jaden dramatically sobbed, falling to her knees and agonizing over Wroughtweiler's defeat.

"Dramatic much, Jaden?" sighed Alexis while Chumley and Syrus sweatdropped. Jaden and her obsession with cute things...never mess between the two.

"I play Wroughtweiler's special ability!" said Jaden, retrieving two cards from her Graveyard. "Now, since he was sent to the Graveyard, I'm allowed to put Polymerizaion and Burstinatrix back into my hands."

"Fine, but I'm not done yet! Now Doron attacks you directly!" shouted Damon. "Mad Dash Stinger!"

Doron used his own attacking powers to create three copies of himself before lunging towards Jaden. They began to gang up on her and throwing her punches all over, though they didn't harm her enough to give her bruises.

"Hey! Stop hurting my Jaden!" shouted Syrus, shaking his fist at the Monster Doron. All he received from the Monster was him sticking his tongue at the petite boy, much to his anger.

"Oh my...such romantic heroism!" sighed Dorothy, blushing. "It's a shame that I didn't bring a video camera! Otherwise, the Yaoi Fanclub would have quite the news!"

"You're part of the club too? Nowadays, most girls are part of the club!" pointed out Chumley.

"Hey, even someone like me can have fantasies over people too!"

 **Jaden - 400 LP**

 **Damon - 1800 LP**

"I end my turn!" said Damon. "You only have a few more Life Points left, so just one more turn and I'll win and finally complete my training!"

"Jeez, you don't get it, do ya?" called out Jaden, leaning forward with her hands on her hips; an annoyed expression on her face. "You keep relying and saying that drawing has something to do with nature, but that's not what makes drawing fun and unpredictable! Drawing is basically unpredictable and can turn the tides in any duel! You just focused too much on winning, which is why you were wrong before! But me? I'm all pumped up for my next draw whether I win or lose!"

Damon, taken aback by her words, began thinking carefully. Was...was he wrong all along then? Could the spirit of drawing really be from fun? No, when what was the point of all his training? Whatever case may be, this duel will determine which one of them is right!

"I draw!" Spotting her drawn card, Jaden smiled. "Sweet! I activate Polymerization from my hand! I'll fused Elemental Hero Burstinatrix and my newly drawn Avian from my hand in order to call forth Elemental Hero Flame Wingman in Attack Mode!"

Both Monsters appeared on set before disappearing in the portal of Fusion that caused the newly reborn Flame Wingman to pop onto the field, waiting for his owner's commands.

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV 6 - (2100/1200)

"What?!" Damon read the stat gauge on Flame Wingman and realized that his Attack power is much greater than Drawler.

"Flame Wingman, attack Drawler with Inferno Rage!" ordered Jaden.

The Fusion Monster of fire and wind aimed his monstrous arm, opening its jaws before it fired flames of vengenance towards Drawler, engulfing him in waves of fire before the giant was destroyed.

 **Jaden - 400 LP**

 **Damon - 1700 LP**

"Yeah, but not for long! Flame Wingman's ability activates!" said Jaden. "Now you take damage equal to your destroyed Monster's Attack Points! And that brings you down to 0!"

 **Jaden - 400 LP**

 **Damon - 0 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

"That's game!" giggled Jaden, showing off her usual victory hand signature to the defeated Damon before he collapsed to his knees.

"Way to play, Jay!" cheered Syrus as he and Chumley came up to her to show their congrats.

"I can't believe I lost! I don't understand! I've been training for a full year!" complained Damon, punching the ground over and over.

"Well, I did keep telling you that your way of drawing was wrong," said Jaden, walking up to Damon.

"No...it was all me...my training still wasn't enough," he said, lamenting over his defeat.

Seeing that he still needed time to think things through, considering all he's been through, Jaden smiled and offered a hand. "Come on, let's go grab some sandwiches together tommorow! New batch tommorow! And maybe, you'll get the Golden Egg Sandwich all by yourself!"

Glancing up at Jaden, Damon sniffled and nodded; tears streaming from his eyes. Dorothy couldn't help but feel sorry for Damon since he had desperately wanted the Golden Egg Sandwich all this time, so she bent down and embraced him like a Mother would to comfort her own son. Damon accepted her hug and cried onto her shoulder while the others watched, relieved that the sandwich thief crisis was over.

* * *

 _The next day..._

"Awww! I didn't get the sandwich!" whined Syrus after taking a bite of his randomly selected sandwich. "I got barbeque chicken instead!"

"Hey, Sy," said Jaden, sitting down next to him near one of the cafeteria tables. She held a half-eaten sandwich in her hands, but apparently she looked sorta gloomy, which is usual since she's always bright.

"What's wrong, Jaden?" Syrus asked before his worried look changed to one full of anger. "Did someone insult you? I can go beat them up for you!"

"Awww! That's so sweet of you!" Jaden's gentle smile returned as she ruffled Syrus's hair. "But...it's just that Alexis got the Eggwich before me and Damon, so it's a real shame. All I got was noodle sandwich."

"Oh...wanna trade?"

"Okay!"

While the two had been talking, Dorothy, her assistant, and a couple of girls from the Yaoi Fanclub squealed in joy of seeing Syrus and Jaden interact from afar. It seemed that they were trading their half-eaten sandwiches to one another. If they ate half of their sandwiches...then wouldn't it be an indirect kiss?

"J-Jay? Can I ask something?" Syrus found his mouth moving before his thoughts could process. He...had been wondering to do this for a while and thought whether or not it was appropriate.

"Hmm?" Pausing, Jaden blinked her bright, chocolate-like eyes and stared into Syrus, who gulped.

"W-well, do you think maybe I can feed you your sandwich?" Quickly covering his mouth, Syrus's face inflamed with embarrassment. "I-I'M SO SORRY! I DIDN'T-!"

"Okay!" Without a second thought, Jaden shoved her sandwich to Syrus and opened her mouth.

From his position, Syrus could see the insides of her mouth and flustered before gently placing her sandwich inside her mouth and holding it still so it wouldn't fall. Watching her cute mouth chewing on the bread and barbeque chicken caused Syrus's face to turn from pink to tomato red the more she kept eating.

When Jaden pulled back to drink her water, she noticed a small trail of barbeque sauce on her lips. "Oops!" Instead of wiping her lips clean with a napkin, she licked all over her lips in sort of a cute, seductive matter, which happened to be the last straw for Syrus before fainting.

"Oh no! Sy! What's wrong?"

Unknown to the unconscious Syrus, whose nose was dripping a bit of blood, the spiritual guardians of Jaden, aka some of the Elemental Heroes, were very watchful during the event. Oh, Syrus Truesdale was going to get what was coming to him very, VERY soon...

* * *

 **Finished at long last! Hope you guys have a good day and review!**


	17. The King of the Copycats

**Yay! I'm back into business, guys!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series or the abridged series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"Hmmhmmhmmm!~" Amusely humming to herself, Jaden entered the crowded card store, hoping to get some grub and new pack of cards. To her surprise, the area seemed more crowded than even, given that many students were all gathered up instead of spread out to interact in their own activities.

Spotting Bastion amongst the crowd, she pushed past a few students lightly and approached him, tapping him on the shoulder to get his attention. "Hey, Bastion! What's going on? A fight? No wait, is it Eggwich Day?"

Bastion smiled, knowing that the response he was about to give would no doubt excite Jaden. "No, Jaden. Just a little lunchtime dueling."

"Whoa! Dueling? Sweet! So, who's dueling?"

"Well, on your left is Dimitri."

"Ohhhh!"

"No, no, Jaden. Your _other_ left."

"Ahhh!"

"And he's dueling against Syrus."

"I see!"

"..."

"..."

"...He's on the right."

"Ohhhh! Gotcha."

Anyone could clearly see the duel from the front as it continued to progress. Syrus only had Jetroid on his side of the field in Attack Mode while Dimitri only had two facedowns but no Monsters.

Jetroid - (WIND/Machine) - LV4 - (1200/1800)

 **Syrus - 400 LP**

 **Dimitri - 1000 LP**

"Hey, Syrus! Keep it up, buddy!" cheered Jaden, calling out for her best friend at the top of her lungs. "SYRUS! SYRUS? SY? SY! BRO! DUDE! AMIGO? COMPADRE? SYRU-I don't think he can hear me."

"Are you kidding? Everyone in the whole school can hear you!" complained Syrus, who was covering his ears.

"What? I wasn't being _that_ loud," Jaden defended herself as she made her way towards the front of the crowd.

One Ra Yellow student tried speaking to Jaden hesitantly. "U-Um...Actually, Jaden, you kinda hurt my ea-"

"HEY! That's great!" interrupted Jaden, not wanting to hear what he wanted to say, for she was fixated on the duel right in front of her. "So, Sy! What's going on?"

"A high staked duel! Check it out!" Pointing towards his right, Syrus was addressing to a couple of posters posted on the wall; all which pointed towards Yugi Moto, the current King of Games. "Yugi's deck is going on tour! And the first stop of Duel Academy!"

"Yeah, it is! The original King of Games deck? To see it with my very own eyes?! Awesome!" Jaden's eyes sparkled with joy as she continued staring at the Yugi posters. Anyone could clearly see that she was overwhelmed to see the infamous deck of the King of Games.

"Yeah, and if I win, I get-uh Jay? Are you even listening?" Puasing the duel, Syrus rushed over to his friend and started waving his hands over Jaden's face, trying to get her attention.

"Yugi's deck...Here! I can't believe it!"

Syrus couldn't agree more. "That deck was used against Pegasus in Duelist Kingdom! And the way he used it against Seto Kaiba and Marik in the Battle City Tournament! Also, he obtained the three legendary God Cards and is known as a legendary duelist! So amazing!"

Jaden gazed with amazement over Yugi's accomplishments. Defeating such powerful foes, obtaining three of the most strongest cards in Duel Monsters, having respect for his opponents, owning a kind heart to all fellow duelists...truly, he is the King of Games!

"Of course, the deck going on tour doesn't have the three Egyptian God cards," added Syrus. "But it does have stuff like the Dark Magician...Dark Magician Girl..." Syrus practically drooled when he mentioned the famous female Duel Monster before realizing that a crowd was watching him. "Celtic Guardian, Dark Magician Girl, Watapon, Dark Magician Girl, Chimera, Dark Magician Girl, Queen, King, and Jack's Knight, and oh! Dark Magician Girl!"

"You...you said Dark Magician Girl too many times," pointed out Jaden.

"ANYWAYS! There are lots of treasured and rare cards within that deck! We have to go see it!"

Jaden understood that Syrus was just as eagered as everyone else to see Yugi's deck, yet she still had one more question. "I get it, Sy! But what does dueling that Dimitri guy have anything to do with it? Let's go get tickets!"

"Jaden, that's why Syrus is dueling! Because there's one ticket left!" Dorothy called out from the cash register with her assistant near her side. "We're responsible for distributing tickets in the first place. Since we're down to the last one, they're settling who gets it with a duel! Can you imagine a better result coming from this duel other than one ticket?"

"Yeah, two actually," said Jaden, pouting before turning to Syrus. "No fair, Sy! If you texted me about this earlier this morning, I would have gotten it early! Big jerk..."

"What are you talking about, Jay?" wondered Syrus. "That ticket over there is yours. I already have my own ticket. See?" To prove he wasn't lying, Syrus fished into his pockets for the certified ticket and showed it to his best friend.

Jaden gasped before grabbing both his shoulders. "You're dueling for me?"

"O-of course, Jaden!" The moment Jaden touched his shoulders, Syrus blushed since he wasn't really used to girls touching him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she squealed, embracing him tightly before lifting him off the ground and spinning him around.

Syrus grew more dizzy and flustered, yet overjoyed at the same time. His crush was hugging him! HIM! Syrus Truesdale, younger brother to the famous Zane Truesdale! Although he's not really a womanizer, this is the closest he'll ever be to a girl, so he might as well enjoy the feeling while he still can!

Some female students in the crowd along with Dorothy and her assistant quickly took out their cameras and took pictures of the scene. They needed more pictures of the romance between cute little Syrus and Jaden for the Yaoi Fanclub! Bastion was feeling quite sorry for the two, knowing that Jaden was unknowingly leading the fanclub on while Syrus struggled with them every time he spent time with Jaden.

After Jaden put Syrus down, Syrus approached back to the dueling stage. "I'm gonna win, Jay! For you!" he promised, earning squeals from the fanclub about his somewhat declaration and devotion towards Jaden.

"Good luck, Sy!"

Syrus's opponent, Dimitri, resembled Yugi so much; not counting the non-existent tri-colored hair. Once the duel resumed, Dimitri drew his card. "I'll draw my next card! And it's Heavy Storm! This powerful Spell destroys all Spells and Traps on both sides of the field!"

"That sounds...familiar," muttered Jaden. Now where could she have seen that move somewhere before? Not a lot of people had the expensive card, Heavy Storm, so how...?

"It should," Bastion said, suddenly appearing next to Jaden and startling her. Considering that he was found at the back of the crowd instead of the front, nobody could blame her for being surprised, since anyone in her position would do the same. "Dr. Crowler played the same move on you. Anyways, Dimitri's a copycat duelist. He'll mimic anything that takes to his fancy. Yesterday, he pretended to be a Hoover. He walked around the Academy for five hours, going, ' _Hoooooo_...' It was hilarious. Sad, but hilarious."

"...Where did you appear from?"

"I've been here the whole time, Jaden."

"Ah...Weird."

A gust of wind flew across the room and destroyed Dimitri's two facedowns before smoke flooded the floor; whereas two yellow Monsters sprang from the floor. Apparently they were Tokens that appeared only after his facedown cards were destroyed.

"I sacrifice my two Wicked Tokens to summon forth the legendary Ancient Gear Golem!" shouted Dimitri, posing in a way that reminded Jaden of Dr. Crowler's pose when he summoned his own Ancient Gear Golem.

Ancient Gear Golem was the same was the one Jaden faced before; a mechanical giant that seemed broken down, yet at the same time, fully armored. This beast was difficult for even Jaden to defeat but she triumphed in the end.

Ancient Gear Golem - (EARTH/Machine) - LV8 - (3000/3000)

"Go, Ancient Gear Golem! Mechanized Melee!"

Rising up, Ancient Gear Golem pulled his arm back before thrusting his punch forward towards Syrus's little Jetroid, intent on crushing the little thing with everything he had.

"Not so fast! When Jetroid is attacked, his special ability activates!" said Syrus. "Because he's being attacked, I can activate a Trap from my hand! And I play Magic Cylinder from my hand!"

Hoverng above Jetroid were two opened cylinders which absorbed the attack Ancient Gear Golem pulled just now.

"Magic Cylinder takes Ancient Gear Golem's attack and sends it straight towards you, Dimitri!"

"What?! Time out!" cried out Dimitri. Unfortunately, it was too late for him as the attacked reflected towards him and practically punched him in the gut before he collapsed to his knees in defeat; the 3000 point loss proving too much for him.

 **Syrus - 400 LP**

 **Dimitri - 0 LP**

 **Winner: Syrus**

Pumping his fist in the air while the remaining cards on the field disppeared, Syrus cheered, "I just won the duel! YEAAAAAAAHHHH!"

"Congratulations, Syrus! You did it!" Jaden ran up to her best friend to cheer on his victory as well. "You took down that combo much faster and easier than I did with Crowler!"

"It was easy!" Syrus couldn't help but brag. "After watching your duel with Dr. Crowler, it didn't take me long to piece together a strategy that would no doubt grant me victory! Oh! And now to collect my prize!"

"Here you go, Syrus!" said Dorothy, handing Syrus his prize ticket once the blue-haired boy arrived at the counter.

Raising his ticket in the air, Syrus once again announced, "I just got my ticket! YEAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! Oh wait, I mean Jaden's ticket!"

"Yaaayyy!" Lifting the boy up by the waist, Jaden rubbed her cheek against his out of pure affection, not noticing Syrus's huge, goofy grin on his face. "You did it! You did it!"

After being put down, much to Syrus's disappointment, he handed the ticket over to Jaden. "Here you go!"

"Yay! Thank you, Syrus!"

"Alright, everyone! The show's over! Now get back to class!" called Dorothy, smiling happily and applauding for the performance.

As the crowd dispersed and went their own way, several students didn't bother hiding their opinions nor bothered considering Dimitri's feelings as they started insulting him.

"Man, what a weakling!"

"A Ra Yellow who can't even beat a Slifer Red? Pathetic!"

"I'm not surprised if he gets demoted soon!"

"He's such a loser!"

"Ha! He should be ashamed that he's even a duelist in the first place!"

The more insults thrown at him, the more hurt Dimitri felt, causing him to grit his teeth and clench his fists. Noticing Dimitri's shaking, Jaden squinted her eyes only for them to widen a second later when she realized Dimitri was using every ounce of his willpower not to cry here and now.

"A weak duelist with a weak deck!"

The person who said that was suddenly thrown to the ground in a flash. Looking up, he saw Jaden angrily glaring at him and ready to throw some punches. Like any rational person would do, he tried defending himself with his arms as Jaden started punching and thrashing at his face.

"You apologize! You apologize here and now! Dimitri lost and all of a sudden, you all think he's weak! Shame on you!" she yelled, continuing to beat up the poor male student.

Several others started to run towards Jaden, intent on pulling her off him when she glared at each one of them; her normally chocolate-brown eyes flashing golden with strong anger hidden within. Her expression was so frightening, many sensed her menacing aura and hurried out of the card store.

Syrus was among the many scared ones, but he didn't run. Instead, he shivered and hid behind Bastion the whole time. "B-B-Bastion! What should we do?! I don't think I've ever seen Jaden this angry before!"

Bastion experienced what it was meant to face a woman's wrath and shivered mentally himself. He gulped and managed to speak, "Well, we have no choice but to pry her off that poor boy. You distract her, and I'll try pulling her away."

"We'll help too," offered Dorothy as she came by with her assistant. Although she couldn't tolerate bullying as much as Jaden did, beating them up wasn't the answer. She'll have to complain this to Chancellor Sheppard.

"With that said...You go first, Syrus!" Without warning, Bastion pushed the boy towards Jaden, causing Syrus to crash into Jaden with enough impact to force the two to tumble around the ground.

"Owww!" both Slifer Reds cried out right before the student Jaden was assaulting ran off with a bloody nose.

Reacting quickly, Syrus wrapped his arms around Jaden's waist and used every ounce of his strength to hold her down to the ground. Considering that this was a bold move played by Syrus, everyone was surprised.

Just then, Crowler showed up on the grounds of the card store; having been informed of Jaden 'bullying' one of his Obelisk Blue students. "JADEN YUKI! I DEMAND TO KNOW-"

He stopped the second he saw the awkward position Syrus and Jaden were in. Syrus was behind Jaden, wrapping his arms around her waist. Anyone could easily mistaken this as a romantic moment between two guys.

"I...Am I...interrupting something?"

"NO!" Realizing the position he was in, Syrus released Jaden abd scooched away with a red face. "It isn't what it looks like!"

"I...I..." Shaking his head to rid of the...thoughts in his mind, Crowler glanced at Jaden. "Jaden Yuki! Come with me right this second! There's a matter we must discuss!"

"...Goddamnit."

After watching Crowler dragging Jaden away by the ear, which turned out sad, but hilarious, Bastion looked around for Dimitri in hopes of encouraging him not to give up and that everyone loses every now and then. But the Copy Duelist was nowhere to be found.

* * *

 _That night in the Ra Yellow dorms..._

"Damnit, damnit, damnit!"

Repeatedly cursing to himself, Dimitri was wallowing in agony and angst as he furiously pushed all books and papers off his desk. The papers were full of A's; a result from all his studying. But his dueling skills? Not so much.

Losing once wasn't really a big deal to the Copy Duelist at first, but the more he used his copy deck strategy, his movements became too predictable to the other students and they began to beat him at his own game. This resulted in him being taunted and bullied for losing all the time and possibly his own demotion if this kept up.

"Everything I tried to do...even copying and memorizing famous duelists like Yugi Motou or Seto Kaiba's strategies...yet, it's still the same!" Banging his fists against his desk once more, Dimitri barely noticed his Yugi Moto flier falling from the wall because of all the mess he was making. "I've got to find another way to win! I have to-"

Just then, the Yugo Moto flier landed right in front of him. He recalled that the event for Yugi Motou's deck was beginning tommorow, so that means that it had to be delivered tonight for the exhibit to open! And just like that, he had an idea...

* * *

 _In the Slifer Red dorms..._

 _'Stupid Crowler, stupid detention, stupid Obelisk Blue guy!'_ thought Jaden as she continued staring at her precious Winged Kuriboh card. Just the sight of her cute Monster card along with all her plushies in her bed made her feel a tad bit better.

After being forcibly dragged by Crowler, she was forced to sit in the Chancellor's Office, where she had to explain her situation to Chancellor Sheppard and the events that occured. Knowing that Jaden wouldn't lie about students bullying others since most Ra Yellows and Obelisk Blues seem to pick on Slifer Reds a lot, he immediantly believed her story better than the beat-up Obelisk Blue student's.

The Chancellor decided to punish both Jaden and her victim for the incident. Both received a week's worth of detention, but the Obelisk Blue student also had to write a letter of apology to Dimitri, much to his distaste. At least this punishment wasn't anything worst than the last one Jaden received.

 _'Well, at least I still have you, Winged Kuriboh,'_ Jaden thought, smiling down at his card. Hopefully someday, she might find a Winged Kuriboh stuffed animal and keep it for herself.

"...And then I used Magic Cylinder to finish him off!" boasted Syrus, proudly explaining to Chumley all about his duel with Dimitri. "It feels so good to finally win a duel against someone with a rank higher than mine! Right, Jaden?"

"H-huh? Yeah..."

Noting Jaden's slight hesitant answer, Syrus was a little worried. "Hey, you alright, Jay?"

"...Hmm...how would you guys like to see the exhibition hall for a bit?" Jaden questioned out of curiosity.

"Whoa, what? Why bring this up?" Chumley asked, surprised just like Syrus.

Turning her chair around to face her friends, Jaden said, "Well, the exhibition starts tommorow morning, and I just can't stop thinking about Yugi's deck and his legendary cards! And if the event starts tommorow, then that means that they'll still be setting up tonight, right? If we wait and lie low, we might get a sneak peek at it!"

"Yeah! Yeah!" Chumley nodded, excited as he sat up from the top of the bunk beds. "Since Yugi's deck is so famous, loads of people are going to hog all the good spots to see it!"

"Whaaaat? I dueled to get that ticket for you and you aren't even going to use it?" whimpered Syrus, feeling a bit hurt. Yes, it would be great to see the deck and all, but the main reason for entering the exhibition was just for Yugi's deck! Why see it tommorow if they were just going to look at it tonight and that would be it?

"No way! I'm still gonna use the ticket! It'll be more fun if we look at Yugi's deck again tommorow!" replied Jaden, standing up and trying to force a smile on Syrus's face with her two fingers. "Come on! Turn that frown upside down!"

Unknown to anyone until now, Syrus's face was sensitive, so he broke into a fit of giggles when Jaden attempted to force him to grin. Jaden backed away from him and grinned after seeing him all happy.

Catching his breath after his little laughter session, Syrus glanced at Jaden and pondered, "But...even if we go, I doubt the guards will let us inside."

"We have to try, though!" said Jaden, pumping her fists out of determination.

"I dunno..."

Attempting to cheer up the doubtful boy once more, Jaden smiled and poked one finger onto his cheek lightly, twisting it over and over to get his attention. "You wanna try, Syrus? You wanna get past security? Huh? Huh?"

"..."

"..."

"...Fine."

* * *

 _Later, in the hallways near the exhibition..._

"We finished setting up the display case, so we'll give back the exhibition hall key and display case key to you," replied one of the two guards who happened to be talking to Crowler in the dark hallways. On their left happened to lead to the exhibition hall where posters of Yugi were seen on the wall, leading to the exhibition room.

"Thanks for covering our guard duty for tonight," thanked the other guard, handing over the keys to Crowler. "I hope you have a good night, Mrs. Crowler."

"EXCUSE ME?!"

"W-what?"

"PROFESSOR Crowler, to you!"

"Oh. Well, sorry. Goodnight, Professor Crowler."

"Yes, goodnight boys! Goodnight!" As soon as he was certain that the guards were gone, Crowler grew a sinister look on his face as he headed towards the exhibition room/ "A _very_ goodnight, indeed! For it's not every day that you're put in charge of watching over the greatest deck that was ever created in the entire wor-"

As he mumbled to himself, he unlocked the exhibition hall's door and push opened the doors, only to find that the display case containing Yugi's deck was shattered, and the deck was gone.

"Ohhhhhh...shit."

* * *

"It's around this corner, Syrus!"

"Right behind you, Jaden!"

"..."

"..."

"Not too far now!"

"Lead the way, buddy!"

"..."

"..."

"Almost there, dude!"

"With you all the way, pal!"

"..."

"..."

"...Syrus? I think I just realized something. This room we're looking for...?"

"Yeah?"

"...It's around this corner! Is Chumley still behind us?"

"I'll check! Chumley, are you al-" **THUD!** "Man down!"

Trying to be as stealthy as possible, Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley rushed through the dark hallways and used the moonlight emitting from the moon through the windows as their only source of light. They couldn't possibly risk being caught using flashlights or they'd be in big trouble. It took some careful planning and quiet, hushed tones to make it thus, but they were sure they were close to the exhibition hall.

What none of them expected was to bump into Bastion.

"Bastion? What are you doing here?" Jaden asked, surprised.

"Oh? I was planning on sneaking a peek at Yugi's deck," replied Bastion. "I assume you three are doing the same thing, correct?"

Jaden grinned, knowing that if Bastion came with the same intentions as them, there was no way he was going to tell on them! "Yup! Let's go! I bet it'll be more fun seeing the deck toge-"

"SHIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!"

Everyone paused, having been startled by the feminine scream coming from the exhibition hall. They glanced at each other, then at the door, then back to each other before realizing something was wrong.

"What was that?"

"A girl's in trouble!"

"We have to help her!"

Together with Jaden, Bastion push opened the doors and rushed into the room. Much to their shock, Crowler was standing right next to a broken display case that was supposed to contain Yugi's deck. Unfortunately, the deck was missing, and the only other suspect was Crowler.

Who would have thought that such a discriminating, flamboyant Obelisk Blue teacher such as Crowler would go so far?

"It's Crowler!" gasped Bastion. "And Yugi's deck is gone!"

"Crowler's the only other person in the room!" pointed out Chumley.

Fiercely turning to her friends, Jaden proposed, "Let's go find a big person and tell them!" And by big person, she meant Chancellor Sheppard.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Attempting to stop the four students, Crowler, with all his might, leaped off the ground and tackled them, causing all five to collapse to the ground.

That didn't mean the students didn't show any resistance. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't pry Crowler off them and resorted to sitting up and glaring angrily at the teacher.

"Alright, Rapunzel, confess! Why'd you do it?" demanded Jaden.

"I didn't steal the deck! Honest! I promise! Someone broke in and took it!" pleaded Crowler. "You have to get it back!"

Jaden raised an eyebrow. "'You?'"

" _WE_ have to get it back!"

"But, Dr. Crowler, you were the only person in here," reminded Chumley. "And you were standing right next to the display case."

Crowler was growing more and more desperate by the minute. "Then, search me! Please! Go ahead, go ahead!"

"...You know, it could be 'cause I don't wanna search you," admitted Jaden. "But, I think I actually believe what Dr. Crowler's saying."

Crowler frantically nodded his head, releasing his grip onto the four and sitting up. "Yes, yes! In fact, there was no need for me to break the glass case if I had this!" To prove his innocence, he took out the display case keys from his pocket.

Convinced, Jaden and her friends stood up. "Which would mean that the culprit is still out there!" she said. "Maybe we should split up! Do we have any clues?"

"They broke the glass!" declared Crowler.

Jaden gasped. "They broke the glass? Alright, everyone! We need an armadillo, a chess piece, and a car! Don't worry, Dr. Crowler! We won't mess this up!"

* * *

 _Later..._

Dimitri, who was standing on top of some high rocks above the ocean, shuffled through his new 'deck' and was amazed to see so many rare and powerful cards. Truly, this was the King of Games special deck, no doubt!

"With these cards, I'll become the greatest duelist ever!" he said, grinning as he lowered his scarf a little to breath easily.

Syrus, who was running around the island, spotted Dimitri by the rocks and rushed over before coming to a stop. "Hey! Who are you? Is that deck...really...?"

"Hmm?" Noticing Syrus, Dimitri couldn't have asked for a better perfect timing than now as he held up an additional duel disk in his hands. "Oh, you're Syrus Truesdale, aren't you? Little brother to Zane Truesdale? Nice, I was about to go looking for an opponent I could face. Here, catch!"

Scrambling to catch the duel disk, Syrus nearly tripped and was close to falling towards the waters below, but held on strong. He feebly caught the duel disk before inserting it into his arm, knowing that Dimitri wouldn't stand down without a fight.

"Hey! Did you really steal Yugi's deck?" Syrus sputtered, getting a little nervous. If he truly had the deck, then he has a very low chance of winning!

"And what if I do? It's mine, after all!"

Shaking his head, Syrus grew determined. If he did manage to defeat Dimitri, then that must mean he's stronger than the King of Games himself! "No way! If I win, you have to return the deck!"

"Fine, whatever! Let's just duel already!"

Meanwhile, Jaden panted over and over while on top of a bridge connecting from one part of the island to the next. She had just gotten away from a recent...incident involving her accidentally letting loose an armadillo on the Obelisk Blue dorms.

"Jaden!" Hearing her name being announced, she saw Chumley and Bastion rushing towards her.

"Any luck?" she asked.

Both male students shook their heads. "We couldn't find anything! Nothing in the dorms or anyone suspicious along the way!" reported Bastion.

"Uh...Guys? Where's Syrus?" Chumley asked.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Oh no! That sounds like Syrus!" cried out Jaden, instantly worried for her blue-haired friend. The three of them ran across the bridge and hoped to find the source of Syrus's cry so that they could locate him and see what was going on.

Shortly afterwards, they discovered Syrus laying on the rocky grounds as another duelist, which happened to be Dimitri, was standing high and tall on top of the high rocks, gazing triumphantly with confidence down at Syrus's defeated form.

"Ha ha! Now what's what happens when you mess with the King of Games!" Dimitri called in a deep voice.

"Syrus, what happened? Did you find the thief?" Chumley asked, shaking Syrus's frail form.

Syrus, who was already stressed out from the dueling and mess they were in, wanted to facepalm at him for not thinking about the other duelist. It was obvious, right? The one who made him like this was obviously the one who stoled Yugi's deck!

"Oh, you know, Chumley! I thought it was such a lovely night, I'd come and lie down on the rocks and look up at the stars and think about life!" spatted Syrus sarcastically.

"Really?"

"NO! The thief is over there! He has Yugi's deck!" the glasses-wearing student snapped, addressing towards Dimitri with a wave of his arm.

"That's right! I beat your friend, Syrus! Me, Yugi! The King of Games!" boasted Dimitri. With the strange hairstyle, the deep voice, and Yugi's deck, he made a flawless good impersonation of Yugi himself.

Leaping onto the same grounds as Dimitri, Jaden demanded, "Alright, that's enough! Hand over the deck right now, Dimitri!"

"Ha, Dimitri? I believe that you're mistaken!" said Dimitri. "I'm Yugi! Dimitri's some child who would study other people's decks and copy them! You see, with these cards, I'm not copying the King of Games...I truly am the King of Games! And if you want this deck back, you'll have to prove I'm not!"

"Fine by me! I never back down from a challenge!" Jaden agreed, growing excited. A chance to fight against the King of Games' deck? This was too good to be true!

"Good! But it won't matter because you won't beat me, Yugi! The King of Gam-"

"Alright, cut the voice!" spoke Jaden, already annoyed.

"E-excuse me?" Surprised by her sudden change of tone, Dimitri couldn't help but flinch, yet keep his cool and calm composure.

"The voice! The voice thing! Yugi! You don't sound anything like him!"

Clearing his voice and trying to sound perfectly like the King of Games, Dimitri decided to try his deep, dark voice once more. "I don't sound anything like who?"

"You're doing it wrong! All your inflictions are off! Do it more like this!" This time, Jaden tried mimicking Yugi's voice as much as she could, despite the fact that she was a girl.

"Like this?" Dimitri tried making his voice even lower and deeper.

"No! More like this!"

"More like this!"

"Ha!"

"Ha!"

"Ha!

"Ha!"

"You are just...terrible!" scoffed Jaden, shaking her head back and forth in disbelief. "If you're going to impersonate someone, at leas try to sound like the-"

"I'm Jaden Yuki, and I wet the bed until I was 15!" whined Dimitri, giving off a PERFECT impersonation of Jaden's voice.

"..."

"..."

"...Okay, that was pretty good. Sy! Duel Disk!"

Nodding, Syrus removed the one on his arm and tossed it over towards Jaden. "Jaden, catch!"

Feeling something lightly hit her leg, she saw the duel disk had been thrown near her feet. Plucking it off the ground, she attached the duel disk to her left arm and inserted her own deck inside; all ready and prepared to duel.

"Thanks, Sy!" Reverting to Dimitri, Jaden stood back a little and readied for one of the most interesting duels in her life. "Get your game on!"

"It's time to duel!" said Dimitri, activating his duel disk so that the duel could commence.

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Dimitri - 4000 LP**

"Alright, my go!" shouted Jaden, making the first move. Not that Dimitri cared who went first, since he was more than confident enough about his skills already. "First off, I summon Elemental Hero Flash in Defense Mode!"

A brand new Elemental Hero, one very similar to Sparkman, shot down onto the field like a bolt of thunder, thus proving his speed through a flashy entrance. He wore a blue jumpsuit with lightning-like symbols throughout his suit along with a light helmet with a visor attached as he crotched down in Defense Mode.

Elemental Hero Flash - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1100/1600)

"And I'm calling it a turn!"

"Then, it's my turn!" announced Dimitri before quickly coming up with a counter move. "I fuse Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts and Berfomet using Polymerization to Fusion Summon Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast in Attack Mode!"

The two well-known beasts roared in unison before merging their bodies together to create as one being; one with two heads and wings, yet with more superior skill and strength combined.

Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast - (WIND/Beast/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1800)

"Not good! 2100 Attack Points right now?!" muttered Jaden, now recalling the Attack Points the famous Chimera possessed. Even Bastion, Syrus, and Chumley were astonished on how strong the Fusion Monster was.

"Attack now, Chimera! Pulverizing Pounce!"

Not wasting any time, Chimera sprang from his spot and pounced on top of Flash before swiftly biting down on his shoulder hard enough for the Elemental Hero to cry out in pain before being fractured by the beast.

Winching as Elemental Hero Flash turned into fragments, Jaden could only watch as her only defense vanished and Dimitri was standing tall with his mighty beast Monster.

Turning to Syrus, Chumley said, "Syrus, you already dueled this guy! Got any advice on how to beat him?"

"None. I tried everything and nothing worked!" said Syrus. "Heck, I even got defeated by Chimera in one blow!"

"Ehhh?! That bad, huh? Then, are you saying that Jaden doesn't have a chance here?"

"I'm saying that against Yugi's deck, it's a possibility."

"It's more than that," spoke up Bastion calmly. "Dimitri has something like a photographic memory, so if he reads or looks at something, he doesn't forget about it quite easily. Plus, he's a copycat duelist, so in order to defeat him, you must exploit the failings of whoever he's copying. As you did when you dueled Dimitri the first time, Syrus. You knew that he was copying Crowler's deck, and you knew what his weaknesses were. That's how you won. The problem is now, he's copying Yugi, a duelist whose weaknesses are not so well-known. That is, if he has any at all."

"B-but everyone has a weakness, right? Even the strongest Monster!" said Syrus.

Bastion couldn't agree more with that statement. "Yes, just as everything has its own strengths, they have their own weaknesses. Yet, there's no set formula on how to beat the King of Games. So therefore, there's no set formula on how to beat Dimitri now."

"My turn!" Jaden said. "I fuse together Elemental Heroes Sparkman and Clayman from my hand using my own Polymerization! Come on down, Elemental Hero Thunder Giant!"

Just like Elemental Hero Flash, the lightning Fusion Monster crashed down to the field in the appearance of a thunderbolt.

Elemental Hero Thunder Giant - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2400/1500)

"And now, I'm gonna use his special ability! When he's Fusion Summoned, he can destroy one Monster whose original Attack Points are less than his own!"

Thrusting his large palm forward, Thunder Giant shot out an electrical attack that electrified Chimera before utterly destroying him in an explosion.

"Nice ability, but let me show you mine!" shouted Dimitri. "When Chimera's destroyed, I'm allowed to Special Summon Berfomet from the Graveyard in Defense Mode!"

The four-armed winged beast flew up in the sky before kneeling down and placing his arms over his chest to defend.

Berfomet - (DARK/Fiend) - LV5 - (1400/1800)

"Yeah, well he won't be here for long! I can still attack!" said Jaden. "Thunder Giant, attack! Voltic Thunder!"

Following his master's command, Thunder Giant raised his electrically charged palm before unleashing thunder upon Berfomet, defeating the Fiend-type with ease.

 _'Good! That's one Monster down!'_ thought Jaden. _'His Monster protected his Life Points as well! That deck's really heightening to its full potential!'_

After his Monster was destroyed, Dimitri drew his card, seeing how it was now his turn. "My turn! I set one card facedown and play this! Monster Reincarnation! Now, by discarding one card, I get back one Monster from my Graveyard! Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts! Return!"

Taking over his beast partner's place, the King of Mythical Beasts reappeared on the field to aid in his user's fight.

Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts - (EARTH/Beast) - LV4 - (1500/1200)

"And now, I activate Swords of Revealing Light!"

A green light revealed its shining source of light up on the night skies, raining swords of green, illuminating light that stabbed the area around Jaden and Thunder Giant, harmlessly passing through them, yet preventing them from any escape routes or ways of attacking.

"For three turns, none of your Monsters can attack!" said Dimitri. "I end my turn!"

"Three turns?! I gotta find a way to break that Spell!" muttered Jaden before drawing her card. "I summon Dark Catapulter in Defense Mode!"

The Machine-Type let loose a low tune as he kneeled in Defense Mode.

Dark Catapulter - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1000/1500)

"What an awesome move! Dark Catapulter has a special ability that will let Jaden destroy Dimitri's Swords of Revealing Light Spell card next turn!" praised Chumley.

"Oh? Will he? I doubt Dark Catapulter will even stay for that long," spoke Dimitri, smirking. "Now, I activate the Trap card, Dark Renewal! It activates when you make a summoning. Now, by sacrificing one of your Monsters and one of my own, I can bring back a Spellcaster-type Monster from my Graveyard."

"Oh, goddamnit, Chumley!" snapped Jaden, turning around to face him with an annoyed look on her face. "Now he knows all about Dark Catapulter's ability! Aaaaaahhh! Now I have no way of removing his Spell!"

"Oops...sorry!" called out Chumley apologetically.

"Wait, Jaden! Dimitri only has Chimera and Berfomet in his Graveyard, so you're still safe!" reminded Syrus.

"You all may want to double check your work!" said Dimitri. "Remember when I played Monster Reincarnation?"

"Huh? Oh...Oh! Oh yeah..." Come to think of it, the conditions for bringing back Gazelle to Dimitri's hand was only to discard one card. So, whatever card that was must have been the Spellcaster-type Dimitri was talking about!

Black smoke arose from the ground as a coffin appeared from the shadows of the mist and smoke. Whoever was inside of the coffin just so happens to be a Spellcaster-type; a powerful one at that.

"Alright, Gazelle and Dark Catapulter!" commanded Dimitri as the two Monsters glowed, ready to sacrifice themselves. "Make some room for the one, the only..."

Once the two Monsters transformed into two sources of light, they flew right into the crystal center of the coffin, which glowed slightly. Once the light faded down, the coffin sprang open, and a dark figure appeared from the dark and into the light for all to see.

"My friend, the Dark Magician!"

Dark Magician - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV7 - (2500/2100)

"The Dark Magician?! Awesome! He's practically the symbolic Monster of Yugi's deck!" squealed Jaden, getting overexcited. She was practically jumping up and down and squealing loudly.

"The Dark Magician?! That's pretty cool!" gasped Syrus.

"Man, I wished I bought a camera! I could have filmed the entire duel!" complained Chumley.

 _'Impressive,'_ thought Bastion, sending his regards to Dimitri. _'I doubt Yugi could have done it better himself. Dimitri's copying him perfectly after just one glimpse of the deck, and that's not good for Jaden.'_

"Even though the Dark Magician is awesome and strong, even I know that my Thunder Giant won't stand a chance against him!" said Jaden. "So, for now, I'll just switch Thunder Giant in Defense Mode and end my turn!"

"My move! And I activate Thousand Knives!" Dimitri said. "And when I activate it, with Dark Magician on the field, this Spell can destroy just one of your Monsters, and I have the perfect target for such use!"

Raising his staff, Dark Magician motioned all knives to ready themselves to be thrown. Once he lowered his staff, that was the signal for all one thousand knives to strike at once, piercing through Thunder Giant's armor and destroying him.

"Wow! In just one blow, one of Jaden's strongest Monsters was just destroyed!" gasped Syrus.

"Not only that, but that was Jaden's last line of defense!" said Chumley. "And Dimitri still hasn't officially attacked yet!"

"Dark Magician! Dark Magic Attack!" yelled Dimitri. Swinging his staff once, Dark Magician released an green orb surging with magic power that was enough to knock Jaden off her feet.

 **Jaden - 1500 LP**

 **Dimitri - 4000** **LP**

"Gh...That hurt!" grunted Jaden, jumping back to her feet and brushing the dirt off her clothes.

"Give up?" Dimitri lightly taunted.

"Never!"

Judging from Jaden's indignant, yet determined look, Dimitri nodded. "That's the spirit! Never give up! Always believe in the heart of the cards! That's what I say!"

"Yeah, yeah...whatever!" _'Dimitri's really good with Yugi's deck! It practically has no blind spots!'_ thought Jaden. _'If I don't come up with something soon, I'm done for! Here goes!'_

"I end my turn! Your turn, Jaden!"

"Finally! I draw! And now, I summon Wroughtweiler in Defense Mode! And that's it!"

The dog belonging to the beloved Elemental Heroes growled slightly at Dimitri as he kneeled in Defense Mode.

Wroughtweiler - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (800/1200)

 _'Well, it seems Jaden's not giving up this fight,'_ thought Bastion. _'Jaden's main forces usually come from her Fusion Monsters. If she can manage to Fusion Summon a Monster strong enough to take down the Dark Magician, she might still have a chance.'_

"Don't forget! With Swords of Revealing Light out, you still can't attack! But I can!" notified Dimitri. "I draw! Go, Dark Magician! Dark Magic Attack!"

Dark Magician's staff kindled with magic power before the magician himself fired another round of his powerful magic towards Wroughtweiler, who was obliterated a second after tasting the wrath of his magic.

"Now, I activate Wroughtweiler's special ability!" told Jaden. "When he's sent to the Graveyard, I can add an Elemental Hero and a Polymerization card from my Graveyard to my hand! I return Elemental Hero Clayman and Polymerization to my hand!"

"That doesn't concern me one bit. I end my turn!" said Dimitri.

"Good! My turn, then! I summon Clayman in Defense Mode and throw down a facedown before calling it a turn!"

Right as Jaden set her card, the defensive Elemental Hero appeared as well to protect Jaden when she's most vulnerable.

Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

 _'Clayman is awesome when it comes to defense, but even he can't stand against Dark Magician's power,'_ thought Jaden. _'The only Monster I've got that can beat Dark Magician is Bladedge! Hopefully, when the time comes, Dimitri picks right!'_

"Well, it's been three turns already," said Dimitri.

"That means that the effect of Swords of Revealing Light are now over!" Chumley realized.

"Jaden, did you hear that? The Spell's over! You can attack next turn!" called Syrus.

Dimitri smirked. "Hmph. That's assuming if Jaden even has a next turn. I draw! Dark Magician! Attack Hero Burstinatrix!"

"Not so fast! I play my facedown Trap, A Hero Emerges! And it activates as soon as you declare an attack!" explained Jaden, holding up the remainder of her cards. "Now, you have to pick a card from my hand, and if it's a Monster, I get to summon it to the field! Now, choose!"

"Hmph! So be it! I choose..." After thinking for a moment, Dimitri made his choice. "The far left!"

"Sweet! You chose a Monster, and he's one of my favorites, too!" shouted Jaden. "Come on out, Elemental Hero Bladedge!"

A golden claded hero that was fully armored shot out from the card and landed besides Burstinatrix, as if standing to protect his comrade if any should wish to harm them.

Elemental Hero Bladedge - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV7 - (2600/1800)

"Yeah! Now Jaden has a better chance of winning with Bladedge on the field!" cheered Syrus.

"And every other Monster in Yugi's deck," pointed out Bastion. "After all, with no Egyptian God cards, the Dark Magician is the strongest Monster Dimitri has."

Dimitri chuckled to himself, which didn't escape Jaden's ears as she perked up out of interest. "Oh, pardon me. I didn't mean to laugh at you. It's just that I overheard your friends' ridiculous prattle."

"Huh?"

"It's true that the Dark Magician is one of my most strongest Monsters in my deck. _One_ of my most strongest. But as a duelist, you must know that it's rarely about the cards. It's how you use it that counts!" replied Dimitri. "And now, I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Dedication through Light and Darkness! It sacrifices Dark Magician and turns him into something more powerful!"

A ghastly mist surrounded Dark Magician and forcibly dragged him away as a brand new being took his place.

"And now, say hello to the legendary Dark Magician of Chaos!"

"THAT legendary Dark Magician of Chaos?!" exclaimed Syrus.

"It can't be!" gasped Chumley.

"Oh, but it is! Dark Magician of Chaos is one of the most powerful creatures in the game!" said Bastion as the violet light emitting from the Spell card glowed brighter.

"Now witness the rebirth of Dark Magician of Chaos!" announced Dimitri loudly and full of pride. A darker form of the Dark Magician appeared, but his presence spelled out trouble for Jaden as well as his immense magic power pulsing inside the famous magician.

Dark Magician of Chaos - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV8 (2800/2600)

"And now by successfully summoning him, I'm allowed to bring one Spell Card from my Graveyard back to my hand! And I choose Monster Reincarnation!" said Dimitri. "Oh, and in case you haven't already figured it out, my Dark Magician of Chaos is much stronger than Bladedge now!"

"Crap!" cursed Jaden, knowing this was going to end badly for her Bladedge. "Sorry, Bladedge! I'm out of tricks! I can't save you now!"

Bladedge merely turned his head and nodded, acknowledging his defeat to Jaden. The moment Dark Magician of Chaos appeared, he knew that he would be the target. At the very least, Clayman, his comrade and friend, wasn't being targeted.

"Attack, Dark Magician of Chaos! Scepter Slash!" commanded Dimitri.

Dark Magician of Chaos focused on a large amount of magic power onto his staff before slashing downwards, sending the spell he concentrated upon down on Bladedge, destroying the golden hero.

"Bladedge! No!"

 **Jaden - 1300 LP**

 **Dimitri - 4000** **LP**

"I told you, didn't I?" said Dimitri. "The heart of the cards will guide me so long as I believe!"

Recovering from the previous attack, Jaden thought, _'He's too powerful! But even so, I will find a way to beat him, even if he does have the King of Games' deck!'_

"This is looking bad for Jaden," Bastion mumbled. "So far, Dimitri has the strongest Monster on the field, and worse, he's taken no damage. It'll take a miracle for Jaden to make her comeback."

Staring deep at Dimitri, Jaden shook her head to focus on the task before her. Destroying Dark Magician of Chaos. As long as he was still on the field, it's obvious enough about the amount of damage he could do to her if she wasn't careful. That, and Dimitri was a threat himself. As long as he possessed the King of Games' deck, he had full control and could come up with unthinkable strategies.

 _'Not only does this guy have Yugi's deck, but he thinks he's Yugi! And the only way I'm gonna set him straight is by beating him!'_ she thought. _'Even so, I'm all fired up! Glad it's my turn now!'_

"My turn!" After drawing her card, Jaden was surprised to see her cute, cuddly Monster card, Winged Kuriboh. She couldn't help but squeal when she had drawn Winged Kuriboh, even in a terrible situation at the moment.

 _ **"Kuri! Kuribon kuri!"**_ ("Jaden! Let me fight, too!")

Understanding Winged Kuriboh's message, Jaden frowned. It wasn't because he was too weak in terms of strength that she didn't want him out, but more because Winged Kuriboh used to belong to Yugi's deck. Fighting against one's former deck might end up bringing up nostalgic memories for Winged Kuriboh and hurt him, and she didn't want that.

"Are you sure? This could get rough! After all, we are going up against your old master's deck!"

 _ **"Kuri kuri! Kuri kuri kuri, kuri kuri kuri kuribon!"**_ ("I'm sure! If you summon me now, I'll give you all the hugs and kisses you want tonight!")

Just that statement was more than enough to bring happiness and joy into the tomboy's heart.

"YAY! Alright then, I summon my cute Winged Kuriboh in Defense Mode!"

A cute squeak came out from Winged Kuriboh as he appeared right next to Clayman

Winged Kuriboh - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV1 - (300/200)

"Then, I'll throw down a facedown and call it a turn!"

"Winged Kuriboh, huh?" wondered Dimitri as he drew his card before smiling softly. "Of course, there's nothing like the original. I summon my own Kuriboh in Attack Mode!"

Normally, when one summons a weak-leveled Monster such as Kuriboh, they place that Monster in Defense Mode, so Kuriboh was especially eagered to finally be in the front lines of offense. Especially against his cousin, Winged Kuriboh.

Kuriboh - (DARK/Fiend) - LV1 - (300/200)

"Uh oh...Guys, better cover your ears!" warned Syrus, who already done so himself when he noticed the expression on Jaden's face.

"Wait, why-?"

Chumley never got a chance to finish his sentence before his, Bastion, Dimitri, and possibly the poor Monsters on the field ears nearly shattered from Jaden's high-pitched fangirl-like squeals.

"OHMYGOD! OHMYGOD! OHMYGODDDDDDDDDDDD!"

Jaden was just enjoying herself at the moment right now, taking in the cute appearances of Kuriboh and Winged Kuriboh; two of her most favorite cutest Duel Monsters. It was like a fangirl's dream come true!

Burstinatrix could only sigh at her female master's obsession with cuteness. Well, it was at least one good trait that separated her from her tomboy-like attitude and her girly side. She wondered how Kuriboh and Winged Kuriboh were holding up.

Surprisingly, the two fur-like Duel Monsters didn't seem to mind or notice Jaden's constant fangirl moment as they chatted to themselved from afar. It seemed that they were pretty much to girls falling for their cute looks since they weren't bothered by Jaden's squeals. A sort of side effect for their small appearances.

 _ **"Kuri, kuri! Kuri kuri?"**_ ("Hello, cousin! How are you?")

 _ **"Kuri! Kuribon kuri kuri, kuri kuri kuri!"**_ ("I'm fine! Dimitri isn't like our old master, Yugi, but he's skilled with the deck!")

 _ **"Kuri! Kuri, kuri kuri kuri! Kuri kuri!"**_ ("I know! But, I know Jaden won't give up! I know she'll win!")

 _ **"Kuri, kuri kuri!"**_ ("Okay, good luck then!")

 _ **"Kuri kuri!"**_ (" You too!")

"Are you good now?" Dimitri called out to Jaden.

Taking a deep breath, Jaden sighed with a wide grin on her face. "Yup! Good to go!"

"Good! Now, back where we left off! Dark Magician of Chaos, attack Clayman!"

"Not so fast! I've got a Trap! Super Junior Confrontation!" shouted Jaden. "This card activates when my opponent attacks! This calls off your Magician's attack and forces both our weakest Monsters to do battle! Your Monster with the weakest Attack Points against one of my own Monsters with the weakest Defense Points! So it's your Kuriboh against my Winged one!"

"A Kuriboh vs Kuriboh showdown?" said Chumley, never having seen such an event occur before.

"More specifically, a Kuriboh vs Winged Kuriboh showdown," corrected Bastion.

 _ **"KURI KURRRRRRRIIIIII!"**_ ("FOR VICTORRRRRRYYYYY!") Kuriboh screeched before smashing right into the Defense Mode Winged Kuriboh and destroying his cousin with no regrets.

Jaden was cooing over the mini battle, not bothered by the fact that Winged Kuriboh was destroyed. "Awwwww! The cute little Kuriboh fought with my cute Winged Kuriboh!"

"You do realize that it was your own Kuriboh that was destroyed?" called out Chumley, but Jaden paid no attention to him.

"You got off easy, but next turn, you won't!" promised Dimitri. "I end with a facedown!"

 _'Winged Kuriboh took one for the team there,'_ Bastion thought, sweating as the tension in the air increased little by little. _'Losing Clayman would have put Jaden in a tough spot. At this rate, if Jaden doesn't make a comeback, he's finished.'_

"My turn! And, I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw two more cards!" said Jaden. "Next, I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman in Attack Mode!"

The WATER-elemental Monster appeared just in time to aid Jaden in her quest to stop Dimitri and his King of Games deck.

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"Next, I activate the Field Spell, Skyscraper!"

At that moment, light burst from the cracks on the ground beneath them before an earthquake occured right at that very moment. Tall buildings that could reach the heavens above emerged from the large cracks and sprang upwards, nearly covering the night skies with their appearances.

"What happened to the field?! And what's with these buildings?" wondered Dimitri, glancing at his surroundings.

"Take that, Dimitri! This is Jaden's main home field advantage!" cheered Syrus.

"That's right! With Skyscraper out, any Elemental Hero gains 1000 Attack Points if they're weaker than the Monster they're attacking!" Jaden explained. "And now, I play the Equip Spell card, Bubble Blaster!"

Soon, a harmless-looking cannon with a water container attached appeared right in Bubbleman's hands before he attached it carefully on top of his shoulder.

"Bubble Blaster increases Bubbleman's Attack Points by 800! Plus, if Bubbleman ever gets attacked, Bubble Blaster takes the hit for him, and I take 0 damage!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1200)

"Bubbleman, fire away! Aim for Kuriboh!" Jaden ordered, pointing towards the weaker Attack Mode Kuriboh.

Bubbleman adjusted the weight of his weapon before pressing the trigger and unleashing a speedy ball of water towards Kuriboh.

"Alright! If this works, Dimitri will take some major damage!" said Syrus, awaiting for the moment for Kuriboh to be destroyed.

"If you think I didn't think ahead, then you're wrong!" shouted Dimitri. "I activate my Quick-Play facedown Spell card, Multiply!"

The cute Kuriboh Jaden admired suddenly burst into pieces, shocking the tomboy to no end. In Kuriboh's place, however, four more Kuribohs appeared and filled the rest of the Monster Zones in Defense Mode.

"By sacrificing Kuriboh, I'm allowed to Special Summon as many Kuriboh Tokens as possible, each sharing the same strengths as the previous Kuriboh. And all four have completely filled out the rest of my Monster Zones!" Dimitri explained. "Of course, your attack will still commence, but I'll still have three more Tokens plus the Dark Magician of Chaos."

Just like Dimitri said, Bubbleman's attack only destroyed just one of the Kuriboh Tokens. The other three Kuriboh Tokens panicked at the sight of their friend being destroyed and bounced around, attempting to escape a futile fate.

"Even though I love Kuribohs, this is starting to get annoying!" complained Jaden. "I set one card facedown and end my turn!"

 _'Not only did Dimitri summon the powerful Dark Magician of Chaos, but he also fortified his defense as well!'_ thought Bastion, amazed and not noticing how white his knuckles were from clenching them too tightly. _'Truly, I underestimated Dimitri's copycat ability! He also seem to have high enough skill to wield Yugi's deck!'_

"Very well!" After drawing his card, Dimitri presented it to Jaden. "I activate the Spell card, Card of Sanctity! This forces both of us to draw until we have six cards each in our hands."

Once both their hands were refreshed with new cards, Dimitri took this chance to glance at his hand. "Excellent! I drew the Monster, Watapon! And when this Monster is added to my hand thanks to a Spell, Trap, or Monster effect, I can Special Summon Watapon to the field."

Once the small white cotton-like puffball appeared, Jaden instantly fell for its appearance and started cooing, wanting to run over there and tickle the cute thing.

Watapon - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV1 - (200/300)

"And now, I sacrifice Watapon!" said Dimitri. "Now, come forth, Dark Magician Girl!"

Now arriving in all of the spotlight was the famous, female Duel Monster that gained more than a thousand fans all across the world. She waved her small wander around as she tipped her blue and pink hat over to Jaden and stuck her tongue out childishly with one eye closed.

Dark Magician Girl - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV6 - (2000/1700)

"The Dark Magician Girl?! Awesome! She's even cuter in person!" said Jaden, growing excited once more.

"She has both beauty and brawn," pointed out Dimitri. "You see, for every Dark Magician in the Graveyard, she gains 300 extra Attack Points!"

Dark Magician Girl - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV6 - (2300/1700)

"C-CUTEEE!" squealed Jaden and Syrus, with the latter blushing at the sight of the beautiful female Monster.

Noticing the blue-haired boy from afar complimenting her, Dark Magician Girl smiled and winked at him, sending a small, lovely heart towards him.

Completely infatuated with the Duel Monster, Syrus wiggled his body around in a lovey-dovey motion. "I want Jaden to win, but...but Dark Magician Girl is just...TOO...CUTE! Ahhhhh...If only there was a way to win without having to destroy her..."

"Sy, she's just a Duel Monster! Get over it!" spoke Chumley rather harshly.

Syrus let out a dramatic gasp before glancing angrily at the older boy. "How dare you?! Dark Magician Girl isn't some mere Duel Monster! She's THE famous, cute Duel Monster!"

Dark Magician Girl, having heard Syrus stand up for her, smiled before pecking the back of her palm before gently blowing an invisible air kiss towards Syrus, who was close to fainting afterwards.

"Go, Dark Magician of Chaos! Attack Bubbleman!" ordered Dimitri.

Dark Magician of Chaos fired a dark energy orb from his staff and aimed directly towards the WATER Monster. Luckily, the Monster survived the blast at the expense of his weapon being destroyed and Jaden receiving no damage due to the Equip Spell's effect.

"One more attack to go! Dark Magician Girl! Dark Burning Attack!"

Twirling around, Dark Magician Girl gathered enough magic in her wand before shooting a beam of pink energy towards Bubbleman, which then destroyed him.

 **Jaden - 800 LP**

 **Dimitri - 4000** **LP**

"Yay! Go, Dark Magician Girl!" cheered Syrus. Chumley sighed, shaking his head. Why does he even bother?

"This is bad...Jaden's being cornered and she only has a few Life Points left," murmured Bastion. If he were in such a predicament, he'd start panicking, but not Jaden. In fact, it seems that she's getting more excited!

"Alright, so you got me with a couple of sweet moves!" admitted Jaden before drawing her card. "My turn! I activate my facedown card, which happens to be Polymerization! I fuse together Burstinatrix and the Avian in my hand to create Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"

With both Elemental Heroes being pulled into the swirling portal, it then burst into light. Once the light died down, Elemental Hero Flame Wingman arrived to take the stage.

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

"And I'm not done! Next, I play The Warrior Returning Alive card and bring Sparkman back from the Graveyard and into my hand! Next, I Normal Summon him in Attack Mode!"

Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1400)

"And don't forget about Skyscraper's effect! With it, Flame Wingman's Attack Points go up by 1000 Points when he battles!"

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (3100/1200)

"3100 Attack Points?!" gaped Dimitri, taken aback by such raw power.

"Yup! Enough to take down your Magician!" said Jaden. "Go, Flame Wingman! Attack Dark Magician of Chaos!"

Enveloped in a firey aura, Flame Wingman flew towards Dark Magician of Chaos and thrusted his inflamed demonic fist onto his guts, utterly destroying him.

 **Jaden - 800 LP**

 **Dimitri - 3700** **LP**

"Oh, yeah! But I'm not finished! Next, Flame Wingman's ability activates! Now, you take damage equal to your destroyed Monster's original Attack Points!"

 **Jaden - 800 LP**

 **Dimitri - 900** **LP**

"Yeah! Jaden's winning!" cried out Chumley and Syrus joyfully. It was almost as if they had forgotten their bickering just a moment ago and were best friends again all of a sudden.

"Yay! One Magician down, one more to go!" said Jaden, more confident than ever. How could she not? She just defeated one of the most toughest Duel Monsters in history!

 _'Simply remarkable!'_ thought Bastion, looking stern, yet impressed. _'Dimitri's playing just as the King of Games would! Yet, Jaden is staying competitive, but having fun at the same time! Sure, she was a bit overwhelmed by Yugi's deck, but thanks to the power of her Fusion deck, she's really turned the tides around!'_

"Sparkman, attack Dark Magician Girl! Spark Storm!" ordered Jaden. "Now thanks to Skyscraper's effect, Sparkman's Attack Points go up by 1000!"

Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (2600/1400)

Focusing on his electrical attack on one opponent, Sparkman unleashed a volley of spark-like arrows onto Dark Magician Girl, which proved effective immediantly.

 **Jaden - 800 LP**

 **Dimitri - 600** **LP**

"Noooo! Dark Magician Girl!" wailed Syrus, dropping to his knees and lamenting over the female Monster's demise. Everyone, including the Duel Monsters, sweatdropped, and instead decided to focus on the duel instead of sympathizing with the poor boy.

"Now, I set two cards facedown and activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Emergency Provisions!" said Jaden, ending her Battle Phase. "By sacrificing one of my facedowns, I get back 1000 Life Points!"

 **Jaden - 1800 LP**

 **Dimitri - 600** **LP**

 _'Just a little bit more...a little bit more until I finally beat the King of Games' deck!'_ thought Jaden, somewhat imagining Yugi standing besides Dimitri, dueling her instead of the copycat duelist.

"It'll take more than that to defeat me! Get ready!" shouted Dimitri, growing more frantic as he drew his card. "I activate the Spell card, Spider Web!"

A sharp, glowing thread attached from Dimitri's duel disk to Jaden's, surprising her. To show some resistance, Jaden tried to hand slice the thread, but to no avail due to it being a hologram.

"Spider Web allows me to take one of the cards sent to your Graveyard last turn and place it directly into my hands," explained Dimitri. "I choose Emergency Provisions! Next, I place two cards facedown and activate Monster Reincarnation to discard one card to return another to my hand. Next, I chain the Spell card with my Quick-Play Spell card, Emergency Provisions, and sacrifice all three cards to restore 3000 Life Points!"

 **Jaden - 1800 LP**

 **Dimitri - 3600** **LP**

"With Monster Reincarnation, I took back the Kuriboh I lost before! I end my turn!"

"Jaden, just hang on for a little bit longer! Remember, you've got stronger Monsters than him!" reminded Syrus.

"Stronger Monsters don't always make the user the victor, Syrus," said Bastion. "Dimitri was right about one thing. It's how you use the cards that make it count."

"My turn!" said Jaden before nodding at the card she drew. "I switch Clayman to Attack Mode! Flame Wingman! Attack one of the Kuriboh Tokens now!"

It seriously didn't take Flame Wingman much effort to destroy the weak Token with ease.

"Now, it's time for his special ability! You get hit with damage equal to your Monster's original Attack Points!"

Swooping down in front of Dimitri, Flame Wingman didn't give the Yugi-lookalike the time to react properly before scrotching a faceful of flames at Dimitri, who staggered back in response, but managed to hold it together.

 **Jaden - 1800 LP**

 **Dimitri - 3300** **LP**

"It's not over! I still have more Life Points!" said Dimitri. "Even if you attack with Sparkman, I'll still have at least one defense left!"

"Not so fast! Who said I was done attacking?" questioned Jaden. "I activate the Quick-Play card, De-Fusion! Defuse, Flame Wingman and come on back, Burstinatrix and Avian!"

Burstinatrix - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (1200/800)

Avian - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (1000/1000)

"Impressive!" gasped Bastion. "Jaden's improving more of her skill with each passing turn! What skillful play! Now she'll be able to attack each Monster separately!"

"Avian! Clayman! Attack the last two Tokens!" commanded Jaden.

Both Elemental Heroes nodded to each other before charging forward and landing their fists against the weak Tokens.

"Nice, Jaden! You got rid of all of Dimitri's Monsters!" said Syrus happily.

"Not only that, but Jaden still has 2 more attacks left!" reminded Bastion. "1200 + 1600 equals 2800. Not enough to beat him, but enough to deal such damage!"

"First, you go, Burstinatrix! Flare Storm!" yelled Jaden.

Burstinatrix collected enough fire power on top of her palms that combined to form a single fireball before hitting Dimitri with it.

 **Jaden - 1800 LP**

 **Dimitri - 2100** **LP**

"Sparkman, you're up next! Spark Flash!"

Sparkman unleashed a large blast of lightning towards Dimitri, who anticipated such a move approaching.

"From my hand, I activate Kuriboh's effect!" he shouted before placing Kuriboh's card into his Graveyard slot. The lightning blast split in two and bypassed Dimitri, leaving him unharmed.

"What the?! How?!"

"By discarding Kuriboh from my hand, I take 0 Battle Damage from Sparkman, but only once," explained Dimitri. "Good thing Monster Reincarnation allowed me to bring him back last turn."

"Oh yeah...Damn it..." cursed Jaden.

Glancing down at his Duel Disk, Dimitri's expression reverted from a serious look to one full of nostalgia and kindness. "Thank you, Kuriboh. You're definitely one of my chosen partners, alright. It's because of you that I've been able to survive for this long."

 _ **"Kuri..."**_ Kuriboh sweatdropped from Dimitri's words but simply nodded to himself. He decided not to question his temporary master and just to go along with it.

"What...what's he talking about? Didn't he steal that deck?" wondered Syrus, feeling a little bit awkward.

"Just smile and wave, Syrus. Smile and wave," advised Chumley, doing so himself.

"Being around that deck for so long and mimicking the King of Games must have had Dimitri think he's really Yugi Moto," theorized Bastion, sweatdropping.

"I'll continue to duel for you, Kuriboh. Your sacrifice won't be in vain!" promised Dimitri before drawing a card. "I draw! Perfect! The heart of the cards have served me again!"

Not even lowering her guard, Jaden wondered, _'What sort of card did he draw? Either way, I have to be careful!'_

"I remove one LIGHT Attribute Monster and one DARK Attribute Monster from play!" started Dimitri as Watapon and Kuriboh showed up on the field.

"Wait, why are you removing them?" asked Jaden, surprised to hear such a condition.

"I've never seen this! Is this some sort of Special Summoning condition?" wondered Syrus.

"The Monster Dimitri must be planning to Special Summon must be pretty powerful," commented Chumley.

Gasping, Bastion suddenly recalled such summoning conditions and realized that one of the two Monsters with such conditions is about to appear. "Of course! There are two Monsters that can be summoned like this! Two rare cards of such power...Duelists have scoured the entire world just to add them to their collection!"

"What are the two cards?" asked Syrus.

"The first is Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End, who was then made into a forbidden card in official Duel Monsters tournaments because of its strength and effects! And the other isn't a forbidden card, but its strength to equal to that of Chaos Emperor Dragon! Nobody's ever seen it, and assume that it's just a myth!"

Dimitri chuckled, having overheard Bastion's conversation with the other two Slifer Reds. "Well, they're wrong because I have it right here! Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning, arise!"

A small light vortx appeared right behind the two cute Monsters before they entered. A second later, a brand new warrior claded in ancient armor and wielding a sharp blade that could pierce through even souls appeared right in front of his master's field.

Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV8 - (3000/2500)

"So Yugi really did have that card!" gasped Jaden, realizing that the rumors were true. "I always thought it was just a rumor!"

"I'm afraid not," replied Dimitri, smirking and assuring that this Monster was his sword to victory. "This card has been a part of my deck for a very long time. But I only take him out for special occasions. Like now! Black Luster Soldier, Luster Blade Attack!"

Thrusting multiple times, Black Luster Soldier's attacks were an illusion of countless blades attacking all at time; each piercing through Sparkman's defenses and easily disposing of him.

 **Jaden - 400 LP**

 **Dimitri - 2100** **LP**

"Sparkman, no!" cried out Jaden.

"And I'm not done! Behold Black Luster Soldier's true power!" shouted Dimitri. "When he destroys a Monster in battle, he's allowed to attack twice!"

"You're kidding!"

"Jaden's done for! She can't handle another attack!" yelped Syrus, trembling like crazy.

"Black Luster Soldier! End this!" ordered Dimitri.

"She's through! If this attack succeeds, Jaden's Life Points won't stand a chance!" said Dimitri.

"It's over!" Dimitri's expression revealed a side of him; one lusting for satisfaction for the glory of victory.

Just as Black Luster Soldier was about to stab Burstinatrix, Jaden wasn't going to give up on her. "Not so fast! I activate the Trap card, Hero Spirits!"

At that moment, Sparkman's spiritual form appeared and took the hit for Burstinatrix before shattering into pieces.

"What's this?!" exclaimed Dimitri, not expecting his close victory to close down like that.

"During the Battle Phase, if one of my Elemental Heroes is destroyed in battle this turn, I can make the Battle Damage to 0 just one time!" elucidated Jaden before sighing in relief. That was a close call! One more second and she might have not made it!"

"Grrr...! Fine, then! I'll just finish you off next turn! The heart of the cards will see to that!"

Wiping the sweat off her face, Jaden thought, _'If it weren't for Hero Spirrits, I would have been finished! But...Dimitri might be right about one thing. Yugi's deck is just...too powerful! I...I thought I could win, but now, I don't know!'_

Staring at Dimitri reminded her of Yugi along with his most powerful card in play; Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning. She doesn't have any Monsters that could take him out now, and if she kept defending, she'll eventually lose thanks to his effect! She grimaced, looking away in agony and out of stress.

Suddenly, she felt something light plopping her heard and looked up to see an angry-looking Winged Kuriboh bouncing up and down on her head, berating her for giving up too soon. If it weren't for the current situation, Jaden would have thought that Winged Kuriboh looked cute being angry.

"Winged Kuriboh...I get why you're mad, and I'm sorry," apologized Jaden. "But what can I do? He's got the heart of the cards on his side!"

Growing more frustrated, Winged Kuriboh pounced and pulled on her cheeks several times to get her attention before pointing to Dimitri.

"Huh? No? But, Winged Kuriboh, he's got Yugi's deck-"

Jaden gasped, realizing what Winged Kuriboh was trying to point out all this time. _'Wait, that's Yugi's deck! There's no way the heart of the cards could be on Dimitri's side! The heart of the cards comes from believing in your own cards, not ones that originally belonged to their true owner!'_ Jaden grinned, feeling full confidence on her next turn. _'And I believe in my own deck till the end! And if the heart of the cards is on anyone's side, it's on mine!'_

"I...DRAW!" Feeling power in the next card she drew, Jaden turned it over so she could see what sort of card was chosen for her before smirking. "With this, I'm read to take you out, Dimitri!"

"What?!"

"I activate the Spell, Double Spell! With it, I discard one Spell card from my hand, and select 1 Spell card from your Graveyard and activate it! I choose to discard Silent Doom and help myself to your Polymerization! With it, I'll fuse together Avian and Burstinatrix! Come forth, Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

"And due to Skyscraper's effect, he gains 1000 Attack Points when he battles a Monster whose stronger than him!"

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (3100/1200)

"Now, Flame Wingman! Attack Black Luster Soldier with Skydive Scrotcher!"

Swooping down from the high building he was on, Flame Wingman's body was engulfed with stronger flames than before as he clashed against Black Luster Soldier. He evaded the swift assaults coming from his blade and shot fire from his demonic arm, enveloping the soldier with flames as he was being destroyed.

 **Jaden - 400 LP**

 **Dimitri - 2000** **LP**

"Oh, no! He's gone! My Black Luster Soldier's gone!" gaped Dimitri. That was his last and most strongest Monster in Yugi's deck! If he's gone, then...then...!

"Don't sweat it! He was never yours to begin with!" reminded Jaden. "Speaking of, time to activate Flame Wingman's special ability! Now you take damage equal to Black Luster Soldier's original Attack Points!"

Appearing right in front of Dimitri once more, Flame Wingman left loose a huge wave of flames onto the imposter, listening to him scream not out of pain, but out of agony and loss of his defeat.

 **Jaden - 400 LP**

 **Dimitri - 0** **LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

As soon as the duel was over, the Monsters and the entire Skyscraper field vanished, leaving them in the same, bare cliffs before the duel started.

Winking at Dimitri, Jaden giggled and addressed him with her signature hand motion. "That's game! And the end of you using that deck!"

"I..I can't believe I lost...!" said Dimitri, staggering before collapsing to his knees and shaking like a leaf. "Even with my...no, Yugi's deck, I still couldn't win! What's wrong with me?! Why can't I ever win?!"

"The answer to that, is obvious."

Approaching from their hiding spot within the cliffs, Zane and Alexis appeared, surprising everyone. The Obelisk Queen and the most powerful duelist in Duel Academy had been here the entire time?

"Why are you guys here?" asked Jaden.

"I have a better question," spoke up Zane. "Why the hell is there an armadillo running loose in the Blue Dorms, and why do I feel you guys might have something to do with it?"

"Ummm...Bastion?"

"It's migrating season."

"Yeah, it's migrating season."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Right. Well, me and Alexis wanted to see the deck. But it was gone."

"We snuck into the Event Hall and saw that the display case was broken," explained Alexis. "We figured the thief couldn't have gone far, so we decided to take a look around."

"Which led us here. But, seeing how the duel was getting more exciting, we didn't want to intrude and we decided to see it all the way to the end," finished Zane, smiling with satisfaction.

"Wait, so...You saw it all?! Me and Dimitri?! The whole thing?!" squealed Jaden excitedly.

"Not just us," said Zane. "Your match attracted quite a bit of attention. Look behind you."

"Huh?" Turning around, Jaden and the others saw a lot of spectators hiding within the cliffs or trees. Those that were stepped out from their hiding spots and began applauding, cheering on for both Jaden and Dimitri.

"That was such an amazing duel!"

"You showed us some awesome stuff!"

"Wow, so you can also use Quick-Play Spells on that!"

"Amazing! Now I've got an awesome combo for next time I play!"

Still depressed, Dimitri looked up at Zane. "Well? What now? Aren't you going to turn me in?"

"Well, the punishment for stealing is especially bad," said Zane. "But, seeing how everyone loved seeing Yugi's deck in action rather than on a display case, I doubt anyone's going to turn you in."

Everyone who heard Zane voiced their opinions and immediantly agreed to keep Dimitri a secret.

"Don't sweat it, Dimitri! But I gotta ask, how are you so good with those Spellcasters?"

"I can't believe he was able to master that much of Yugi's deck!"

"Amazing! Sweet duel, Dimitri!"

"What difference does it make? I lost..." said Dimitri. "But why?"

"It's easy! The person you pretended to be lost!" Jaden said. "Let me put it in this way. See, when you copy someone, it's not like you're that person! You're you coping that person! Sure that deck you stole was really strong, but the idea to make that deck wasn't yours to begin with. And...well...how can I put this...?"

"Here, let me interpret what Jaden's trying to say, Dimitri," said Zane, stepping in. "It's all about believing in your own deck, not someone else's. And that means creating your own deck. Your own strategies. Not someone else's. After all, this is no amount of studying that you can do in order to properly wield someone else's deck."

"Yeah! What Zane said!" agreed Jaden. "Besides, no offense, but if the real Yugi Moto was here, then I would have lost in a split second!" Leaping off a rock and standing up straight, Jaden said, "As promised, you'll return the deck, right?"

"...Yeah, okay. You're right. A deal's a deal, after all."

* * *

 _The next morning..._

A horde of students gathered inside the exhibition room and examined all of the dueling artifacts and merchandise around the room. But the most important and main event laid in the middle of the room; Yugi's deck. Since many students witnessed Jaden and Dimitri's duel last night, not a lot of them were crowding around the new display case.

"Wow, that's Yugi's deck!"

"Awesome! Ooh!"

"Oh! He does have Black Luster Soldier!"

"Awesome! Wonder if he's got Chaos Emperor Dragon!"

"That's the Dark Magician!"

"Sweet! Dark Magician Girl, too!"

"Well, looks like things are finally back to normal," said Jaden, standing next to Chumley in the entrance of the exhibition hall.

"By the way, Jaden? What are you holding?" Chumley asked, pointing to the rolled up piece of paper Jaden was carrying in her hands.

"Oh, this?" Unrolling the piece of paper, it was revealed to be a poster of Yugi posing as he was dueling. "It's a poster that has Yugi's autograph!"

"Whoa!"

"Yeah, I know! Pretty sweet, huh? I got it from Miss Dorothy!"

"Ehhh?! Why didn't she give me one?"

"Well, maybe because you keep hogging all of the grilled cheese sandwiches every time she makes them. Plus, this is one of the limited edition posters, so they're hard to come by!"

"JAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDEEEEEEENNNNNN!"

"Huh?" Hearing Syrus's shrill voice, Chumley and Jaden turned to see Syrus running towards them. "Syrus, what's wrong?"

"It's Dimitri! He's posing as you!"

"WHAT?!"

Leading both Jaden and Chumley, Syrus led them towards the spot where he found Dimitri, exactly right in front of the Slifer Red Dorms.

"I've been waiting for you, Jaden Yuki!" said Dimitri before turning to face them. He...was an exact replica of Jaden, except his hair tone was more darker than Jaden, and he was taller than she was, and his hair was sticking out a little.

"D-Dimitri?! What are you doing?!" asked Jaden, taken aback by his whacky appearance.

"Isn't it obvious? It's time to throw up and get your gay on!"

Astonished by Dimitri's stupidity, the trio fell down anime-style before getting back up. Jaden groaned and facepalmed herself. "I don't even sound anything like that! And it's 'It's time to throw down and get your game on!'"

"What? Then, what am I doing wrong?"

Jaden adjusted Dimitri's body parts and told him, "Keep your right hand right around here! Put your left leg out a little! And, as playfully as you can, say, 'That's game!' And do that finger pose like I do! Like this! That's game!"

"I would die for Alexis!"

"That's not what I say when I win!"

"Oh...Then, for Alexis!"

"Why do you keep saying things relating to Alexis? I said, 'That's game!'"

"But, aren't you and Alexis...more than friends? I've seen you hang out with each other a lot, Jaden!"

"Well, yeah! Obviously! Because we're fiancèes!"

"Oh, I see-WHAT?!"

"Can't they just duel already?" groaned Syrus.

"That's it! I'm leaving," said Chumley, already ahead of Syrus by walking away.

Once again, it was another typical day at Duel Academy...along with two Jadens.

* * *

 **Finished! Might take a while before I update due to other things, but it's May! Oh, and have a good Mother's Day everyone!**


	18. The Maiden In Love!

**I'm back, people! And with a brand new idea for the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"If I could please have everyone's attention! Eyes forward, students! Chumley, stop chewing with your mouth open!"

Around the middle of sundown inside the Slifer Red dorms where everyone was chowing down their dinners together, Banner was trying to get everyone's attention, especially Chumley's. Once most of the students calmed down, Banner decided to continue.

"Good! Now, please join me in welcoming a new transfer student, Blair Flanningan!" announced Banner, stepping out of the way to make room for the new transfer student. "Say hello to Blair!"

Blair stepped forward and stared up at the others with his bright, brown eyes before looking down at the ground. He wore the standard Slifer Red uniform for males and his dark blue hair was mostly covered up in a large black hat.

Murmurs of "Hello, Blair" passed all over the room as the students resumed eating their meal. They didn't seem particularly interested in the transfer student; hell, they even felt bad for the poor boy. After all, he had to join the ranks of the weakest duelists in all of Duel Academy; the Slifer Reds! They figured that it wouldn't take even a week for him to leave.

"Check that out, Jaden! Looks like you have someone new to duel! What do you think about that?" pointed out Syrus.

"YEAAH!" cheered Jaden, getting a bit overexcited and already leaping to her feet. Already, she had plans to make Blair feel at home, especially since he seems so cute! Ignoring the attention she was gaining, she rushed over and gently placed a hand on Blair's shoulder while patting his back at the same time. "We're the best dorm on campus!We're all friendly so we can make you feel right at home!"

"Jaden, wait. You don't understand," said Banner, trying to correct the tomboy.

"What's there not to understand, Professor Banner? I was just trying to-"

Blair gently broke away from Jaden's hold and hid behind Banner, shyly using him as a shield. It's already been one minute since he's entered the Slifer Red Dorms, and already, he feels uncomfortable enough.

"You see, Jaden...Blair isn't going to live in this dorm for long. In fact, he's scored perfectly on all his entrance exams," Banner explained, surprising Jaden. After all, if one were to succeed with flying colors, why place them in the low ranking Slifer Red Dorms? "It's Academy policy: 'All transfers start at Slifer.' But, with his high marks, he'll be moved up to Ra Yellow in just a few days."

As if trying to hide her embarrassment through the entire misunderstanding, Jaden blushed and quickly said, "W-well, I still think it's nice to welcome transfer students even if they aren't going to be here long, right guys?"

Thinking that she was addressing them, Syrus and Chumley stood up and nodded in agreement. "Of course!"

"Good! Then, in that case, since we're running out of room, Blair can sleep with you three for a while!" said Banner cheerfully. "Isn't that wonderful? Blair, what do you think?"

Blair nodded, finding no problems with the room situation. Although, there was a slight hint of pink if one looked closely at Blair's cheeks. "S-sure."

* * *

 _Later, that night..._

"...I can't believe that Jaden has to sleep with Blair," spoke up Chumley as he and the others stared at the bed customized for two people only.

Since Chumley, Jaden, and Syrus originally shared a three layer bed together, they had to make room for one more somehow for Blair's sake. While Syrus and Chumley headed off towards the baths, Jaden and Blair, under the instructions of Banner, managed to compose a bed at the lower level and placed additional blankets on top. Knowing that the two were only going to share a bed temporarily was fine and all, but the problem resided with the two people sleeping. Especially one that happened to be a girl.

Jaden leaped forward and landed on her stomach on top of the bed; the blankets cushioning her fall and making her bounce up a little. "Ahhhh!~ So soft!~" she sighed, feeling the soft fabric of the blankets.

Blair flustered and glanced away, pulling down his large hat to hide his face. He had to share a bed with...with Jaden? Under normal circumstances, anyone would be alright, but there was a certain...secret Blair upholded that made him react like this. However, if he were to learn that Jaden was female, things might actually be different...

Syrus had never felt so much jealously towards Blair before, as he felt something burning inside of his aura. The new student gets to sleep with HIS Jaden? That's not fair! Still, he shouldn't completely blame the new kid, since he didn't really have a choice in the matter in selecting his own room. Plus, Blair would be leaving for the Ra Yellow Dorms in a few days, so all he had to do was be patient...

Crawling forward, Jaden reached out and grabbed one of her toy plushies, which happened to be a mini Dark Magician Girl plushie. Smiling as she embraced the plushie, Jaden looked at Blair and asked, "Wanna hug one of my plushies? We could have a sleepover all night!"

Blair bent down before his eyes widen at the sight of the bed filled with so many minature plushies. It was rare for a boy to have stuffed animals even at his age, let alone so many. Then again, Jaden was holding a Dark Magician Girl doll, and many male duelists practically lust for her. Blair thought that Jaden might have kept all the other plushies as a cover up so that Jaden could cherish her own Dark Magician Girl.

Typical male hormones.

Several hours later, the entire group of four fell asleep in the dark room they shared; some snoring loudly than others. Chumley's was the loudest while Syrus pulled the blanket covers over his head, successfully muffling out the rest of the noise disturbing him. Jaden and Blair may be sharing the same bed together, but they weren't close to each other, having their own separate side of the same bed.

One person, or rather, Duel Spirit, was awake and watching over the group cautiously with hawk-like eyes. He was Jaden's ace Monster, Flame Wingman, and he was keeping a very close eye on the boys.

Every night, once every hour, each of Jaden's Duel Spirits would watch over their owner before switching roles to pass to another Duel Spirit. Nothing bad occured in Jaden's life, except for one time when a robbery happened one night when she was only a child. If they hadn't woke up her up, she wouldn't have had time to hide when the robber invaded her room. Thank goodness that her home had a silent alarm system installed as they watched the robber being arrested and taken away into police custody.

From that point on, their will and vow to protect innocent, little Jaden grew tenfold that night.

Flame Wingman _despised_ every single male that Jaden befriended, especially those close to her like Syrus. He didn't care if one called him overprotective, but to Jaden, she was almost like a cherished daughter to her, and every time he saw her adorable, heart-shaped face, his heart would soften, though he refused to admit it. Also, it was a great relief to pour all his stress into activating his special ability and firing onto all male duelists Jaden fought.

A tap on his shoulder snapped Flame Wingman out of it, and he turned to see Bubbleman standing behind him. Has time gone that quickly? He was too absorbed in his duty that he barely noticed the time flying.

 _ **"It's time, Flame Wingman."**_

 _ **"I know. If anything goes wrong, alert the team, alright?"**_

 _ **"Of course. You always say that anyways. I know that you love Jaden, but just relax a little, alright?"**_

 _ **"Just...Just take care of Jaden."**_

 _ **"Understood. Goodnight."**_

 _ **"...Goodnight."**_

* * *

 _The next morning..._

 **"Settle down, people! Attention, please! Chumley! Stop chewing with your mouth open!"** announced Sheppard; his face visible on the large TV-like screen on the monitor.

Everyone was gathered in the auditorium for the special briefing announcement by three separate rows; the Slifer Reds, Ra Yellows, and Obelisk Blues. After everyone became silent and paid attention to their Chancellor, he began the procedure of announcing the new event coming up.

 **"Good! Now, the big match between our rival school, North Academy, is coming up! Last year, Zane Truesdale, defeated the North Academy representative with flying colors. This year, I'm sure that Duel Academy will triumph towards their victory once again!"**

Lo and behold Zane Truesdale who stood out in front of all the Obelisk Blues thanks to the spotlight shining down upon him and making him the attention of the auditorium, especially after Sheppard announced Zane's name.

Noticing Blair's gaze upon Zane just like everyone else, Syrus felt a swell of pride within his heart and felt that he should tell something to the new student just to gain new respect.

"Hey, Blair? Did you know that Zane's my brother?" the blue-haired boy whispered.

"Really?" Blair softly whispered back; a light blush forming around his cheeks.

"He's pretty cool, but Mom says I've got the looks," bragged Syrus, shrugging his shoulders uncaringly. "I remember back when we were kids! We would play Hide-And-Seek, and he would never find me, no matter how easy I made it for him! He was preeettty terrible at that game!"

"How easy are we talking?" questioned Blair.

"I stood in the living room for two hours with a lamp shade on my head while he was watching TV!"

"...Kinda sounds like he was ignoring you."

"OR! He couldn't find me!"

 **"We still haven't decided who's going to represent us this year,"** revealed Sheppard. **"So, if you keep hitting those books and dueling hard, you may be the one who gets the honor! Keep working hard and your hard work might just pay off! With that said, have a good day, everyone!"**

Afterwards, the screen monitor faded away and was replaced by Duel Academy's insignia. Everyone began chatting amongst themselves over the announcement.

A chance to duel against North Academy's top student! What an honor! Most decided to give up because of Zane's status of being the strongest duelist in Duel Academy. They wouldn't be surprised if he was chosen, suggesting that they were fine with whatever decision Duel Academy decided to choose.

"Alright! It's gonna be me!" said Jaden, coming between Syrus and Blair with determination in her eyes as she pumped her fists. Dueling strong opponents always gets her excited, and if she was chosen, this could be a duel to remember like Seto Kaiba vs Yugi Motou!

"Nah, we might as well face it! It's probably going to be Zane again!" said Syrus, his arms crossed with a discouraged look on his face.

"Whaaat? What does Zane have that I don't?" wondered Jaden, pouting.

"Well, he has more experience and an overall stronger deck," answered Blair, staring at Zane with an...odd look in his eyes.

"Yeah, I guess..."

"And...And, big, _beautiful_ eyes..."

"I...guess...?"

"And that long, _flowing_ hair..."

"I...Uh...I guess?"

"And those strong arms to hold me close in those cold, winter nights..."

"Um...Yeah."

Although both couldn't see it, Syrus and Jaden could tell from Blair's words that he was having some sort of lovesick expression on his face. Well, Syrus could tell, at least. Jaden was just growing more and more confused on how Zane's dueling skills were being compared to his looks.

Attempting to change the subject, Syrus said, "A-anyways, those arms are only good for two things! Headlocks, and body slams!"

Unfortunately, his attempt wasn't good enough. In fact, it only seemed to worsen the situation.

 _"Oh, he can slam into me ALLL he wants..."_

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Cool."

* * *

 _Later..._

"Man! I'm soooooo hungry!" whined Jaden, rubbing her growling stomach. She groaned as she walked besides Chumley and Syrus out of the Duel Academy building. Classes ended just now, so she and her friends were free all day.

"You know, you could always just ask Miss Dorothy and pay for the food," reminded Syrus before whispering to Chumley about what Blair earlier, causing the older boy to recoil in shock.

"Whoa! He seriously said that?" hissed Chumley, quieting down so that Jaden wouldn't hear them in fear of her innocence.

Syrus nodded. "Yeah. Blair's got a serious man boner for Zane! It was the hardest romance I've ever seen! He was practically penetrating me!"

Speaking of Blair, the new Slifer Red student ran past the trio and right into the bushes area. Suspicious, Jaden decided to run after him, thinking he might be in trouble of some sorts.

"H-hey, Jaden! Where are you going?"

"Checkin' something up! Buy me a sandwich when you get to Miss Dorothy!"

"But it's not even Sandwich Day!"

Eventually, Jaden managed to track down Blair all the way to the male Obelisk Blue Dorms and hid behind a pillar. In the nick of time, she spotted him climbing a tree, walking across a sturdy tree branch, and leaping off to enter the balcony before proceeding to the room inside.

 _'What's Blair doing, trespassing into the Obelisk Blue Dorms?'_ thought Jaden before deciding to continue following after Blair. It took her little to no effort following Blair's steps into climbing the tree and finally stepping onto the balcony. Seeing two narrow doors barely opened, Jaden sensed that Blair must have entered through the entrance and poked her head inside the room.

The room appeared luxurious and filled with more space than her own dorm room. Additionally, there was a softer bed, a large TV, a couple chairs, and a couch. This would seem like the ideal room for rich people and no doubt suit an Obelisk Blue's tastes.

Spotting Blair searching through the dresser near the bed, Jaden wondered what he was doing. She nearly squeaked loudly when she saw Blair rubbing a couple of cards to his face after he found a deck case and brought out some of the cards.

"Ahhhh!~ I could almost feel his presence within these cards," sighed Blair pleasurably.

 _'Blair, you're not meant to rub cards in your face!'_ thought Jaden, sweatdropping before being horrified at the sight before her. _'What is he doing? Okay, he's doing something...And, is he making a mess? I don't get it! Hmm...something's up...And it looks interesting!'_

Most people would be horrified at whatever Blair was doing that could be described as...undescribable. But for an oblivious fool like Jaden Yuki? She's just puzzled and curious as to what was occuring before her own eyes.

"Come on, guys! Let's go chill at Zane's room!"

"I sure hope there aren't any Slifer Reds in there!"

"I sure hope there aren't any Slifer Reds molesting Zane's cards!"

"Otherwise, we'd have to kill the bastard!"

"Huh?" Stepping back into the balcony, Jaden spotted a few Obelisk Blue boys following Zane as they headed their way back to the Obelisk Blue Boys Dorm. Well, considering that they're boys and Obelisk Blues, it's not really a prob-

Wait...didn't one of the cards Blair pulled out from the deck case remind her of something? Cyber Dragon...That card belonged to Zane, and nobody could use his effect more properly than Zane! Then, that means...

Zane + Male + Obelisk Blue = Living in Obelisk Blue Boys Dorm. Cyber Dragon + Deck Case = Zane's deck. Zane's deck + Obelisk Blue Boys Dorm room = **ZANE TRUESDALE'S ROOM.**

Rushing inside the room, Jaden caught Blair's attention. "I don't know what you're up to, but you gotta get out of here right now! Otherwise, you'll get expelled for trespassing! Hurry! Zane's coming!

"How did you get in here?!" demanded Blair, still stunned over being caught.

Right behind the front door, voices could be heard, or rather ramblings from two Obelisk Blues were heard rather loudly and were approaching closer by the second.

"I say, Jeffery!"

"What ho, Pippin?"

"The bloody key won't fit the door!"

"Are you sure you're using the right key?"

"Damnit, Jeffery! Of course I'm using the right key! I take offense to that remark!"

"I take offense to you taking offense of that remark! Pippin, have you tried the second key?"

"We haven't gotten a second key, Jeffery!"

"Have you tried looking under the rug?"

"Why would I be looking under the rug for a key we don't have?"

"Why, I do believe there is a key under the rug!"

"Well, I would certainly like to see this key!"

"Why, certainly! I can tell you where this key is!"

"By golly, man! Why didn't you say so? Where is it?"

"It's under the bloody rug, sire!"

"Nonsense, Jeffery! I would know if there was a-! By golly, so it is!"

"You didn't believe me, Pippin! I take offense to that!"

"I take offense to you taking offense to that!"

"Here's our chance!" said Jaden, grasping Blair's wrist tightly. "We gotta go, now!"

Once forcibly dragging Blair behind her, she never expected Blair to trip and fall forward with his hat falling off. What was more surprising was that underneath his hat...was long, overflowing hair clipped together with a hairclip. But the hairclip along with the hat and the cards Blair previously held spread across the floor.

No doubt in anyone's mind that Blair Flanningan...is a girl.

"Oh my God!" cried Jaden in a sing-song tone before Blair scooped up her hat and ran for it, jumping off the balcony and climbing down the tree as fast as she could.

Jaden ran after her, stopping near the railings on the balcony as she watched Blair successfully escape. "Where are you going? I have so many questions! Do you blow or towel dry? Shampoo or conditioner? BLAIR! DO YOU WANT TO DUEL LATER?!"

Behind Jaden, the front door opened, and Zane along with his Obelisk Blue companions, flooded inside.

"I told you I could get it open, Jeffery!"

"Well, you certainly showed me, Pippin!"

"Jeffery! Look over there!"

"Over where?"

"Over there! By the balcony!"

"Why, I do believe that's a Slifer Red!"

"Didn't we speak on killing them on sight earlier?"

"Why yes, I do believe we did!"

"Gasp! Look at all these cards scattered on the ground!"

"They're Zane's! I bet that Slifer Red must have come here to steal them! Or get info on Zane's deck to North Academy!"

"What?! No! That's not it!" Jaden tried defending herself, catching Blair's escaping figure out of the corner of her eye. "I just...saw the window opening and thought to close it!"

"You really think we're buying that lie?" questioned one of the Obelisk Blues before he and his buddies besides Zane began approaching Jaden dangerously.

Turning around and trying to feign innocence, Jaden tried to climb off the balcony and escape the same way Blair did. "Well, it looks like I gotta-gah!" The back of her red jacket was grabbed harshly by all three Obelisk Blues as they struggled to prevent her escape.

"Are you sure you have a hold of him correctly, Jeffery?"

"Well, of course I'm holding him correctly! I take offense to that comment!"

"I take offense of you taking offense to that comment!"

"Let me goooo!" whined Jaden, trying not to release her grip on the railings.

"You're not going anywhere, buddy!"

"Except to Dr. Crowler's office!"

"NOOOO! ANYONE BUT HIM!"

"Okay, we'll just deal with you ourselves!"

"DR. CROWLER! HELP! HELP!"

As the Obelisk Blues and Jaden continued on with their feeble struggle, Zane scooped up his...why were his fallen cards wet? Eh, he'll clean and dry them off soon enough. But something else caught his attention. A little hairclip with a cute Duel Monsters design in the middle.

Knowing Jaden, Zane knew that he would never stoop so low as to steal or gain knowledge of his cards since Jaden is already a good-natured duelist who takes duels fairly and has fun. Also, hairclips are meant for girls only, and last he checked, Jaden is no doubt, male.

"But I'm seriously telling the truth!" cried out Jaden as she was being dragged by the feet by the Obelisk Blues.

"Yeah, right!"

"Nobody else was in this room but you!"

"Just admit that you did this!"

"As if we can trust a Slifer Red! One that's a thief, no less!"

"...Let him go," commanded Zane firmly.

"Huh?" Surprised, the Obelisk Blues released Jaden, who shot up to her feet.

"Jaden, do you want me to reconsider or do you want to leave? The front door's that way."

"A-ah! Sure! See ya! Let's not do this again sometime!" said Jaden, taking this chance to flee while she still had the chance.

Once outside, Jaden rubbed her arm and winched at the harsh treatment coming from the Obelisk Blues. Yeah, she was definitely not going to come back sometime after that experience! Now, to find some food and find Blair! She still needed an explanation from him!

Peeking out from the bushes, Blair saw Jaden running off. She couldn't exactly leave Jaden to his fate like that and overheard everything. Why didn't Jaden turn her in when he had the chance? She was definitely going to question him next time they were alone.

* * *

 _That night, near the lighthouse..._

"Is something wrong, Zane? It's awfully rare for you to call me over. If so, it must be serious," spoke up Alexis. After receiving a text message from Zane to talk about something near the lighthouse, Alexis quickly made her way there.

"Lex, I caught Jaden snooping in my room today," Zane explained, quickly getting to the point.

"Huh?" Now, this was a surprise for Alexis. She never thought Jaden, out of all people, would sneak into Zane's room. "Why would Jaden do that?"

"I don't know. But I found this." Handing the hairclip over to Alexis, Zane allowed her to examine it.

Eyes widening, Alexis took it and scanned it with her own eyes. "T-this is a girl's hairclip...Zane, there's probably something you should know. It's about Jaden..."

* * *

"Ahhh...Taking a bath feels great!" sighed Syrus, stepping inside his dorm room as he dried his hair with a towel. Once inside, he noticed that nobody but himself was in the room. "Huh? Where is everybody?"

Chumley, who had been laying down on his bed, sat up and saw Syrus at the front door. "I thought they were with you."

Syrus shook his head as he climbed on top of Jaden and Blair's bed. "No, I haven't seen Jaden ever since he ran off to...find Blair..."

Chumley, who was sweatdropping, watched as Syrus's normal demeanor quickly changed into...well, the proper term was determination.

"JADEN'S WITH BLAIR?! NOOO! IT CAN'T BE!"

It didn't take a genius to figure out that Syrus has a crush on Jaden, possibly even bigger than when he admired Alexis. Chumley could tell that Syrus was officially jealous of all the attention Blair was giving to Jaden, or at least, that's what it seems like.

"Chumley, come on! We gotta find them!"

"But why me?"

"Just because! Now, come on!"

* * *

"So, let me get this straight. You're a girl."

"Yeah."

"So, when you were talking about Zane, he wasn't-"

"Nope."

"You were actually-"

"Yeah."

"Oh! That makes sense! I thought you were a guy with long hair!"

"...Really, Jaden? Did the facial expressions and long hair not give it away?"

"Well, I mean, sure you looked cute as a boy, but Professor Banner has long hair too, you know."

"Point."

Both Jaden and Blair conversed near the ocean in the rocky shores, and right above them was the Slifer Red Dorms, so it wouldn't take them that long to reach their dorm room. Right at the moment, both were talking about what occured earlier today and were trying to resolve the situation.

"Listen, Jaden," said Blair, looking up at her. "The fact that I'm a girl has to stay a secret!"

"But what for, Blair?"

"..." Glancing down, Blair found herself unable to respond to Jaden's question. She knew that Jaden had every right to know, especially what she's been put through, but still...

"Look, I don't mind keeping it a secret, but if it's a secret, I should at least now why it is one," Jaden tried to reason.

"No!" snapped Blair indignantly. "You don't need to know why! Look, you just can't tell anyone that I'm a girl!"

"Why not?"

"Because it's a secret."

"Then, why is it a secret?"

"Because it is."

"But I like to be told secrets!"

"Well, that's top shit, because I'm not telling you!"

"Well!" Kneeling down and reaching something inside her backpack, Jaden spoke, "If you're not going to tell me, then you gotta duel me!"

"What? How will that solve anything?" asked Blair as Jaden took out her duel disk.

"'Cause in a duel, the truth always comes out!"

"Fine, but if I win, you keep quiet without me having to explain myself!" told Blair, agreeing to duel with Jaden for the sake of her secret.

"Sure. It won't matter anyways, because this duel will tell me all I need to know!" said Jaden, nodding in agreement.

Meanwhile, laying flat on their stomaches and witnessing Jaden and Blair from above the cliff were both Chumley and Syrus. Syrus was frowning every time he glared at Blair's direction, and if it weren't for Chumley holding him back, Syrus would have tried to clawed Blair with his own bare hands.

"I wonder what Jaden and that Blair guy are talking about?" wondered Syrus curiously.

"Well, it's funny that you mention that, Syrus," said Zane as he and Alexis walked up to both Syrus and Chumley. "Because Blair isn't a guy, she's a girl. Obelisk security cameras showed her at the dorm."

"But what it doesn't show is why she's gone through all that trouble," said Alexis, thus proving that despite learning Blair's true gender, they still haven't completely solved the entire mystery.

"Huh, really? I wonder how Jay plans to solve that mystery," wondered Syrus. He was quickly answered by a loud unison cry of 'DUEL' from beneath them.

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Blair - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"Alright, it's my turn! Draw!" started Blair. "I summon Maiden in Love! And, I'll end my turn!"

A beautiful young girl wearing a puffy, yellow and white dress with bright eyes and flowing, wavy brown hair with a pink hairband on top appeared. She giggled slightly and winked at Jaden, pleased to meet her.

Maiden in Love - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV2 - (400/300)

"Wow! She's cute!" sighed Syrus happily.

Chumley frowned, glaring at him. Did he not remember the whole reason for searching for both Blair and Jaden in the first place? It was becuase Syrus's was jealous for his crush, Jaden! Now he's oogling at some fictional Duel Monster? Somehow, he's relieved that he's not in love.

"My turn, now! Draw!" Jaden said before examining her hand after drawing. "I summon Elemental Hero Ocean in Attack Mode!"

Bursting from the ocean nearby, a drenched hero in blue wielding a trident-like weapon appeared in front of Jaden with his arms crossed.

Elemental Hero Ocean - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (1500/1200)

"Now, attack! Aqua Burst!"

Twirling his trident in front of him, a water-like vortex appeared in front of Ocean before transforming into a swirling water tornado that engulfed Maiden in Love completely, drenching her from head to toe.

 **Blair - 2900 LP**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"Maiden in Love's special ability activates!" said Blair. "You see, as long as she remains in Attack Mode, she won't be destroyed in battle!"

Winged Kuriboh flew up to Jaden and nudged her in the face. 'What's up?" she asked the flying creature as he pointed towards the scene occuring at the moment.

Elemental Hero Ocean was kneeling down to Maiden in Love in what appears to be a field of pink flowers, offering his hand while wearing a sympathetic look on his face. _**"M-milady...are you alright?"**_

 _ **"I...*sniff* I don't know...Everything's happening so fast,"**_ spoke Maiden in Love, tears forming in the corner of her eyes as she turned away from her attacker. Ocean felt regret for attacking such an innocent and lovely maiden and tried hugging her from behind in order to make her feel better.

"Awww! Ocean's cheering up Maiden! That's good of him!" cheered Jaden, feeling happy for the two. Winged Kuriboh facepalmed, knowing that Jaden was misinterpreting the situation at hand.

"Oh, and I forgot to mention Maiden in Love's second effect!" spoke up Blair. "Any Monster that attacks her gets a Maiden Counter and then, falls in love with her!"

"Wait, what?!" Switching from Blair's direction towards her Monsters, Jaden's jaw dropped when she saw Ocean openly expressing his love towards Maiden in Love by pecking her in the cheek. That...actually explained what was happening earlier, since Jaden knew that Ocean never acted that way towards anyone before.

Maiden in Love opened her arms out for Ocean and blew something towards Ocean. That 'something' happened to be a heart-shaped air kiss that targeted his heart and made him more infatuated with Maiden in Love.

"Now then, moving on!~" sang Blair as she drew her card. "Alright, I attached the Equip Spell, Cupid's Kiss, to my Maiden!"

A tiny, cupid-like angel glided towards the beautiful Maiden before smooching her on the cheek, making Maiden in Love blush lightly.

"And now, I'll have her attack!"

 _ **"Oh, Mr. Ocean! Where are you? Please come out and play!~"**_ cooed Maiden in Love sweetly as she skipped around the field of flowers in an attempt to try finding her crush.

"Uhh..." Unable to react in this sort of situation, Jaden decided what to do what was best. "Ocean, attack Maiden in Love...?"

Spotting Maiden in Love from afar and thinking she was an enemy, Elemental Hero Ocean fired a water blast from his trident and watched as his opponent's Monster fell to the ground.

 **Blair - 1800 LP**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

Sobbing uncontrollably from not only being blasted, but wet as well, Maiden in Love turned to Ocean and questioned, _**"Why did you do that? You're so mean!"**_

Realizing that the target he shot at was his beloved lover, Ocean rushed over to her side with a concern look on his face. _**"Milady! I didn't realize it was you! Will you ever forgive me?"**_

 _ **"Okay!~"**_ agreed Maiden in Love, wiping away her tears before kissing Ocean in the cheek, causing the WATER-type Monster to blush red. After Ocean helped her stand up while caressing her tiny hand, Maiden in Love turned to her hero. _**"Now how about doing me a little favor, Mr. Ocean?"**_

 _ **"Anything!~"**_

 _ **"Good!~ See him?"**_ Maiden in Love pointed directly at Jaden. **_"Take him down!"_**

 ** _"Done!"_** Without hesitation, Ocean's trident sprouted a blast of water that slammed into Jaden's stomach, knocking her flat on her back.

 **Blair - 1800 LP**

 **Jaden - 2500 LP**

Groaning, Jaden clutched her stomach, thankful that it didn't leave any permanent damage. "Ocean! Are you nuts?! Can't you see she's using you?"

"Sorry, Jaden!" said Blair. "But when Maiden takes damage from a Monster with a Maiden Counter, the Equip Spell, Cupid's Kiss, automatically activates, and that lets me take control of your Monster! Sure, it'll cost me Life Points, but it's about to cost you a lot more! Now that I've taken control of your Monster, I think I'll just set one card facedown and end my turn!"

"My turn, draw!" After drawing Sparkman, Jaden glanced up and looked at Ocean sorrowfully. _'I can't attack Maiden, or else my Monster will be under her control. So, that means I'll have to attack Ocean. Sorry, Ocean...'_

"I summon Elemental Hero Sparkman in Attack Mode!" declared Jaden, watching as the hero of electricity made his appearance.

Elemental Hero Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1400)

Glaring at Ocean, Jaden told him, "Sorry, Ocean! But you're either with me, or against! Sparkman! Attack Ocean with Static Shockwave!"

Storing up a large surge of electrical power in his palms, Sparkman fired multiple jolts of electricity towards Ocean once he was charged up.

"I don't think so! I activate the Trap, Defense Maiden!" shouted Blair.

With fierce determination to protect her loved one, Maiden in Love stood in front of Ocean with her arms out and took the electrical attack instead of him, screaming in pain and falling to her knees.

 **Blair - 600 LP**

 **Jaden - 2500 LP**

"Thanks to Defense Maiden, Sparkman's attack is redirected towards Maiden in Love!" explained Blair. "And you know what that means!~"

"Oh God, please don't," mumured Jaden as she was forced to watch the next love scene occur before her eyes.

Trembling with anger, Ocean glared at Sparkman for doing such a thing to Maiden in Love. _**"Sparkman, how dare you strike at a defenceless maiden?! Have you no shame?!"**_

Ashamed and upon realization for what he's done, Sparkman grasped both sides of his helmet in agony. _**"Oh, God! What have I done?! Maiden, please forgive me! I'll do anything to make you happy!"**_

 _ **"...Anything?"**_ asked Maiden in Love, slightly interested in his proposal. _**"Well, nothing comes to mind now, but I'll think up something!~"**_ She, using her cute charms, winked at him seductively, which was more than enough for Sparkman to instantly fall in love with her.

 ** _"Ah!~ Just say the word, my darling!~"_**

"Awww! Sparkman's feeling bad, so he's volunteering to help cheer up Maiden!~" cooed Jaden, feeling happy for Sparkman and his righteous duty to defend the weak and defeat evil, just as a hero should be.

Winged Kuriboh sighed before picking up a stick. He carved a heart with a thunder bolt in the middle before poking Jaden in the leg with the stick. Remembering that Ocean fell in love with Maiden in Love and that the possibility of Sparkman falling victim was high, Jaden gasped before focusing back to the battlefield.

"Sparkman! You can't fall in love with Maiden!" cried out Jaden, frailing her arms anime-style.

Winged Kuriboh nodded. Of course Jaden would come to her senses! She just needed the right signal to get the message through her thick skull!

"Because...Because Ocean's already in love with her!"

 _ **"KURI?!"**_ Okay, that didn't go as expected. When the others told him that Jaden barely had any sense of love, they weren't kidding, for sure!

Hearing Jaden's words, Sparkman swiftly turned to Ocean. _**"Is that true, Ocean?"**_

Holding Maiden in Love closely to him, Ocean stared back at him. _**"Of course I do! I love the Maiden! Truly, I do!"**_

 _ **"Then, I shall fight you for her honor!"**_

 _ **"So be it, Sparkman!"**_

Unknown to anyone but Jaden and Winged Kuriboh, both Sparkman and Ocean started clashing attacks together and attempting to bring the other down in order to win Maiden in Love's heart. Chumley, who would hear Duel Spirits, heard lightning sounds and the rush of water, but he was confused and looked around, wondering what was making all that noise.

"Now, Sparkman has a Maiden Counter," said Blair.

"Jeez! What's with you guys?! Stop it!" cried out Jaden, scratching the back of her head furiously. "All this for one girl? I'll just buy some Maiden in Loves tommorow if you really like her that much!"

"I want one! How do I get a Maiden Counter?" wondered Syrus, still obsessed with Maiden in Love's charm and beauty.

"Yeah, me too! I want one, too!" chimed in Chumley.

"Uh...Guys? Try and remember that it's just a card you're looking at," reminded Alexis, sweatdropping.

"Try and remember who you're talking to," said Zane. "When Sy and I were growing up, he used to say that he was going steady with Dark Magician Girl."

"Z-Zane! That was supposed to be a secret!" whined Syrus who blushed madly. "Now Alexis and Chumley will think I'm some kinda freak for liking her so much even though she's not real!"

"Actually, I used to have a crush on Dark Magician Girl," admitted Chumley.

"Sy, you're not the only one who likes her," said Alexis. "Lots of fanboys are in love with her, so it's really no surprise."

"Personally, I thought that was the second strangest thing about you, Syrus," said Zane. "The first strangest was your relationship between you and your boyfriend, Jaden. But I quickly adapted that. Imagine my surprise when I learned that Jaden was actually a girl."

"I'm not ga-Wait, you knew that Jaden was a girl?!" wondered Syrus. "When?!"

"Alexis told me about an hour or so ago. Apparently, Jaden's too...oblivious to figure out that nobody else but us know that she's a girl. Regardless, I approve your relationship with you and your girlfriend, Syrus. I'm sure she'll take care of you."

"But...But we're not together! The stupid Yaoi Fanclub just assumed that!" cried out Syrus. "And that kiss back at the Tag-Team Duel was only a friendly one! It didn't mean anything!"

"Oh...I see."

"MAN! I CAN'T TAKE THIS!" yelled Jaden. "Fine! I set one card facedown and end my turn!"

"My turn! Draw!" After drawing the card she needed, Blair smirked. "Now I activate Stray Lambs from my hand! I Special Summon 2 Lamb Tokens to my field in Defense Mode, but I can't summon anymore Monsters this turn!"

Lamb Tokens - (EARTH/Beast) - LV1 - (0/0)

"Then, I activate Token Thanksgiving and destroy my two Tokens! In exchanges, I receive 800 Life Points for each one destroyed!"

 **Blair - 2200 LP**

 **Jaden - 2500 LP**

"Hold it right there! I have a Trap!" shouted Jaden. "I activate Elemental Recharge! For every face-up Elemental Hero I have on my side of the field, I recover 1000 Life Points!"

 **Blair - 2200 LP**

 **Jaden - 3500 LP**

"Fine, but Maiden's still going to attack your Sparkman! Attack!" ordered Blair.

 _ **"Oh, Mr. Sparkman!~"**_ called out Maiden in Love as she searched frantically for the Elemental Hero. Sparkman, who was exhausted from his brawl with Ocean, stepsided out of the way, causing Maiden in Love to trip and fall.

 **Blair - 1000 LP**

 **Jaden - 3500 LP**

 _ **"Sparkman, how could you do that?!"**_ cried out Maiden in Love. _**"You said you'd do anything for me!"**_

 _ **"You're right! I'm sorry! Command me, my love!"**_ begged Sparkman before placing a hand over his heart. _**"What is your wish?"**_

"SPARKIEEE!" cringed Jaden; her jaw dropping.

 _ **"I wish...that you'd beat up that mean boy over there!"**_ pleaded Maiden in Love, referring to Jaden.

 _ **"With pleasure!"**_ Sparkman didn't waste any second on shooting electricity at his former master.

 **Blair - 1000 LP**

 **Jaden - 1900 LP**

 _ **"Mr. Ocean!~ Your turn, too! If you please!~"**_

 _ **"Yes, my dear!"**_ Ocean lifted up his trident, and a large, holographic wave washed over Jaden. Once the wave passed, Jaden and Winged Kuriboh were left twitching on the rocky grounds of the duel.

 **Blair - 1000 LP**

 **Jaden - 400 LP**

"Ahhh! Much better!" sighed Blair in relief after taking off the bandanna and hat that held her long hair up and hidden.

Getting back up and patting the dust off her jeans, Jaden sighed exasperatedly. Okay, maybe sending out two of her male Elemental Heroes wasn't such a good call. Maybe it's time for form a different strategy this time? After all, Blair's only got a few Life Points left, so just another huge hit to Maiden, and it's game over!

"Sparkman! Ocean! Can't you remember me? It's your friend, Jaden!" pleaded Jaden, attempting to pull out the puppy dog eyes which they so heavily fallen over countless times in the past.

Unfortunately, they weren't falling for them, as they stayed loyal and lovingly towards Maiden in Love.

 _'Guess I gotta increase the pressure!'_ Jaden thought before focusing on her puppy dog eyes power. She lifted her head a bit more, stuck her bottom lip out more, and widen her shining eyes brimming with tears.

Yet, Sparkman and Ocean still weren't affected.

 _'Damnit! PUPPY DOG EYES FULL POWER!'_ Jaden crams her eyes as much as she could, squeezing out tears as she sniffled and quivered her lower lips, looking like a helpless puppy abandoned in the middle of a rainy day.

Much to her shock, Sparkman and Ocean still didn't react.

 _'IT'S NOT WORKING! THE PUPPY DOG EYES ALWAYS WORKS! WHY ISN'T IT WORKING?!'_ thought Jaden, shocked with her jaw dropped.

Unknown to her, Syrus and the others saw her attempts and immediantly fallen for her. Syrus and Chumley sniffled and their protective instincts wanted to rush over and hug poor, crying Jaden. Although they knew Jaden was faking the tears, both Alexis and Zane felt at least some sympathy and pity for Jaden and even thought she was a little cute.

"Alright, my move!" said Jaden, drawing her card before checking out her hand. "Huh...I wonder what I should do. What did I just draw? Polymerization? Maybe I can use that!"

 _ **"Kuri!"**_ Winged Kuriboh shook his head, poking his small paw over at her hand.

"No, you're right! I've got nothing to fuse! De-Fusion? No, there's no Fusion Monsters on my field!"

 _ **"Kurrri!"**_

"What? What do you think, Kuriboh?"

 _ **"Kuri!"**_

"Well, I just drew Polymerization. Do you want me to use Polymerization?"

 _ **"Kuri!"**_

"I don't...really know what you're telling me. What do you want me to do?"

 _ **"Kuri!"**_

"You mean this card?"

 _ **"Kuri!"**_

"I can use this card-"

 _ **"Kuri!"**_

"I don't know what you mean."

 _ **"Kurrriii!"**_

"I really kinda-I don't-!"

 _ **"Kurri!"**_

"I don't-I don't know-!"

 _ **"Kurrri!"**_

"Look, Kuri-! I don't know-! I wanna play this-this one?"

 ** _"Kuri!"_**

"That one?"

 _ **"Kuri!"**_

"Dude, I just wanna-"

 _ **"Kuri!"**_

"I don't know-"

 _ **"Kuri!"**_

"I-I'm just trying-! This one?"

 _ **"Kuri!"**_

"That one?"

 _ **"Kuri!"**_

"I just-!"

 _ **"KURI!"**_

"OKAY, STOP!" snapped Jaden, frustrated enough as it is. "This is just getting-*GASP* WAIT! WAIT!"

Examining her cards closely, Jaden began to read the effects of each and every one. Yes, yes! It was going to work so perfectly! With this right combo and here and there, she knew that the card she chose wouldn't fail! Yes, it would help her achieve victory and retrieve both Ocean and Sparkman back! Yes, the card she's chosen is...

"BLADEDGE!"

 _ **"KURRRRRIIII!"**_

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Okay, Okay! I was just joking!" pouted Jaden as Winged Kuriboh tugged angrily at her hair. "I summon Elemental Hero Burstinatrix!"

The female Elemental Hero of fire emerged with a fiery aura surrounding her both literally and metaphorically.

Elemental Hero Burstinatrix - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (1200/800)

"Burstinatrix, set those two straight!" ordered Jaden. "I even tried the ultimate puppy dog eyes trick, but it didn't work!"

If Jaden truly had done so, then this was serious for Burstinatrix as she intensified her angry glare at her two Elemental Hero comrades, who were taken aback by her fierce anger.

 _ **"B-Burstinatrix!"**_ cried out Ocean. Even though he was a WATER-type himself, even he himself couldn't douse out a woman's anger, much less Burstinatrix's! Besides, she was one of the female types that nobody normally would mess with!

 _ **"I know what you're thinking,"** _ spoke up Sparkman, trying to defend himself. _ **"And I know this looks bad, but-"**_

 _ **"Save it! You two are pathetic, especially you, Ocean!"**_ snapped Burstinatrix as her anger increased tenfold.

 _ **"W-we're in for it, now!"**_ said Sparkman as he and Ocean stepped back.

 _ **"Well, at least I got to experience love for a short while,"**_ muttered Ocean, trying to cheer himself up.

Amazed and somewhat frighten by the rare display of anger Burstinatrix showed in front of her, Jaden gaped at her. "Whoa, you go, Burstinatrix! And now, I activate Burst Return! As long as I have Burstinatrix on my field, all other Elemental Heroes return to my hand!"

The Maiden Counters shaped as hearts that were implanted on both Ocean and Sparkman's chests popped, snapping the two of them out of it as they remembered that they had done.

 _ **"What have I done? I can't believe I was infatuated by love!"**_ cringed Ocean, gripping the sides of his head as he felt ashamed of himself.

 _ **"My date's never going to forgive me if she learns what happened tonight!"**_ cried out Sparkman, reacting the same way Ocean did.

Both male Elemental Heroes turned to each other and came to a mutual agreement. _**"Guy pact: This didn't happen, okay?"**_

 _ **"How about you two get over here right now or I'll tell the entire deck?!"**_ threatened Burstinatrix, losing her patience. Without a second thought, both Ocean and Sparkman obeyed the fire Elemental Hero's command and turned back into cards before returning to Jaden's hand.

"Alright, and now that I've got my heroes back, I can now wage a counterattack!" said Jaden, holding up her two Monsters that were previously taken under control by Maiden in Love. "I activate Polymerization and fuse together Avian and Burstinatrix to create Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"

Avian glanced at Burstinatrix, wondering why she was pissed off. Before he could ask, Burstinatrix shot him a glare that made him wish he could sew his mouth, thus forcing him to forget what was happening as they fused together.

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

"You wouldn't hurt a girl, would you?" asked Blair, being skeptical and hesitant. After all, that thing had more than enough power to take her Life Points out! Sure, Maiden in Love will survive due to her special effect, but she'll still take damage!

"No, of course not!" said Jaden.

"Oh, good! 'Cause that would make you a big d-"

"I burn the living crap out of them!"

"Wait, what-"

Before Blair could understand her words, Flame Wingman shot fire all over Maiden in Love, practically incinerating her to a crisp before she was destroyed. The fire reached all the way to Blair as she cried out from the holographic effects, yet suffering no burns whatsoever. However, the flames felt more hotter than usual; courtesy of a certain fire Elemental Hero.

 **Blair - 0 LP**

 **Jaden - 400 LP** **Winner: Jaden**

"That's game! Now tell me that secret!" said Jaden, giving Blair her usual finger pose.

Blair, who was on her knees, looked up at her with a defeated expression. "Okay, Jaden. It's only fair. I...I...I'm in love with Zane!"

Jaden blinked. "That's it? ...Oh, hey guys!" Spotting Zane and the others approaching from climbing down the pathways towards the shore, she waved at them.

Turning around, Blair gasped when she saw the group, especially Zane among them! Her first crush was here right there! She could feel her heart beating rapidly as a red blush formed on her cheeks. This was her chance to confess and finally be married to Zane!

Alexis smiled and nudged Zane, reminding him of what they came here to do. Zane had somewhat of a uneased look on his face as he looked into the sparkling, awaiting eyes of the young girl. Sure, he's dealt with fangirls, but this was...a very young one. What did he do to deserve this...?

"Um...Zane? Jaden wasn't the one who intruded in your dorm room. It was me. He was only trying to stop me," confessed Blair shyly. "I've been in love with you ever since we met."

Zane nodded, recalling the first time they met. "At the Nationals."

"Yeah, right after you won the championship! I just couldn't stop thinking about you! I gave up everything just to come and see you! It was then that I made a pledge; that I would do anything to be with you..."

"Awww..." awed Syrus, and Chumley with pink blushes, taking in heart of Blair's honest and lovingly words.

"I remembered that you said that if I trained really, really hard, I could get into Duel Academy like you!" continued Blair. "And I did! So, please accept my feelings!~"

When Blair reached her wide arms out for Zane, as if expecting him to embrace her, Jaden could see a Duel Spirit, Maiden in Love, reacting the same way as if wanting someone to embrace her as well.

Alexis lightly chuckled before stepping forward. "Blair, sweetie...Love doesn't work like that. You can't sneak your way into somebody's heart. Just look what happened to your Maiden. She used tricks to get love, but in the end, she ended up alone and in tears. You can't use Spells or disguises. You have to be honest and upfront with them, just like how you confessed to Zane right now."

"Yeah, right! You just want Zane for yourself!" shouted Blair indignant and jealous. "You're trying to get rid of me!"

Sweatdropping as the short girl was growling at her, Alexis requested, "Zane? A little help, please?"

Deciding to step into the conversation, Zane decided to try and sugar coat his words to the young girl as much as he could. "Blair, as flattered as I am with your feelings, I'm devoted to dueling."

"Dueling?"

Fetching something out of his pocket, Zane handed the same hairclip he found in his room to Blair. "I'm sorry, but it's time for you to go home."

"Wait, why does she have to go home?" demanded Jaden, ready to defend Blair in her need. "She's a great duelist, a student here, and she almost beat me!"

"Jaden, it's much more complicated than you think."

"What could be more complicated than-"

"She's only 11."

"WHAAAAAAATTTTTTT?!" screamed Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley, shocked and showing their reactions in different ways. An Elementary school grader that young attending Duel Academy just to be with a guy several years older than her? Even though Jaden doesn't know much about romance, even she can tell that's wrong!

Blair giggled and stuck her tongue out at the tomboy before copying her finger pose. "That's game, Jaden! Well, Zane might not love me, so I envy you, Jaden. After all, you've got a lovely boyfriend in your hands!"

"But...there's nothing in my hands," spoke up Jaden, turning her palms to prove to Blair that they were empty.

"I mean, you've got a lovely boyfriend to take care of!"

"Uh...who?"

"Syrus!"

"Oh! Yeah! I always take care of him!"

"We're not lovers!" cried out Syrus; his face inflamed with embarrassment. Now?! Seriously, of all times?!

"But...Sy, you and Chumley are both my boyfriends," said Jaden, confused. "You too, Zane."

"Jaden, what are you talking about?" wondered Zane; his arms crossed as Chumley and Syrus's jaws dropped. "We're not boyfriends. I'm not like that."

"Eh? But, you're a boy, and my friend! Naturally, you're my boyfriend!"

Everyone may assume boyfriends and girlfriends are naming terms for lovers, but in Jaden's logic, it just means friends.

"I...am so confused," Blair admitted, speaking up to break the awkward silence transcending the air.

Alexis sighed. "Jaden looks like a boy, but she's really a girl."

"Whoa, what?"

"Which reminds me..." Zane glanced at Syrus and asked, "Syrus, are you and Jaden really-"

"NO! We're just plain, best friends!" said Syrus, shaking his head.

Jaden tilted her head. "But...I thought we were boyfriends-"

"NO."

Shrugging, Jaden turned to both Blair and Alexis. "Guess that makes us girlfriends, then!"

"Jaden...just...don't. We're simply friends," said Alexis as Blair flustered at Jaden refering the two females as such.

"But-"

"Just...friends."

"Oh, alright. Hey, Blair? What was it you were doing in Zane's room?"

"What do you mean?"

"You were definitely doing something with the cards."

"...Look at the time! It's getting late! We should get moving! Jaden, wanna play with those toy plushies?"

"Yay! Let's go!"

"Zane, what's she talking about?"

"...You really don't want to know, Alexis. Trust me."

* * *

 _The next morning..._

Once Blair met up with her parents at the port, Jaden and her friends waved and watched as Blair sailed away in the ferry that was to escort her back home. Blair wore a brand new dress and called out to the others as she was waving to them.

"Goodbye! I'll be back as soon as I graduate next year and take the exam in the fall!"

"Haha! You hear that, Zane?" Jaden teased, turning to him.

"Oh, please. I'll be long gone by the time she gets here," replied Zane, who wasn't worried in the slightest. Once the ferry vanished into the long distance of the sea, the others walked away, knowing that they might have a potentially skilled student soon enough.

* * *

 **Done! A couple of Abridged references that might leave you laughing!**

 **The only reason why I didn't include the whole 'I love you, Jaden' thing was because Jaden was a girl in this story. I did consider making a male Blair where he does fall in love with Jaden and is only a huge fanboy of Zane, but I discarded the idea because I thought it might be more fun if Jaden had a couple more female friends.**

 **With that said, read and review and tell me any good ideas for interaction with Jaden's potential lovers!~**


	19. The Duel Off

**Unlike in the anime, this new duel's gonna be long and hard! At least, I hope so!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" shrilled Crowler. Had his voice been more louder, everyone inside the staff room would have gone deaf.

Every teacher, including a special guest which so happens to be Zane Truesdale, were called upon by Sheppard to discuss the issue about the upcoming duel between rivals Duel Academy and North Academy. All Sheppard knew about the upcoming information he received was that North Academy was using a first-year student as their representative, so he declared that their representative should be a first-year as well.

Before anyone else could comment, Crowler was the first to speak up, as well as the first to object.

"The school duel between Duel Academy and North Academy is the biggest match of the year! We can take no chances! So, it's clear that Zane must be our representative!"

"Zane is our best," Sheppard had to agree on that. "But he's a third-year student. North Academy is using a first-year."

"Why would they do that?!"

"Who knows," the Chancellor shrugged. "But, to make things fair, I believe that we should use a first-year student as well. How about you, Zane? What do you think?"

Zane turned to Sheppard and nodded. "I don't mind at all."

Gaining acknowledgement from the Obelisk Blue, Sheppard glanced back to the rest of his staff. "Well then, we have one last question remaining...who will be our representative for the school duel?"

"...I believe we should nominate Jaden Yuki," suggested Zane calmly.

Crowler shrieked while Sheppard looked at Zane strangely and yet, surprised as well. Normally, Zane would leave the school's decisions up to the Chancellor with little question, but to hear him suggesting something, or rather, someone in this rather important discussion means that Zane was rather serious and thought throughly throughout his decision.

"I agree," spoke up Banner, stroking Pharaoh in the head. "Jaden is the Slifer Red's top student and has a record of beating several Obelisk Blues. I believe Jaden does stand a chance against North Academy's representative."

Some of the other teachers murmured amongst themselves about Zane's suggestion. It wasn't that they disliked the idea, but using a Slifer Red against North Academy's top student? In the past, all they've used was Obelisk Blue representatives, but never Ra Yellows or Obelisk Blues. Then again, they have heard reports of a certain brunette Slifer Red taking down Obelisk Blues and Ra Yellows in duels...as well as physical fights, sometimes.

Looking at the Chancellor, Zane recommended once more, "Chancellor, Jaden will do Duel Academy a great deal, I guarantee it."

Considering that she nearly beat him the first time they met, Zane almost instantly recommended Jaden not just for her skilled dueling, but for various reasons. For instance, she holds a kind heart and lends a hand to everyone in need. Giving advice to other duelists, protecting her friends and especially Syrus, and beating up bullies are proof of that, though that last part did get her in detention several times. She also has a keen mind in dueling, as she figures out how to bypass impossible strategies and wins in the end thanks to her trust in her deck. Ever since her loss with Zane, the Obelisk Blue could tell that she's grown stronger immensely and that she seems to be on the level where she could take on North Academy's representative.

"Alright, then! That's that!" announced Sheppard, nodding his head. "Unless someone else has a better idea!"

Crowler was infuriated, to say the least. How could the Chancellor and Zane suggest someone like Jaden Yuki?! Jaden Yuki was nothing more than a weak, lazy, late, and unconsiderable Slifer slacker who needs to be put in his place!

 _'How is it that every time he does something, it makes me look bad?!'_ pondered Crowler; his anger rising as he wondered how to change the Chancellor's mind. _'There has got to be someone el-'_

"WAIT!" Crowler's face brightened up with a brand new idea at hand. "I have it! Bastion Misawa! He should represent us!"

"Oh?" Recognizing Ra Yellow's top student, Sheppard seemed intrigued by Crowler's decision. "From Ra Yellow?"

"Yes, yes!" Now that he's gotten the Chancellor's attention, Crowler climbed up the meeting table and crawled quickly towards Sheppard until he was right in front of him. "He qualified much better than most of the students in the written exam, plus he's a skilled duelist as well! How about we pin him against Jaden Yuki, and the winner gets to be representative?"

Originally, the plan was to nominate Jaden as representative, but what Crowler said couldn't be ignored either. Bastion Misawa may be on equal terms with Jaden when it comes to dueling, but with knowledge? Nobody wanted to talk about how Jaden's written exam scores were among the lowest in all of Duel Academy history.

"Well, what do you think, Zane?" Sheppard asked the third-year, who nodded.

Zane couldn't help but also consider Crowler's point of view. Skills aren't the only thing that wins a duel, but the knowledge to play your cards right and read your opponent's movements are also important key factors in a duel. Perhaps, in a way, this could be a test for both potential nominees, and the winner would triumph over the other and advance to higher levels while the other still has much to learn.

* * *

 _Later.._

"Huh? Me?" Jaden pointed to herself, surprised to hear such news.

Once Banner's class began, he began the announcements for upcoming events and ended with the news everyone desperately wished to hear; the rival battle between North Academy and Duel Academy. Much to everyone's surprise, Banner announced that two candidates, Bastion Misawa and Jaden Yuki, would be dueling each other.

"That's right!" said Banner. "You will duel Bastion, and the victor will represent Duel Academy, in the school duel against North Academy!"

Turning her head to see Bastion a row higher than her, Jaden grinned at him before Bastion smiled back. Looks like the time has arrived for their fated match after all, and an important one at that!

"I look forward to an exciting match from the two of you!"

Once classes ended and mostly everyone left, Syrus and Chumley rushed up to Jaden, who was still excited over the news. "Jaden! I can't believe that you could possibly represent Duel Academy! How awesome is that?!" exclaimed Syrus, feeling happy for his female friend.

Chumley nodded. "Yeah, no Slifer Reds ever been given such an opportunity like that! You'll make Duel Academy history!"

"I know, right? Hope I do my best!~" squealed Jaden before noticing Bastion walking up to her with his arms crossed. "Oh, hey Bastion! Well, may the best man win!"

"Technically, it's best man or woman," corrected Bastion. "And, you mean best deck. Also, I assure you, the best deck will be mine."

"What do you mean?" asked Syrus.

"You see, I've been formulating a new set of cards to defeat you and your Monsters ever since my duel with Chazz," the Ra Yellow prodigy explained. "Since then, I've made tremendous progress so far."

Standing up, Jaden asked, "So, did you complete it?! Did ya?! Did ya?! Did ya?! Did ya?!"

Bastion shook his head, glad to see that at least Jaden was more ecstatic than usual, which wasn't surprising. "No, not yet, but I'm nearly there. I'll have it done by the time our match arrives."

"Well, good luck then!" encouraged Jaden, holding up her fist.

Bastion fist bumped her in response before walking away to strategize more precisely. Now that his duel with Jaden was announced and should be arriving around the week, he was definitely going to have to stay up late a couple of nights and hurry with his research on beating Jaden's deck.

Watching Bastion leave, Syrus and Chumely were still fascinated by Jaden's upcoming duel. "I wonder what kind of new deck Bastion has in store for you?" Wondered Syrus.

"Dunno if you should feel honored or worried about whatever plan he's cooking," started Chumley. "But I think this'll turn out to be one awesome duel!"

"Well, can't let him throw me off! Guess I better improve my deck too!" Said Jaden, determined to win.

* * *

 _That late night, inside the Ra Yellow Dorms..._

All of the Ra Yellows were asleep by now, but not one genius by the name of Bastion Misawa. He was calculating equations and researching on Duel Monsters on his computer, still analyzing strategies on defeating the Elemental Hero deck.

"Countless equations...multiple theorems...Still, I haven't solved the problem that is Jaden'so deck..." muttered Bastion as he typed down codes on his keyboard.

The screen showed several images of the Elemental Hero Fusion Monsters, several which Bastion has already witnessed and experienced some effects for himself.

"Flame Wingman...when he destroys a Monster, that Monster's Attack Points are dealted straight towards the owner's Life Points. In order to stop his summoning, I must stop both Avian and Burstinatrix so they can't fuse. Of course even if I do, there's still various other Fusion Monsters Jaden could summon, like Thunder Giant, Wildedge, Tempest, and so much more!"

Leaning back against his chair and giving himself a moment to think, Bastion pondered on how his deck could counterattack. Should he assemble his deck so that his cards could strike back at each Fusion Monster's weaknesses? No, that would leave far too much usage of cards...

"There must be some way to neutralize the threat," mumbled Bastion under his breath. "Some way to cease the summoning...Oh! Of course! That's it!"

He sat up straight and began typing frantically, trying to add more equations on the new idea that popped on his mind. "If this works, then it would effectively seal off any methods for her to Fusion Summon! But at the same time, I'd be at risk too...but that's a price I'm willing to pay!"

* * *

 _A few days later..._

 **"It's time, duelists!"** announced Crowler through the microphone. **"Time to find out who will represent our illustrious Academy in the school duel?!"**

Cheering and howls along with applauding came in all directions inside the Duel Arena. Today may not be about the school duel, but pinning two skilled duelists was as close as they could get right at the moment.

 **"Nominee from the Ra Yellow Dorms...is Bastion Misawa!"** Exclaimed Crowler, pointing towards the Ra Yellow as he stood firmly like a statue filled with pride and confidence. **"And our...Slifer...Some kid."**

While the cheering continued from both sides, Jaden told Bastion, "We'll, good luck out there!"

"Oh, please. You flatter me," replied Bastion, placing a hand over his heart. "Besides, I don't need luck when I've got knowledge on my side."

"Alright, but I won't be holding back."

Syrus and Chumely sat on the sidelines like everyone else, except Syrus was standing out more than the others since he was holding up a sign that clearly spelled out: **JADEN DO YOUR BEST!~**

 **On the other side of the sidelines, the number of yaoi fangirls has increased over time, nearly filling the entire side. Several were cheering for Jaden while others placed a sign that said: BXJ! FOR THE WIN!"**

Jaden couldn't help but notice the signs as she waved at the yaoi fangirls. "Bastion, what does BXJ mean?"

It didn't take Bastion long to realize the works of the fangirls before sighing. "...I means Butter times Jam."

"Oh! I love that! But shouldn't it be Peanut Butter and Jelly?"

In the meantime, Zane and Alexis were standing near the railings and on top of the sidelines, witnessing the duel from above.

"Intellect vs Instinct, huh?" Said Zane while Alexis nodded.

 **"Now, without any further ado, let's start the duel!"**

"Get your game on!" Shouted Jaden as she and Bastion activated their duel disks at the same time.

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Bastion - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Jaden -4000 LP**

"My move!" said Bastion, starting the duel off first. "For my move, I summon Kinetic Soldier in Attack Mode!"

A mechanized humanoid soldier claded in armor with a mini machine gun attached to his soldier saluted once on the field before taking an offensive position.

Kinetic Soldier - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (1350/1800)

"Next, I set one card facedown and end my turn!"

Glancing at his facedown card, Bastion smirked, knowing that he had all the preparations completed. Now, all that was left to do was wait for Jaden to activate her special Polymerization card, and his little surprise for her will be triggered.

"My turn!" said Jaden, drawing her card. "Sweet! I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman to the field in Attack Mode!"

The caped crusader in blue colors appeared in a fury of bubbles surrounding him as he pointed his weapon at Kinetic Soldier.

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"Now for Bubbleman's ability! If he's the only card on my field, I get to draw two extra cards! And next, I activate his favorite weapon, Bubble Blaster! Not only does his Attack Points increase by 800, but if he's destroyed in battle, Bubble Blaster takes the hit for him and damage to me becomes 0!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1200)

"Now, I activate Hero's Bond! Since there's a face-up Elemental Hero on the field, I get to Special Summon 2 more Level 4 or below Elemental Heroes from my hand! And I choose both Elemental Heroes Sparkman and Woodsman!"

Flying down onto the field was both a hero of lightning and a monstrous-looking hero with a wood-covered arm and leg; ready to assist in battle.

Elemental Hero Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1400)

Elemental Hero Woodsman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1000/2000)

"She's summoned three Monsters already?!" exclaimed Chumley, amazed by the small army Jaden managed to conjure up in just a short amount of time.

Syrus nodded. "If this works, Jaden will easily destroy Bastion's Monster and take out a large chunk of his Life Points!"

"Up first is Bubbleman! Attack Kinetic Soldier!" ordered Jaden.

Bubbleman kneeled down on one knee before firing his water blaster, sending a speeding blast of water towards Bastion's Monster.

"I don't think so!" shouted Bastion. "I activate Kinetic Soldier's special ability! If he battles a Warrior-Type Monster, then during damage calculation only, he gains 2000 extra Attack and Defense Points!"

"EEEHHH?!"

Kinetic Soldier - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (3350/3800)

The blast managed to hit Kinetic Soldier, but he was completely immune to the attack. Instead, Kinetic Soldier fired his tiny machine gun at his assaulter, Bubbleman, who defended with his Bubble Blaster only for it to be destroyed in the aftermath.

"Because of Bubble Blaster, I take no damage!" reminded Jaden. "I place one card facedown and call it a turn!"

"Because damage calculation is over, Kinetic Soldier's Attack and Defense Points return to normal," spoke Bastion.

Kinetic Soldier - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (1350/1800)

"What an interesting effect...Bastion definitely had things planned out," Alexis voiced her opinion.

Zane couldn't agree more with her statement. "Indeed. From what I've witnessed, a lot of Jaden's Monsters are Warrior-Types, so this is going to be a challenge taking down that Monster Bastion has."

"My draw!" Thinking that now might be a good time for some defense, Bastion proclaimed, "I summon Healing Wave Generator in Defense Mode!"

A mechanical mirror-like Monster appeared on the field, reflecting Jaden and her Monsters.

Healing Wave Generator - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV4 - (800/1600)

"Now, I activate Healing Wave Generator's special ability! Once per turn, I can select another face-up Monster I control and gain Life Points equal to that Monster's Level x 100! The only other Monster I have is Kinetic Soldier, and he's Level 3! So I regain 300 Life Points!"

Healing Wave Generator glowed brightly before moving towards Bastion and reflecting a sort of sunlight down upon his body, healing him with the light it provided.

 **Bastion - 4300 LP**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

Now that he was healed, Bastion focused on which of Jaden's Monster to take out first. Bubbleman no longer had his Bubble Blaster, so not only will his Kinetic Soldier be able to destroy him, but he'll be able to deal loads of damage to Jaden's Life Points. On the other hand, Sparkman and Woodsman pose as potential threats as well, especially Woodsman.

"I attack Woodsman with Kinetic Soldier! And thanks to Kinetic Soldier's ability, he'll gain 2000 Attack and Defense Points during damage calculation only!"

Kinetic Soldier - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (3350/3800)

Kinetic pressed a button on his machine gun and proceeded to fire at Woodsman, attempting to penetrate through his wood-like body.

"Not so fast, I activate Hero Barrier!" yelled Jaden, revealing her Trap. "As long as I have an Elemental Hero out on the field, I can negate 1 attack!"

A barrier-like shield formed around Woodsman and deflected the bullets with ease.

"Once again, Kinetic Soldier's original Attack and Defense Points return after damage calculation," said Bastion. "I end my turn."

Kinetic Soldier - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (1350/1800)

"My turn!" said Jaden, drawing her card before smirking. "It's time for Woodsman's ability to activate! Once per turn, during my Standby Phase, I can add one Polymerization from my deck or Graveyard and place it in my hands!"

 _'Good! She's got all the preparations set!'_ thought Bastion, nodding. _'Once she triggers that Spell, it'll be all over!'_

"Using Clayman from my hand and Sparkman on the field, I activate Polymerization!" announced Jaden, holding up both cards including Polymerization. "I fuse both of them together to create-"

"Not so fast! I play a Trap!" said Bastion, knowing the time has come to activate his Trap. "Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Spell! All I have to do is discard 1 Spell card from my hand, and your Polymerization card is negated, then destroyed!"

Like he said, the Polymerization card on the field shook slightly before shattering, thus canceling out the Fusion Summoning Jaden initially planned.

"Also, for the remainder of the duel, you can no longer activate Spell cards that are of the same name as Polymerization!"

"Wait, what?! I can't fuse?!" gasped Jaden, shocked. Never before has she encountered a situation like this! This was seriously bad on her side! If she can't fuse, she can't summon out her powerful Fusion Monsters!

The crowd burst into an uproar afterwards. Elemental Heroes' true strength relied on Fusion Monsters, and Bastion took that ability away in an instance! The chances for Bastion's victory has increased, no doubt.

Impressed, Zane couldn't help but smirk. "Looks like we underestimated Bastion. Perhaps he does have what it takes to be representative, after all."

"Oh, cut Jaden some slack," Alexis defended. "I mean, Jaden still has other Monsters she can use. Just because she can't Fusion Summon anymore doesn't mean that she's out of the game."

"True, but Fusion Monsters have always been Jaden's trump cards. I'm interested on how Jaden plans to counterattack. Hmm...this might also be a learning experience for me as well, should I also ever encounter an opponent such as Bastion."

* * *

 _In the Duel Spirit World..._

 _ **"Damn that Bastion Misawa!"**_ hollered Flame Wingman, pounding his fist on the table inside the meeting table. All other Elemental Heroes and Monsters besides the ones currently on Jaden's side of the field gathered inside their private meeting room. Coincidentally, it resembled the meeting room inside Duel Academy, but much more larger.

 _ **"Calm down, Flame Wingman,"**_ sighed Burstinatrix, rubbing her temples. Looks like this was one of the times where she, along with the others, have to calm down Flame Wingman's bad temper. Just where did he get his temper from? Oh yeah, from her.

 _ **"I won't calm down! Not until I unleash all my anger out on Bastion Misawa from preventing me from protecting Jaden!"**_

 _ **"But you can't, because he's already sealed off Polymerization, which is pretty much the only way to access us Fusion Monsters to the field,"**_ reminded Tempest, crossing his arms.

 _ **"I'm sure Jaden will figure something out. She always has a game plan in mind,"**_ replied Hero Kid #3, patting Flame Wingman on the arm for reassurance.

 _ **"And, we'll be there to protect her!"**_ assured Hero Kid #1 confidently. _**"Now that you geezers are out of the game, we'll protect Jaden instead! And by we, I mean me!"**_

 _ **"..."**_ Avian shook his head and sighed. _**"You couldn't have held that thought in?"**_

 _ **"Huh?"**_ Looking at all three Hero Kids, a slight glint was seen in Flame Wingman as he slowly stood up in a menacing way.

 _ **"I think some extra training is in order...Don't you agree, the three of you?"**_

 _ **"...RUN!"**_ All three Hero Kids pushed anything out of their way and sprinted out of the room as fast as they could. Once Flame Wingman was like that, there's no telling what he'd do to them! In this case, it was torture by training...Enraged Flame Wingman style.

Noticing that Flame Wingman had disappeared, everyone automatically assumed that he flew out of the room in an attempt to catch the three trainees. _**"I'll make sure he doesn't hurt them too brutally,"**_ offered Tempest before taking off after Flame Wingman.

 _ **"Why do they antagonize Flame Wingman like that? They know it's only going to get messy!"**_ questioned Ebon Magician Curran, annoyed.

 ** _"Kids tend to make mistakes every now and then and annoy adults sometimes,"_** answered Lady Heat gently, kneeling down towards the petite magician.

 _ **"Seriously, how has nobody arranged counseling and anger issue classes with Flame Wingman?"**_ wondered Bursinatrix, glancing around the room.

 _ **"You're not one to talk, you know,"**_ reminded Ocean bravely, pointing to her.

Angered, Burstinatrix's palms burst with fire as she approached Ocean, who started sweating and backing away. _**"What's that supposed to mean?!"**_

 _ **"N-nothing!"**_

 _ **"It better not have been! Or else I'll tell everyone about the Maiden incident!"**_

 _ **"Oh, God, no! Everyone won't let me live it down!"**_

 _'What Maiden incident?'_ everyone else wondered while feeling sympathic towards Ocean.

* * *

"Well, fine!" said Jaden before taking another look at her cards. "I guess the best I can do right now is to place all my other Monsters in Defense Mode and end my turn!"

"I expected no less!" Bastion said before drawing. "I play Graceful Charity, letting me draw three cards, then discard two to the Graveyard! Now, I attack! Go, Kinetic Soldier! Attack Woodsman! And like before, he gains 2000 Attack and Defense Points during damage calculation!"

Kinetic Soldier - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (3350/3800)

Jaden couldn't avoid her Monster's destruction as Woodsman was being pelted with multiple bullets to the chest before being destroyed.

Kinetic Soldier - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (1350/1800)

"Now, here comes Healing Wave Generator's effect! I recover 300 Life Points thanks to Kinetic Soldier's Level x 100!" said Bastion as the light shined down on him.

 **Bastion - 4600 LP**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"This is bad! Not only does Bastion's Life Points keep rising, but he also took away the use of Polymerization for good and is only getting stronger!" gasped Syrus.

"I'll end my turn with that, Jaden! Let's see what you can do!"

"Gladly!" said Jaden before drawing her card. "Ooh! Hello! I sacrifice both Bubbleman and Sparkman and call out Elemental Hero Bladedge!"

The hero made of gold jumped onto the field with his arms crossed over his chest, staring at Kinetic Soldier.

Elemental Hero Bladedge - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV7 - (2600/1800)

"I'll set one card facedown and end my turn!"

"Uh...Why didn't she attack? Bladedge was obviously much more stronger than Kinetic Soldier!" pointed out Chumley.

"...You're kidding, right?" questioned Syrus, turning to his friend. "Don't you remember? During damage calculation, Kinetic Soldier would have received 2000 Attack and Defense Points, making it stronger than Bladedge!"

"Oh, yeah. Right."

"I draw!" said Bastion. "Now I set one card facedown and activate Healing Wave Generator's effect again, giving myself 300 Life Points!"

 **Bastion - 4900 LP**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"With that done, Kinetic Soldier! Attack Blade-"

"Hold it right there! I activate a Trap, Edge Hammer!" yelled Jaden. "By sacrificing Bladedge, I get to destroy one Monster you control, and then you take damage equal to the Attack Points of the Monster that was destroyed! Obviously, I'm picking Kinetic Soldier, so that means you lose 1350 Life Points!"

Kinetic Soldier grunted before exploding into a million pieces, damaging Bastion's Life Points severely.

 **Bastion - 3550 LP**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"Well, at least I still have some defense left," mumbled Bastion, addressing to his Healing Wave Generator. "Fine, Jaden! You may have beaten Kinetic Soldier, but there's more where that came from! I end my turn!"

"My move!" said Jaden, relieved that the chances of her winning were a little higher now, especially with the card she just drew. "Hey, Bastion? You remember when you said I couldn't activate Polymerization anymore?"

Bastion blinked. "Well, to be more accurate, you can't activate cards with the name 'Polymerization.' Therefore, you can't fuse anymore."

"Oh yeah? Well try this for size! I activate the Field Spell, Fusion Gate!"

"Of course!" cried out Alexis. "Jaden used that card when she first dueled me! I forgot that there was more methods to Fusion Summon!"

"True, but there's a catch when using Fusion Gate," reminded Zane as the field started to expand and take over. "Any Fusion-Material Monsters used for a Fusion Summon while using Fusion Gate are automatically removed from play instead of heading straight to the Graveyard."

Bastion gritted his teeth once he caught word of the card Jaden used. Fusion Gate...that was another obstacle he had to overcome in order to defeat Jaden. Luckily, he had a few cards in his deck to deal with the Field Spell, but he didn't have the necessary cards for now. Just what sort of Fusion Monster will Jaden summon now?

"I'm gonna fuse Elemental Hero Flash and Elemental Hero Clayman!" declared Jaden, showing the two Monsters in her hand. "Using Fusion Gate, I remove my two Monsters and Fusion Summon Elemental Hero The Shining!"

The new hero appeared so brightly, the light forced everyone to cover their eyes until the light died down, revealing the full appearance of the powerful Fusion Monster. He wore pure white armor the color of light with a ring attached to his back and golden spears sticking out of the ring in the sides; revealing his powerful presence in the field.

Elemental Hero The Shining - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2600/2100)

"I activate The Shining's special ability!" shouted Jaden. "For each of my banished Elemental Hero Monsters, he gains 300 Attack Points each!"

Elemental Hero The Shining - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (3200/2100)

"Whoa! Never seen that Fusion Monster before!" said Syrus, standing up from his seat out of astonishment.

"Good use of Fusion Gate," commented Zane. "Because of Fusion Gate forcibly removing Fusion-Material Monsters, Jaden took advantage of that and used the ability to strengthen her Fusion Monster. Looks like she has improved."

"Shining, attack that mirror Monster!" ordered Jaden.

The Shining didn't even need to waste a beam blast on the defensive Monster, for he saw it was a waste of power. Instead, he charged in and smashed through Healing Wave Generator, shattering the mirror to bits.

"Woo! I end my turn!" spoke Jaden cheerfully.

Despite the condition he was in, Bastion remained vigilant and calm before drawing his card. "Hmm...time for a new strategy! I play Card Destruction, making both of us discard our entire hand and then draw the same number of cards discarded. Well, just me, of course, since you don't have any cards in your hand."

"What's he planning...?" wondered Alexis out loud.

"Most likely, he's trying to refresh his hand since right now, he's got no cards that can defeat The Shining. At least, for now," theorized Zane. "It'll be tough trying to take down such a fearsome Monster like him."

"Excellent!" said Bastion, smirking. "I have all the necessary cards I need! I activate Mystical Space Typhoon, letting me destroy one Spell or Trap on the field! I choose Fusion Gate!"

A strong wind blew across the playing field, forcing Jaden's Field Spell to slide out of her duel disk.. Since Fusion Gate was out, that meant Jaden could no longer Fusion Summon again.

* * *

 _In the Duel Spirit World..._

 _ **"Goddamn cheap son of a bitch!"**_ cursed Flame Wingman, once again losing his temper.

 _ **"Whoa! Hold your tongue! There are children here!"**_ warned Lady Heat, pointing to some of the younger Monster Jaden possessed. White Magician Pikeru was busy healing the three Hero Kids' injuries while Winged Kuriboh played around with Outstanding Dog Marron and Ebon Magician Curran.

 _ **"Damn, and I was so close to being summoned to protect Jaden!"**_

 _ **"Well, we still have Shining. All we have to do is rely on him to protect her,"**_ reminded Avian.

* * *

"Great, back to square 1," groaned Syrus.

"I still have Shining!" reminded Jaden.

"Not for long! You see, I knew that you'd pull out a very strong Monster eventually, which is why I'll counter with one of my strongest Monsters as well!" said Bastion. "Remember when I played Graceful Charity and Card Destruction earlier?"

"Yeah, so?"

"It wasn't just to gain new cards to formulate new strategies, but also for this moment! I remove from play 1 FIRE and 2 WATER Attribute Monsters from my Graveyard in order to Special Summon Frost and Flame Dragon!"

A two-headed dragon sprang from a black hole that emerged from the ground; one with sharp jaws and icy breath, while the other head was huge and covered in flames. Their bodies were merged together in a scale-like body resembling a large silver cobra.

Frost and Flame Dragon - (WATER/Dragon) - LV6 - (2300/2000)

"That dragon's strong, but no way will it take down Jaden's Shining!" said Chumley confidently.

"I activate my dragon's special ability!" announced Bastion. "Once per turn, by discarding one card, I get to destroy one Monster on your field! The Monster I choose is Elemental Hero The Shining!"

Frost and Flame Dragon wrapped themselves around The Shining, squeezing him tightly before unleashing their elemental breath right in his face, which proved enough to destroy him as Jaden watched out of shock.

"And that was only my dragon's ability," pointed out Bastion. "They've yet to attack, and you're wide open! Frost and Flame Dragon, direct attack!"

Raining down flames and hail from both dragons, Jaden tried enduring the blow as much as she could, yet her Life Points weren't spared.

 **Bastion - 3550 LP**

 **Jaden - 1700 LP**

"Jaden's almost out of Life Points!" cried out Syrus.

"When Elemental Hero The Shining goes to the Graveyard, I can target up to 2 of my banished Elemental Hero Monsters and place them back to my hand! So I return Flash and Clayman to my hand!" told Jaden, revealing her two Hero Monsters.

"Fine, then! I set one more card facedown and I'll end my turn with that!" finished Bastion.

"My go!" said Jaden, who drew her card. "I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw two more cards! YES! Awesome! I move into the Battle Phase!"

"What for?" asked Bastion, surprised. "You've got no Monsters on the field! How will you attack me?"

"With this! I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Frontline Fusion! During my Battle Phase, I can Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster using Monsters from my hand or side of the field! I choose both Clayman and Flash again in order to Fusion Sum-"

"I activate my facedown cards, Fires of Shiranui and Narukami Waterfall!"

Right after Bastion introduced his Trap cards, flames sprang out and burst onto the field, surrounding the field with violent orange and red flares of destruction. Some of the flames were doused out when a large geyser crashed down like lightning from the heavens.

"Are they...Field Spells?" wondered Chumley.

"Don't be ridiculous! You can only activate one Field Spell, remember?" recalled Syrus.

"Now, it's time I explain both of my Continuous Traps!" started Bastion. "Fires of Shiranui prevents both players from sending Monsters they control to the Graveyard except when they're destroyed, As for Narukami Waterfall, neither player can send Monster cards from their hands to the Graveyard! That makes your Fusion Spell utterly useless!"

"Amazing!" gasped Alexis as the crowd murmured among each other and continued cheering out of excitement. "Now, Bastion's blocked every single path Jaden could take to Fusion Summon!"

"I hate to say it, but that was probably Jaden's last line of defense," spoke Zane.

Left with no other choice, Jaden announced, "I set one card facedown and summon Clayman in Defense Mode."

The highest defender Monster Jaden had kneeled in Defense Mode, since it was the best Jaden could conjure up with.

Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

"I end my turn!"

"My turn!" Glancing at his cards, Bastion thought, _'If I could, I could activate Frost and Flame Dragon's special ability and discard one card to destroy Clayman. But all the cards I have at the moment at low-leveled Monster cards with low Attack and Defense Points. Plus, thanks to Narukami Waterfall, I can't send any of my Monster cards to the Graveyard. The best I can do right now is attack. But I'm more worried about Jaden's facedown card. Last time, she managed to beat Kinetic Soldier with her Trap, so it's possible that facedown is a card destruction Trap. Well, if that's the case, I'll just summon one of my Monsters in my hand to defend myself.'_

"Frost and Flame Dragon! Destroy Clayman!"

The two-headed twin dragon fired their breath blasts onto Clayman, who was overwhelmed by such power, that even his defense couldn't keep up with the weight of the power.

After Clayman was destroyed, Jaden shouted, "You just activated my Trap! Hero Signal! When one Monster on my side of the field is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard due to battle, I can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or below Monster from my hand or Deck with Elemental Hero in its name! I choose Elemental Hero Lady Heat and place her in Defense Mode!"

The female Elemental Hero of fire whose powers are practically equivalent to Burstinatrix arrived on the field, kneeling down just like Clayman.

Elemental Hero Lady Heat - (FIRE/Pyro) - LV4 - (1300/1000)

"Then, I'll end my turn," said Bastion.

"My draw!" said Jaden, filled with determination before her eyes widen as she gasped loudly.

"What?! What card did she draw?" wondered Syrus, who was practically on the edge of his seat along with Chumley.

"My guess is...she drew an extremely useful card," spoke Zane.

"What's wrong?" asked Bastion, a little concern about her sudden change of attitude.

Smirking, Jaden gazed at the genius with sparkling eyes. "You may have stopped me from Fusion Summoning on the field and from my hand, but you haven't completely stopped me!"

"W-what?!" Bastion gasped, thinking that he might have miscalculated upon her words. _'C-could it be...? No, it can't be! But, could she actually Fusion Summon from...the Graveyard?! It's not...impossible, but it's the only other way she can Fusion Summon at this point!'_

"I activate Fusion Birth!" announced Jaden. "I send 5 cards from the top of my deck to the Graveyard. And, if there are any Fusion Material Monsters among them, I can Fusion Summon however many times I want!"

"What?! Then, you're not Fusion Summoning from the hand, field, or Graveyard, but-!"

"Yup! I'm Fusion Summoning from my deck!"

The crowd's cheer rose up a level from hearing Jaden's words. Never before have they seen Fusion Summoning being used with the deck before, so this was going to be an interesting summoning to uphold!

Jaden drew five of her cards, glanced at them, and smirked before placing them in her Graveyard. "Great! I can Fusion Summon twice!"

"Two Fusions?" wondered Alexis out loud.

"First off, two of the Monsters sent to the Graveyard just now were Elemental Heroes Ocean and Avian! I fuse them together to create Elemental Hero Absolute Zero!"

Crashing onto the ground, a pure snow white-colored Hero wearing armored clothing with a cape to represent his own sign of bravery appeared. His surroundings immediantly and literally froze up due to the cold nature he possess.

Elemental Hero Absolute Zero - (WATER/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2000)

"Next, the other two cards sent to my Graveyard were Elemental Heroes Necroshade and Sparkman! I Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Escuridao!"

Appearing out of nowhere, a devilish-looking Monster with twisted-looking, blade-like wings and claws emerged, revealing bloody red eyes that caused shivers down peoples' spines.

Elemental Hero Escuridao - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2000)

"Whoa! The white Elemental Hero looks pretty cool!" gasped Chumley. "Though, the dark one gives me the creeps."

"Let's see just how strong these two Fusion Monsters are," muttered Zane, interested in the new Fusion Monsters being called upon. "Their looks are scary-looking, but do their powers back up their frightful appearances?"

"I activate Escuridao's special ability!" said Jaden. "For every Elemental Hero Monster in my Graveyard, she receives 100 extra Attack Points for each one! The five cards I just sent to the Graveyard were all Elemental Heroes, and the ones you sent to my Graveyard earlier will help boost her up! So, in total, there are 11 Elemental Heroes in my Graveyard, so she receives 1100 Attack Points!"

Elemental Hero Escuridao - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (3600/2000)

"Absolute Zero! Attack Frost and Flame Dragon!"

Absolute Zero leapt into the air and released a breath of cold air, freezing the twin dragons into solid ice. He pulled his arm back and punched downwards at the top of their heads with all his might. His punch was strong enough to form cracks all over the dragons' body before shattering.

 **Bastion - 3350 LP**

 **Jaden - 1700 LP**

"You're wide open!" shouted Jaden, preparing for the finishing blow. "Escuridao! Finish him off with a direct attack!"

Nodding, Escuridao focuses her powers into the space between her hands; her powers forming into a sphere-like vortex full of darkness. Once she was ready, she thrusted her palms forward and released the sphere, revealing it to be a powerful blast of darkness that blasted Bastion's remaining Life Points away.

 **Bastion - 0 LP**

 **Jaden - 1700 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

The crowd awed and yelled excitedly at the outcome of such an amazing battle full of wits and intelligence! Clearly, they've learned a lot from the duel, but what was more exciting was how both duelists, no matter how bad their situation was, always triumphs through with a new, unexpected solution. For starters, Bastion preventing Jaden from Fusion Summoning in almost every area, and Jaden's comebacks even though she was lowest at Life Points at first.

"I guess when it comes to Jaden Yuki, she certainly can be full of surprises," spoke Zane, satisfied with the duel before walking away.

"Maybe...or maybe luck was just on Jaden's side...? Who knows...?" muttered Alexis before smiling. Either way, the duel was done fantastically with many twists that nobody would forget for a while.

Crowler, who had a close up view on watching the duel near the dueling platform, slid down to his knees with a shocked expression. "Doesn't this kid...ever lose?!" First Chazz, then Titan, then the Paradox Brothers, and now this?!

Sheppard, having seen enough of the duel, stood up and raised an arm, announcing, "The winner of this duel is Jaden Yuki! Congratulations! You will now be representing Duel Academy at the school duel!"

"Jaden! You did it!" cheered Syrus, bouncing up towards her with a huge smile on his face.

"Yeah, good job!" Chumley also walked up to her and patted her on the back.

"Indeed," agreed Bastion, moving towards Jaden. "You beat me fair and square, despite all my hard research and calculations on you. I'll create another deck, just for you, Jaden!"

Jaden nodded and gave him her finger signature, winking. "Yup! I look forward to it! Huh?"

Bastion offered her his hand as a sign of respect between two rivals in dueling. "A friendly handshake to end the duel properly, wouldn't you say?"

"Sure!" Jaden casually slapped the hand lightly before shaking it, knowing that another duel between the two tough duelists would come soon enough.

* * *

 _In the Duel Spirit World..._

 _ **"Yay! Jaden won!"**_ cheered White Magician Pikeru alongside her friends. Thanks to a special TV installed in their world, they would be able to witness Jaden's duels and be there whenever she needed them for dueling. From their perspective, it was a tight spot for Jaden, but it seemed that she managed to pull through in the end.

 _ **"Hey, where did Escuridao and Absolute Zero go? They did pretty awesome!"**_ complimented Bubbleman.

 _ **"Absolute Zero said he was returning back to his icy cave home in order to hone in his training and meditate,"**_ answered Bladedge with his arms crossed. _**"As for Escuridao...Well, she tends to disappear here and there, but I'm sure she'll ret-"**_

 _ **"Whoa, what? Escuridao is a girl?!"**_ questioned Sparkman, stunned.

 _ **"You're...pretty lucky she isn't here to hear you say that,"**_ said Tempest. _**"Last time I asked her that, she...she..."**_

Just the horrifying memory was enough to send the powerful Fusion Monster into depression, as evident as when he was sitting in the corner with his back turned and a depressed aura filling his surroundings. Not a lot of things fazed Tempest, so it was clearly shocking to see him like this.

The other Monsters sweatdropped and shivered. If Escuridao was tough enough to make Tempest like that...then, she was clearly #1 on the list of Never Enraging Women.

Coincidentally, Flame Wingman was in a similar position as Tempest, only in a different corner of the room. His depression alongside with Tempest was enough to make the individuals inside the room uneased.

Seeing nobody else dealing with it, Lady Heat cleared her throat and approached Flame Wingman cautiously. _**"Flame Wingman? What's wrong?"** _ she asked softly.

 _ **"...I never got the chance to be summoned in Jaden and Bastard's duel..."**_

 _ **"Um...You mean, Jaden and Bastion's duel."**_

 _ **"Exactly."**_

 _ **"...But, doesn't Jaden's happiness matter? I mean, look at the TV right now."**_

Turning around, Flame Wingman looked up at the TV screen and saw Jaden with a happy grin as she waved her arms to the crowd. _"Yeah! I'm the school's representative now!"_

Seeing Jaden's brightful attitude, Flame Wingman couldn't help but be influenced by her sunny side. _**"You're right...As long as Jaden's happy, that's all that matters..."**_

* * *

 **Alright, finished! I bet you were thinking that I would be copying the entire duel between Bastion and Jaden, but I decided to use some parts with the manga and anime, especially with the whole Cursed Seal of Forbidden Spell! I mean, I guess the duel in the anime was pretty cool, but I found it a little...tad boring, so I mixed it up, my style!**

 **Besides, admit it, you were all waiting for Jaden's manga heroes to take a stand, weren't you?**

 **That said, this might not be the last time I create a brand new duel. I could change a couple of duels in the future, but that all depends on the situation!**

 **Also, Escuridao's design looks pretty cool! I actually thought it was male, until I read in the Wiki that it was female. And you can't blame me, because I know there are people out there who thinks she's a guy, too!**

 **QUICK QUESTION TO EVERYONE! Now that the new heroes were announced, what should their attitude and personality be like? I'll read your reviews and decide what needs to be done, of course!**

 **With that said, read and review and it might be a while before I update again, so stay tune!**


	20. Pocky Duel

**I think I got it! Instead of the Belowski episode, we're filling it up with a brand new chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

Zane took a few deep breaths here and in, relaxing under the sunlight and looking out into the distance of the great blue ocean whose bounds has no limits. The fresh air smelled of plain grass and flowers; perfect for the calm atmosphere he was in. The soft grass beneath his feet hardly bothered him at all as the cool breeze helped improved his mood that afternoon.

That is, until a certain Slifer Red came into action.

"...aaaaaaaannnnneeeee!"

"Huh?" Turning around and squinting his eyes, Zane could see a small figure with dust right behind them, running towards a straight direction...towards him. The more closer the target was gaining, the more he could make out who it was.

And who other than energetic, tomboy, Jaden Yuki?

"ZAAAAANNNNNE!"

When faced with this sort of situation, most people would panic and cry out for Jaden to stop. However, Zane, who's had his fair share of fangirls, simply stepped out of the way, watching as Jaden tripped over a small rock and tumble down the grassy hill before crashing into a field of flowers.

"..." Zane knew that Jaden was tough and could easily get herself off, as proven when she leaped right up as if nothing had happened to her. She sprinted up the hill, though with some difficulty because the hill was much steeper than she expected.

"Zane! Duel me!" demanded Jaden. Unknown to her, there laid a tiny spot on her forehead with blood trickling down.

"...You do realize your forehead's bleeding, right?"

"Aww, I'll be fine!"

"Jaden, you need to get Miss Fontaine to look at you."

Jaden's eyes widen before shrieking, "WHAT?! NOOO! NEEDLES! I DON'T WANNA GET A SHOT!"

Surprised, Zane wasn't expecting to find one of Jaden's...weak points. His surprised look quickly changed to his calm and usual emotionless expression. If Jaden doesn't get her wound treated, it might get infected and get even worse. He may not care what others do in their spare time, but injuries? He doesn't go out of the line leaving others injured.

He grabbed Jaden's arm, though not too tightly, and said, "We're going to the infirmary."

"NOOOOOOOO! ANYTHING BUT THAT!"

Later, the rumors of Zane dating Jaden quickly spread like wildfire as eye witnesses saw Zane carrying Jaden through the shoulder as Jaden was howling and screaming while frailing her arms and legs around. Needless to say, it looks like another field day for the Yaoi Fanclub.

* * *

"Honestly, Jaden! Be more careful next time!" scolded Miss Fontaine, bonking Jaden over the head once she finished softening Jaden's head wound and bandaging it. Luckily for Jaden, the injuries she received were very light, minus her bleeding head wound, and none of her limbs were broken, so in about a few days, she should fully recover.

"Okay, Miss Fontaine! Thanks again!" called out Jaden, exiting the infirmary with a cherry lollipop in her mouth. Deciding to go to the card store to upgrade her cards, Jaden hummed a tune while skipping there.

Inside the card store, there weren't many customers inside, but a notable one caught her eye. Zane. Right now, he was sitting at a table, intrigued by a book.

She skipped towards him and grinned, completely forgetting about her card shopping. "Hey, Zane! Wanna duel?"

Zane, having organized his deck, placed a bookmark on the page he was currently reading before closing the book. Knowing that Jaden was quite the persistent one, he sighed. "If I do, will you stop getting hurt and begging me to duel you for a month?"

For the past few days, Jaden had been chasing him nonstop, continuously asking him to duel her. Ever since discovering her true gender, Zane assumed that she was just another one of his fangirls and ignored her...until he realized her pure intentions of dueling and not a single hint of romance. Seriously though, she'd do anything to duel him; even going so far as to jump out of a window to challenge him.

On that day, nobody could express how much of a heart attack Crowler experienced, as well as the ridiculous look on his face when he witnessed that.

"YAAAAAYYYYY!"

Launching onto his arm, Jaden tighten her grip around him excitedly like cuddling a cute teddy bear. Zane, being surprised by this act, started to move his arm up and down repeatedly, trying to detach himself from the clinging tomboy.

"Jaden, let...go!"

"Wheeeeeee!"

Apparently, Jaden was having too much fun as her feet were lifted off the ground while clinging onto Zane's arm. However, as time passed, she was started to get more and more dizzy from all the frailing until her grip on him loosen and she fell on her back; swirly anime-like eyes being evident of her being dizzy.

"I regret...nothing..." commented Jaden weakly as she raised one finger into the air.

Rubbing his wrist, Zane turned and said, "If you're ready, meet me near the lake outside of the Obelisk Blue Dorms."

"Okay!" chirped Jaden joyfully before falling down on her back, still not fully recovered.

Several minutes later, Zane was being accompanied by Jaden, who was cheerfully skipping behind him and humming a tone. Unknown to them, a couple of Duel Spirit individuals were watching over them intently...

 _ **"Flame Wingman, why are we here again?"**_ questioned Bubbleman in spirit form as he and Flame Wingman hid behind the trees and bushes.

 _ **"Because I can't access my powers in the human world and I need your help,"**_ replied Flame Wingman.

Bubbleman rolled his eyes, though with his mask on, he was lucky Flame Wingman couldn't tell. The only reason why Flame Wingman's powers were temporarily prohibited in the human world was because he constantly abused it on several Obelisk Blues who picked a fight with Jaden or was bullying her. Unknown to Jaden, Flame Wingman would always seek out those boys and give them...nightmares.

The rulers of the Duel Spirit World weren't too happy about that, since the rules prevented human intervention, and sentenced Flame Wingman and his powers, removing them temporarily in the human world, but not limited towards his duties in the Duel Spirit World.

 _ **"What kind of help do you need?"**_

 _ **"Well, I ned you to summon your Bubble Blaster."**_

Kneeling right into position, Bubbleman used his spiritual powers to summon his main weapon before placing it down on the ground besides him. _**"Alright, now what?"**_

 _ **"Great, now just aim for Zane using the Bubble Blaster and fire!"**_

 _ **"WHAT?! Flame Wingman, you know we're prohibited from harming humans!"**_ cried out Bubbleman.

 _ **"But do you not see Jaden and Zane? Zane is obviously wooing her! Why else would he bring her out to the lake, where most romantic locations would be located?"**_

 _ **"Probably because of a duel!"**_

 _ **"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!"**_

 _ **"I'm not firing at anyone, Flame Wingman!"**_

 _ **"Fine! I'll do it then! Got it!"**_

 _ **"No, wait! Flame Wingman! You can't! Every weapon must have a specific wielder at hand! If a different person forcefully tries to use a Equip Weapon that doesn't righteously belong to him, then-"**_

 _ **"3...2...1...!"**_

 _ **"NO,WAI-"**_

 **BOOM!** An explosion was triggered the moment Flame Wingman pulled the trigger, but to other humans, it would seem like a strong breeze just blew through. Zane and Jaden were, even unknowingly, fortunate that the explosion was limited to a small area.

"Let's get this started, alright? Hope you've become stronger than last time," said Zane, standing far from Jaden as his duel disk activated.

"Yup! Totally! Get your game on!" cheered Jaden, completely prepped for the duel.

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Zane - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"Since I went last time we dueled, I'll let you go first," assured Jaden confidently with her hands on her hips.

"Oh? You sure? That's giving me quite an advantage," said Zane as he drew his sixth card.

"Nah, I'm pretty tough! I'm sure I can handle your onslaught this turn! So, bring it on! I dare ya!"

"Well, don't say I didn't warn you!" Zane said before beginning his turn. "Hmm...looks like you lucked out this time, Jaden. I summon Cyber Dragon Core in Defense Mode!"

A minature version of the original Cyber Dragon popped out from underneath the ground, wiggling its sharp, pointy tail and hissing a rattling tone, looking more of a scorpion.

Cyber Dragon Core - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV2 - (400/1500)

"And now, when he's Normal S-"

"Awwww! He's so cute!~" awed Jaden.

"You...you think my Monster is...cute?"

"Of course! Look at him, wiggling his small, cute body around! Hehe!~ He looks like a cute scorpion metal toy!"

Unfortunately, Cyber Dragon Core didn't seem to enjoy being called 'cute' and let out a small, angry sound while wagging its tail back and forth. _**"Hey! I'm not cute! I'm EVIL!"**_

"Aww! It's still so cute with its tail wagging!"

Zane couldn't help but sweatdrop over Jaden's sense of...cuteness. He shouldn't be surprised since she's a girl,and girls do love cute things, but this seemed a little bit too...ridiculous for him? Eh, he'll never understand girls.

"Anyways, I have to explain his special ability," announced Zane. "When Cyber Dragon Core is Normal Summoned, I can add one Cyber Spell or Trap card from my deck to my hand. Also, as long as he's on the field or in my Graveyard, his name becomes Cyber Dragon."

"Cool!"

"With that said, I end my turn. Your turn, Jaden. Show me how much you've improved."

Nodding, Jaden drew her card. "My turn! Ooh! I summon my cute Elemental Hero Knospe in Attack Mode!"

Sprouting from the ground just as Cyber Dragon Core did, a tiny bulb popped out before the rest of the body revealed itself and emerged on the playing field. Appearing now was a small, baby-like plant Monster with pink cheeks and a red gem around her neck. She held up her bulb-like palms as if ready to punch someone, as determined from her expression.

Elemental Hero Knospe - (EARTH/Plant) - LV3 - (600/1000)

"You do realize that my Monster's Defense Points are higher than her Attack Points, right?" pointed out Zane, addressing to the difference between the two Monsters.

"I know, I know! I'm getting to that!" said Jaden happily. "Now, I activate Rose Bud from my hand! By sacrificing Knospe, I get to Special Summon Elemental Hero Poison Rose from my hand or deck! Now, let's see..." She took out her deck before finding the right card and inserting her deck back to her duel disk, which then automatically shuffled the deck for her. "Now, I Special Summon Elemental Hero Poison Rose!"

As soon as Knospe vanished, a light pink flower sprouted from the ground, completely closed off from the whole world. Then, the flower bloomed and slowly lifted its petals, revealing another humanoid plant Monster much more lovelier and beautiful than the previous Monster.

Elemental Hero Poison Rose - (EARTH/Plant) - LV6 - (1900/2000)

"Poison Rose, attack the cute Cyber Dragon Core!" shouted Jaden, frailing her finger around comically.

Poison Rose twirled around gracefully before throwing rose-like daggers at Cyber Dragon Core, causing him to squeal painfully before exploding.

"Now, I set one card facedown and end my turn! How's that, Zane? Pretty good, huh?"

"Please, that wasn't even my best," scoffed Zane before drawing his card. "Besides, you helped me out by destroying Cyber Dragon Core."

"Huh?" Tilting her head, Jaden asked, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, this. Since you control a Monster and I don't, I banish Cyber Dragon Core from my Graveyard to Special Summon a Cyber Dragon from my deck. So, come forth, Cyber Dragon!"

The dragon of steel arrived in a flashy entrance at he lifted up his head and roared at the skies, whipping his metallic tail into action as he stared down at Poison Rose with his golden, machine-like eyes.

Cyber Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV5 - (2100/1600)

"Cyber Dragon, destroy Poison Rose!" ordered Zane.

Cyber Dragon opened his jaws and fired a laser blast that completely incinerated the beautiful Plant-type Monster completely into ashes.

 **Zane - 4000 LP**

 **Jaden - 3800 LP**

"Now, I activate my Trap, Hero Signal!" shouted Jaden. "Since my Monster was just destroyed in battle and sent to the Graveyard, I get to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Monster from my hand or deck as long as it's an Elemental Hero! I choose Elemental Hero Clayman in Defense Mode!"

Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

Zane smirked. "Putting up more of a fight, huh? Good, because now I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Frontline Fusion! During my Battle Phase, I can Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster using Monsters from my hand or side of the field. I've got two Cyber Dragons in my hand and only one in the field, so I fuse all three together to Fusion Summon my ace Fusion Monster, Cyber End Dragon!"

The three dragons Zane cherished were sucked inside a vortex before appearing as a gigantic, three-headed monstrous dragon whose body was hard to pierce through and their fearsome appearance was enough to scare anyone.

Cyber End Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine/Fusion) - LV10 - (4000/2800)

"Awesome! Woo! Bring it on!" challenged Jaden, wanting a taste of Cyber End Dragon's power once again.

"If you insist! Battle! Cyber End Dragon, attack her Clayman!" ordered Zane. "And due to Cyber End Dragon's effect, I can inflict piercing damage to you even if your Monster's in Defense Mode! Cyber Stream Blast!"

All three heads fired an equal amount of power from her mouths which was more than enough to penetrate through the Elemental Hero's defense and destroy him, along with Jaden's Life Points.

 **Zane - 4000 LP**

 **Jaden - 1800 LP**

"Now, I'll activate Monster Reborn to bring back Cyber Dragon in Attack Mode."

Cyber Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV5 - (2100/1600)

"I set one card facedown and end my turn. Now, I'd like to see you get out of this one."

"Well, guess you're about to find out, now! My turn!" said Jaden. "I activate Polymerization, and fuse Elemental Heroes Avian and Sparkman to create a new Fusion Monster Elemental Hero Great Tornado!"

Out of nowhere, strong twisters burst out of nowhere, causing even some of the rocks to fly around thanks to the winds as Jaden and Zane braced themselves. Once the wind died down, a new warrior crashed down on the ground with his arms crossed. Equipped with green armor and a dark cloak to mask his identity, Jaden's Elemental Hero has been bestowed by the great winds to take down her opponents.

Elemental Hero Great Tornado - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2200)

"Hmph. A new Elemental Hero, huh? Let's see what sort of tricks this hero can do," muttered Zane, impressed by the sudden entrance and appeared of the mighty warrior.

"Great Tornado's effect activates!" Jaden said. "When he's Fusion Summoned, he halves all the Attack and Defense Points of all your Monsters, Zane!"

Crossing his armored arms together, Great Tornado mustered up his hidden strength from within before slashing at the air with his freed arms, forcing the light winds to grow heavy and out of control, enough to drive back both Cyber Dragon and Cyber End Dragon from their positions a little. As evidence, a bit of a mark where their original positions were was shown on the ground towards their current positions.

Cyber Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV5 - (1050/800)

Cyber End Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine/Fusion) - LV10 - (2000/1400)

"Great Tornado! Attack Cyber End Dragon!" Jaden exclaimed, guiding her finger towards the enormous metallic three-headed dragon.

Spiral winds surrounded Great Tornado's body as he hovered into the air, gathering winds to build up his power to strike down the foe before him.

Zane, having anticipated that Jaden would Fusion Summon a Monster powerful enough to defeat his ace Monster, was fully prepared than last time. "I activate the Attack Reflector Unit Trap card! By sacrificing the Cyber Dragon on my field, I get to Special Summon 1 Cyber Barrier Dragon from my hand or deck! And what do you know? I happen to have one in my hand! I Special Summon Cyber Barrier Dragon in Attack Mode!"

Another dragon resembling Cyber Dragon, yet lighter in color and having a sort of fan-like object around its collar appeared.

Cyber Barrier Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV6 - (800/2800)

"Next, I activate Cyber Barrier Dragon's effect! Once per turn, when he's in Attack Mode, he can negate one of your attacks!"

Around the time Zane announced the special effect, Great Tornado released the power he's been collecting into a blast of wind so powerful, that whoever gets caught up in it will be blown away for miles. At the same time, Cyber Barrier Dragon unleashed his effect and generated a barrier around Cyber End Dragon, protecting him from any harm.

"Aww! Not fair!" complained Jaden, pouting. "Well, I end my turn!"

"My turn! And this is the end!" promised Zane. "I activate Fissure! Now I destroy one Monster you control that has the lowest Attack Points! Since you only have Great Tornado, the choice is obvious!"

The ground collapsed beneath Great Tornado before a large hand sprang out and grabbed Great Tornado, dragging him downwards into the abyss of the underground before the ground closed up, much to Jaden's shock.

"Next, I activate the Quick-Play card, Limiter Removal! Now, my Cyber End Dragon's Attack is doubled until the end of this turn!"

Cyber End Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine/Fusion) - LV10 - (4000/1400)

"Cyber End Dragon! Finish this! Burst Stream Attack!"

Letting loose all of their remaining power, Cyber End Dragon sought out his revenge towards the Slifer Red for daring to decrease his power by releasing all three dragon heads' powers.

 **Zane - 4000 LP**

 **Jaden - 0 LP**

 **Winner: Zane**

"Aww! I lost!" whined Jaden, sitting down on the ground and pouting to herself.

Sighing, Zane took a water bottle from his pocket and unscrewed the cap before taking a sip. "Well, you did better than before, but that's still not enough to beat me. In addition, you did catch me off guard one time during the duel, so you should feel happy. Not a lot of people can catch me off guard that easily."

Just that compliment brightened up Jaden. "Oh, thanks!" She stood back up before snapping her fingers. "Oh! I know! Wanna play another game?"

"Another game? You want to duel again?" asked Zane.

"Sure, it might be fun to have another duel, but I'm beat! Besides, I can't beat you the way I am right now," admitted Jaden as she held up a box with chocolate sticks inside. "Let's play this Pocky game!"

"Pocky? How do you play?"

"Well, I've only heard about it right now, but according to the instructions in the back, it says you have to put one end of the Pocky stick in your mouth, and your partner has to put the other end in his mouth! Then, we have to chew like it's a fast eating contest and something magical will happen!"

Suspicious, Zane requested, "Jaden, could I see those instructions?"

"Sure!"

Reading it through, Zane realized that this was actually a love game where the 'magic' was actually two people kissing after eating the Pocky in the end! He shook his head and handed the box over to Jaden.

"...I'm not interested. I don't like chocolate." Well, it wasn't an exact lie. He did sorta like chocolate, but he doesn't like sweets that much.

Jaden didn't seem bothered by his refusal. "Okay! See you, then!"

Zane watched the young tomboy skip away happily as she was chipping away one of the Pocky sticks, eating it like a cute hamster nibbling on food. Those peach-colored lips licking and biting onto the stick...Wait, what?

He might be a little delusional now. Time for a bit of a break. Wiping sweat off his forehead, Zane proceeded to continue drinking his beverage.

"Hey, Dr. Crowler! Wanna play the Pocky game with me?!"

The senior Obelisk Blue was close to choking on water when he heard such a comment from Jaden. Playing the game with a... up? Crowler, no less! Wait, this was Jaden he was thinking about. The idiotic, yet adorable girl that everyone wants to protect since she's like the innocent, rainbow pony baby that everyone cherishes.

"What? Absolutely not! And why are you, a Slifer Red, trespassing in the Obelisk Blue dorms? Detention!"

"But-"

"Oh? An objection? Make that a week's worth of detention!"

"But-"

"Two weeks!"

"You didn't even let me-"

"Three!"

"..."

"..."

"...Douchebag."

"A month's worth of detention then!"

"...I'm just...gonna keep quiet."

* * *

 **Yay! A Zane x Jaden chapter! Just for all you Zane x Jaden fangirls out there! I'll do another chapter like this, but with a different character, so I need ideas people! PLEASE!**

 **That said, read and review and I won't update this for a while due to my dumb exams! See ya!**


	21. For the Sake of Love!

**A brand new chapter, another day, a-Let's just get to the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs! Oh, and Generalhyna owns a certain OC named Bella.**

* * *

"You want me to...what?" asked Chumley, checking his ears to make sure they were functioning correctly. Both he and Syrus were alone in their own dorm room with Syrus on his knees.

"Please! I just need you to help me roleplay a bit!" begged Syrus. "I...I want to try to confess to Jaden, so I want you to pretend to be Jaden!"

"Well, I understand why you want to do this, but why can't you ask someone else? Like, Alexis or her two other friends!"

Syrus gave Chumley a look. "Jaden might get the wrong idea if she catches me confessing to Alexis! And I doubt Mindy and Jasmine would help me since I am a...Slifer Red."

As if he wasn't already discouraged enough, the fact that the status of Slifer Red was still lingering around worsen the situation.

"Alright, fine," Chumley sighed before giving Syrus a stern look. "But, what we're doing stays a secret. And I'm only doing this one time!"

"Fine with me," agreed Syrus, nodding his head. "So, when should we start?"

"Now. I'll begin and try to imitate Jaden." Chumley coughed and tried making his voice as girly as possible. "Hi, I'm Jaden Yuki! I'm absolutely flawless! Get your game on!"

"...That was a terrible impression," Syrus deadpanned.

"Oh, like you can do any better!" Clearing his throat, Chumley attempted to act like Jaden once more. "Oh, Syrus! What did you want to talk to me about?"

Realizing it was his turn, Syrus fixed his clothes and tried to make himself cool. "W-well, Jaden! I...I wish to tell you something!"

"What is it, Syrus, dear?"

Hearing Chumley speaking that way made Syrus cringe, yet he beared with it. "I...I...I can't do this!"

"What are you talking about?" demanded Chumley, regaining his normal voice. He couldn't stand being high-pitched like that again! It was starting to stain his throat! "You have to confess! That's the whole point of this, isn't it?!"

"B-b-but..."

"Or, we can cancel this and you can roleplay with Bastion. Or Zane. Either one's fine."

Syrus's eyes widen like dinner plates. "No! Ew! That's gross! Alright, alright! Let's start all over!"

"Fine. But you gotta start."

"Wha-Fine!" Taking a deep breath, Syrus began, "I've...I've had some feelings for you. For a while now. I...I think I'm in love with you, and I want to be your boyfriend. I promise, I'll protect you! So...So...please, give me a chance...Let me try and win your heart..."

Syrus was blushing heavily now; his breath unsteady once he finished the confession that he desperately wanted to reveal to Jaden. Chumley was somewhat touched by the confession...in a friendly way, and silently hoped that Jaden wouldn't reject him.

The moment they heard sniffling, both boys turned and saw Jaden at the door entrance, wiping her eyes with a napkin.

"That...was so beautiful! The best confession I've heard all my life!" sniffled Jaden.

Glancing at Chumley, then back at Jaden, Syrus' jaw gaped once his mind connected the facts together. If Jaden heard and saw both him and Chumley roleplaying right now, that must mean that...that...that...!

"No, no, no, no, no! This isn't what it looks like!" defended Syrus, backing away from Chumley and shaking his head back and forth. "We...we were just-!"

"No, it's alright!" assured Jaden, smiling as she wiped the last of her tears away. "I approve of your relationship! Congratulations, the two of you! I hope the two of you will be happy! Oh! I gotta help Banner with something! Bye!"

Once she left, the room was filled with deadly silence along with a jaw dropped Syrus and a stunned Chumley. The room started spinning around in Syrus's vision, and he thought he heard a faint voice before he blacked out.

 **THUD!**

"Oh, no! Sy!"

* * *

 _Later, that day..._

"I can't believe I'm agreeing to this," muttered Bastion, dressed in a cloak and mask. He placed a hand on Jaden's shoulder to keep her on hold while she sat on a log; arms tied behind her back and blindfolded.

"Guys! Where are the fried shrimp?" complained Jaden. "And why can't I move my arms and why am I blindfolded?"

"You'll get the fried shrimp soon, Jaden," assured Alexis, patting her on the shoulder. She herself was also involved in Chumley's scheme after he told her about Syrus' situation and how he wanted to improve things for him.

As a result, they all somewhat 'kidnapped' Jaden and bribed her with some fried shrimp, since that's basically her favorite food in the world. Chumley stood nearby with Bastion, Alexis, and another female friend of Alexis, a girl named Bella.

Alexis, Chumley, and Bella wore the same garments as Bastion so that they could be completely in disguise. Only, Bella didn't have her mask on quite yet, as she was surveying the area in search of Syrus, who was supposed to meet them in the deserted area as stated in the letter they sent him about them wishing for a duel in exchanged for a kidnapped Jaden.

Bella was a unique, petite girl with short brown hair, almost like Jasmine's. Her Obelisk Blue male uniform was hidden within her dark robes along with her personal handbag. Currently, she was using binoculars to search the area for Syrus.

Alexis thought the whole hostage plan was dumb enough, but there wasn't any other plan in mind to lure Syrus out. Plus, she had to agree that if Jaden realizes that Syrus saves her, then they'll be much closer than before. Also, if they had another member with them that Syrus never met, it could be useful.

"Normally, I'd find it strange to bring two guys together in love, but..." Examining Jaden with somewhat interest in her mind, Bella couldn't help but be fascinated by the 'boy' near her. "This guy looks cute!"

Flame Wingman arrived near Jaden, ready to blast the girl but was held back by his fellow Elemental Hero allies. _**"KILL! KILL! KILL!"**_

 _ **"Flame Wingman! Calm down!"**_

"Uh...You do realize Jaden's a girl, right?" spoke up Alexis.

"That guy's a girl?! Uh...Never mind!"

 _ **"See?! What'd I tell ya? Now, let's go!"**_

 _ **"...Fine. But I'm still keeping an eye on this...Bella girl."**_

"Jaaaaaadddddddeeeeeennnn!" bellowed Syrus; his cries growing louder, indicating that he was close.

"Well, time to get the plan in motion, " said Chumley as Bella put her mask on. "Stop if you want your precious Jaden to live!"

"This is so going to end up wrong in so many levels," sighed Alexis, shaking her head as Bastion nodded in agreement with her.

"Hey, can I have the fried shrimp now?" questioned Jaden. "Please?"

Prepared, Bastion took out a large bag of fried shrimps just for Jaden before stuffing one into her mouth, which she happily accepted.

"W-what are you going to do with Jaden? And let her go!" demanded Syrus, wanting to save Jaden, yet nervous in front of the dark robed people.

Swallowing her fried shrimp, Jaden recognized whose voice that was. "Is that you, Sy? Hey, awesome! Wanna-"

Immediantly, Bastion shoved another fried shrimp inside her mouth, silencing her.

"Not until you duel me!" declared Bella, activating her duel disk. "I am called General Hyna! If you win, I will return Jaden!"

"And...and if I lose?" wondered Syrus, almost afraid to know what might happen.

"I..." Glancing at the others behind her, Bella hissed, "What do we do?! We never actually planned for a losing condition!"

Luckily, Chumley was prepared for that as he shouted, "If you lose, Syrus, then we will sell Jaden to the slave market!"

"WHAT?!" screamed Syrus along with everyone else but Jaden, who thought the slave market was just another type of supermarket.

"Dude, isn't that a bit extreme?" hissed Bella.

"We're not really going to! I just said that to get Syrus all riled up," whispered Chumley. "I mean, look at him now!"

Turning, everyone witnessed Syrus with a fiery-like aura that caused nearby animals to flee from the mere sight of him. His eyes were burning fires of determination as he quickly readied his duel disk with the full willpower to save his crush.

"BRING IT ON!"

"I can't believe this is working," said Alexis, stunned as Bella got into position. "Well, hope Syrus wins."

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Syrus - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **General Hyna - 4000 LP**

"I'll kick things off first!" said Syrus, drawing his sixth card with fierce determination set on his mind. "I summon Steamroid in Attack Mode!"

A train-like Monster with steam rolling out of his engines huffed as he moved into battle position.

Steamroid - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1800/1800)

"Next, I set one card facedown and end my turn!"

"My move!" said General Hyna before smirking. "Cool! Now I activate Mystical Space Typhoon and destroy your facedown card!"

A tornado formed from whirling winds as it gained closer and closer towards Syrus' facedown card until it completely blew it away from the field; dispersing immediantly soon after.

"You activated my Trap card, Wonder Garage!" Syrus said.

"But how?!" gasped General Hyna. "I destroyed it! It shouldn't have activated!"

"But it did because you destroyed it! When Wonder Garage is sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Machine-Type Monster from my hand! I choose Truckroid in Defense Mode!"

A large, everyday truck Monster drove onto the field from out of nowhere and parked right next to Steamroid, aiding his fellow Roid Monster in need.

Truckroid - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1000/2000)

"Brilliant move!" gasped Bastion. "He knew that she would be suspicious of his facedown and that she would destroy it in order to benefit himself and Special Summon a Monster! Genius!"

"I think it's because Operation Rescue Jaden might have Syrus more focused thanks to his love for her," said Alexis. "I guess I can sorta understand the feeling, given that I am a girl."

General Hyna pondered on her situation, wondering what move she should pull off this round. Both Syrus' Monsters were extremely strong in terms of Attack and Defense power, but then again, so was she!

"I summon Destiny Hero - Fear Monger!" announced General Hyna.

A vicious, fiend-looking, mechanical Monster with a machine gun attached to his arms growled as he made his way onto the field.

Destiny Hero - Fear Monger - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1000/1000)

"Ooh! A Destiny Hero?! Is it like Elemental Heroes?! Is it?! Is it?! Is-" Quickly, Jaden's mouth was stuffed with another fried shrimp by Alexis this time.

"Next, I activate D - Pressure! Since I Normal Summoned a Destiny Hero Monster this turn, I get to target Fear Monger, and I get to Special Summon 1 Destiny Hero Monster from my hand with Attack Points less than or equal to his! I choose Destiny Hero - Captain Tenacious!"

A broad, muscular-looking warrior with spiky, flowing orange hair wielding two blunt weapons; each on his arm with a dark mask to cover his golden eyes appeared with a silent war cry from his mouth.

Destiny Hero - Captain Tenacious - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (800/800)

"Now, onto the Battle Phase!" General Hyna declared. "During either of our Battle Phases, by discarding Destiny - Hero Blade Master from my hand to the Graveyard, all face-up Destiny Heroes I control gain 800 Attack Points until the end of my turn!"

Destiny Hero - Fear Monger - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1800/1000)

Destiny Hero - Captain Tenacious - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (1600/800)

"If your Monster's gonna take down mine in the next turn, I might as well go full-out kamikaze-style!" said General Hyna. "Fear Monger! Attack Steamroid!"

Fear Monger stood back and prepped his machine gun before unleashing a hail of bullets onto the Machine-Type Monster, who tried to defend himself with his frail arms.

"Because of Steamroid's effect, when he's attacked by an opponent's Monster, he loses 500 Attack Points during the Damage Step only!" grunted Syrus.

Steamroid - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1300/1800)

"That's really convenient for me!" said General Hyna. "Fear Monger! Continuing commencing the attack!"

The enhanced Destiny Hero didn't need to be told twice as he roared while releasing all the firepower he's got within his machine gun, effectively taking out the weakened train-like Monster.

 **Syrus - 3500 LP**

 **General Hyna - 4000 LP**

"I set a card facedown and end my turn. At this moment, all of my Destiny Heroes' Attack Points are returned to normal," reminded General Hyna.

Destiny Hero - Captain Tenacious - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (800/800)

Destiny Hero - Fear Monger - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1000/1000)

"My turn! And now, I summon Drillroid!" said Syrus, revealing the Monster card in his hand.

Digging out of the hole he just created from the ground, a Monster with a drill-like horn along with piercing drillers on both his hands appeared with a huge grin.

Drillroid - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1600/1600)

"Now, I use Drillroid and attack your Fear Monger!"

Wheels spinning and turning towards Fear Monger, Drillroid charged towards Fear Monger and took him out with a blow from his spinning drill arm.

 **Syrus - 3500 LP**

 **General Hyna - 3400 LP**

"I'll end my turn with one facedown!" declared Syrus, glancing at his hand. _'Just a little bit more...One more turn and I can finally Fusion Summon and rescue Jaden!'_

"My turn!" said General Hyna. "Now, I activate Captain Tenacious' special ability! Once per turn, during my Standby Phase, I can target 1 Destiny Hero Monster in my Graveyard that was destroyed by battle in the last turn and Special Summon it, so come on back, Fear Monger!"

Destiny Hero - Fear Monger - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1000/1000)

"Now, I activate Graceful Charity, letting me draw three new cards and discard two! Then, I activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw two more cards! Next, my facedown, Call of the Haunted, activates and it's to bring back the Lady Heat I just placed in my Graveyard!"

Once the facedown Trap revealed itself, flames shot from beneath the dirt as Lady Heat flew out from underground and into the air.

Elemental Hero Lady Heat - (FIRE/Pyro) - LV4 - (1300/1000)

"Elemental Hero Lady Heat?! Cool! I wanna see! Someone take off my blindfold!" ordered Jaden excitedly before Alexis force fed Jaden another fried shrimp.

"Now, it's time for my Quick-Play Spell card, Inferno Reckless Summon!" said General Hyna. "Because I just Special Summoned Lady Heat while there was at least one face-up Monster on your side of the field, I now get to Special Summon all the Monsters with the same name as Lady Heat from my hand, deck, or Graveyard in Attack Mode!"

Another Lady Heat burst onto the field in a fire-like entrance, stepping up to the field alongside her counterpart.

Elemental Hero Lady Heat - (FIRE/Pyro) - LV4 - (1300/1000)

"Of course, you can also Special Summon 1 Monster on your side of the field with the same name as well," pointed out General Hyna.

"I...don't have anymore additional Monsters with the same names as Drillroid or Truckroid," admitted Syrus sheepishly.

"Huh. Well, moving on! I activate the last card from my hand! Chthonian Alliance!" announced General Hyna. "I equip it onto Lady Heat #1! Now, for every face-up Monster on the field with the same name as hers, she gains an additional 800 Attack Point bonus!"

Elemental Hero Lady Heat - (FIRE/Pyro) - LV4 - (2100/1000)

"Destroy Truckroid, Lady Heat!" ordered General Hyna. "Inferno Roar!"

Storing up firepower, Lady Heat concentrated on her power from a small fireball to a meteor-like orb of flames that hovered above her head almost touching her palms. She yelled as she tossed her fury attack onto the defensive Truckroid, destroying him.

"With that, I'm calling it a turn!" said General Hyna. 'At this moment, I activate both my Lady Heats' abilities! I can inflict 200 points of damage for every face-up Elemental Hero Monster I control, including Lady Heat herself! Let's see...that's a total of 800 points of damage!"

Both Lady Heat fired a barrage of fireballs at Syrus, who shielded his face with his hands as his Life Points took the hit.

 **Syrus - 2800 LP**

 **General Hyna - 3400 LP**

"I'm not through yet! My turn!" Syrus drew his card and proclaimed, "I summon Jetroid in Attack Mode!"

A red jet-like Monster, as his name suggests, sped up to Syrus and remained there, ready for combat.

Jetroid - (WIND/Machine) - LV4 - (1200/1800)

"I attack Captain Tenacious with Jetroid!" declared Syrus.

The jet Monster zoomed towards Captain Tenacious and crashed into him, causing a massive explosion of dust and fire. Only Jetroid made it out unscathed while Captain Tenacious laid defeated.

 **Syrus - 2800 LP**

 **General Hyna - 3000 LP**

"Up next is Drillroid! Attack Fear Monger!"

Drillroid buried himself underground and didn't come out until he was right beneath Fear Monger and pierced through his vulnerable body in his weak spot.

 **Syrus - 2800 LP**

 **General Hyna - 2800 LP**

"With that, I'm ending my turn!"

"My move!" said General Hyna. "Because you destroyed Fear Monger last turn, I activate his effect! During my Standby Phase, I can target 1 Destiny Hero Monster in my Graveyard except Fear Monger and Special Summon it! And I choose Captain Tenacious in Defense Mode!"

Destiny Hero - Captain Tenacious - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (800/800)

"And since it's still my Standby Phase, I activate Captain Tenacious' effect! Once per turn, during my Standby Phase, I can target 1 Destiny Hero Monster in my Graveyard that was destroyed in battle in the previous turn and Special Summon him! The only other Destiny Hero left is Fear Monger!"

Destiny Hero - Fear Monger - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1000/1000)

"This is starting a chain reaction," spoke Bastion. "No matter which Destiny Hero Syrus destroys, they'll still come back."

"Now, I'll attack my strongest Lady Heat and pin her up against your Drillroid! Go on!"

Summoning strength from within, Lady Heat easily burned away Drillroid with her heat power.

 **Syrus - 2300 LP**

 **General Hyna - 2800 LP**

"Next, my other Lady Heat attacks your Jetroid! So go, and-"

"Not so fast! I activate Jetroid's effect!" interrupted Syrus just as Lady Heat, whose body flared up in red flames, flew towards Jetroid. "When he's being selected as an attack target by your Monster, I get to activate a Trap card from my own hand!"

"Oh no!"

"Oh, yeah! And I choose Magic Cylinder!" revealed Syrus, presenting the infamous Trap from his hand. "When this card is activated, it negates one of your attacks and sends it packing towards your own Life Points equal to the amount of Attack Points your attacking Monster had! So, 1300 points of damage for you!"

Lady Heat suddenly reverted directions; avoiding Jetroid before tackling her own owner to the ground and inflicting large amounts of damage to her.

 **Syrus - 2300 LP**

 **General Hyna - 1500 LP**

"Gh-! N-nice one, Syrus! Totally didn't expect that!" praised General Hyna. "Got nothing else to do but to end my turn! At this moment, both my Lady Heats will activate their End Phase effect and deal 800 points of damage to you!"

 **Syrus - 1500 LP**

 **General Hyna - 1500 LP**

"My turn! Draw!" Syrus said, intending on finishing this as soon as he could. "This will finish you! I activate the Quick-Play card, Cybernetic Fusion Support!"

"A Cybernetic...So, you really are Zane's little bro," mumbled General Hyna, impressed.

"If it's a Fusion card, no doubt that Syrus intends on Fusion Summoning," said Bastion.

"Yeah, but with what?" wondered Alexis.

"I pay half my Life Points to Fusion Summon a Machine-Type Monster!" explained Syrus. "Then, I fuse using the cards in my hand, Graveyard, and/or side of the field as Fusion Materials! I fuse both Drillroid and Steamroid from my Graveyard, along with the Submarineroid in my hand! The Fusion-Material Monsters are then banished after usage of Fusion Summoning!"

 **Syrus - 750 LP**

 **General Hyna - 1500 LP**

"I wanna see! I wanna see!" whined Jaden, struggling in her bonds once more. Bastion sighed and put another fried shrimp inside of her.

"I Fusion Summon Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill!" shouted Syrus, bringing forth his ultimate Fusion Monster.

A gigantic, pink/purple Monster with a jumbo-sized drill-like horn and metalic claws dug out from underground and arrived right at his master's side.

Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill - (EARTH/Machine/Fusion) - LV8 - (3000/2000)

"Take this and bring back Jaden!" hollered Syrus, preparing to unleash the final blow. "Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill, attack Lady Heat! The one with the 1300 Attack Points!"

Making his way underground just as Drillroid previously done, Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill tunneled his way downwards as his drill spun faster and faster, increasing his attack the more it spun until he emerged from underground and took out Lady Heat.

 **Syrus - 750 LP**

 **General Hyna - 0 LP**

 **Winner: Syrus**

"Great duel, Syrus!" applauded General Hyna, approaching Syrus with her arm out. "That was a great duel! Oh, and I'm Bella, not General Hyna!"

"Whew! That was a close one! So, you'll keep your promise and let Jaden go, right?"

"Yup!"

Immediantly afterwards, Bastion and Chumley untied Jaden and released her blindfold. "Nice duel, Sy!" said Jaden, running up to him. "But, Alexis, Chumley, and Bastion wouldn't let me see it!"

All three groaned at the mention of their names before unveiling themselves and taking off their masks. They should have stuffed her mouth with yet another fried shrimp before taking off themselves! Well, too late now.

"Wha-?! You guys?! But why?!" asked Syrus, more surprised than angry.

"Well, you know the routine!" Bastion began explaining. "The girl is kidnapped, the hero saves her from the evil villain, and they all live happily ever after! Though, scientifically, this isn't always true."

"Go on! You know what to do next, Syrus! This is your big moment!" encouraged Bella before backing away to give both Syrus and Jaden some space.

"Hmm?" Confused, Jaden turned to Syrus for some answers.

Syrus' face burned red when he realized the position he was in. Maybe...Maybe he should run away while he still had the chance? No, this was his moment to shine! He already used all his dueling skills to save her, so now was the time for him to confess!

"J-Jaden...I..." Well, if he was going to confess, might as well come out with it already. "Jaden, I really like you! No, it's more than that! I love you!"

"Finally!" sighed Chumley, throwing his arms up.

"Oh...Syrus...I love you too..."

Syrus gasped; his eyes twinkling with joy and expectation. "R-really?!"

"PAL!"

And just like that, it was as if the audio screeched to a halt.

"W-what?"

"Aren't we the best friends or what?!" Scooping up Syrus, Jaden twirled his limp body around with a happy look on her face while the others stood there, shell-shocked. "I love you too, bestie!"

"B-B-but I...I..." Syrus was stammering over and over that nobody could understand him, as he was experiencing a shocking predicament.

"Well, I gotta go! Meet ya back at the dorms, Sy and Chumley!" called out Jaden before running off.

"I...I..."

"Uh..." Patting Syrus on the shoulder, Bastion, with a sympathetic expression, spoke, "I'm...sorry?"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Meanwhile, Flame Wingman was cheering in success about Jaden's indirect rejection towards poor little Syrus. Now that Syrus was out, there were only a few more obstacles to burn and bury alive...Er, complete.

* * *

 **Finished! Sorry if the chapter didn't seem too interesting enough, but the good news is that next chapter is the whole duel off with Chazz vs Jaden! READ AND REVIEW!**


	22. The School Duel

**Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the new chapter you've all been waiting for! Let's get started! Oh, and great idea for this chapter, ivystar!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"Chazz! Chazz! Chazz! Chazz!"

Among the stormy night in the dark North Academy, where thunder crashed down from the heavenly, black clouds themselves, students rouse themselves up with encouragment that a new leader-no, the strongest champion in their school will take part in North Academy's most challenging foe yet.

Duel Academy.

Dressed in a new uniform, a coat as dark as night, Chazz stepped onto the pinnacle of the high stage presented for announcements such as this one. Right besides him was his new chancellor, Foster, who was well prepared to present Chazz with something that's sure to guarantee North Academy's victory over Duel Academy.

"Students of North Academy!" announced the chancellor of North Academy. "I present to you...our school's new representative and our top duelist, Chazz Princeton!"

Roars emerged from the large crowd as they threw their fists into the air to celebrate Chazz and his uprising to the top; as needed when he had to have the full respect from the rest of the students.

"And I present to him...North Academy's top dueling deck!" added Foster, addressing to the deck he held in his hands.

Chazz nodded, acknowledging the deck before he was given such powerful cards. If they were said to be the strongest dueling deck North Academy had to offer, then it must be no joke, especially since it came from Foster himself. Even though Foster deceived him into thinking he was some poor, pitiful guy trying to enroll into North Academy, Chazz knew that this time was no deception, as there was no point in deceiving him, a great duelist, at this point. Also because the duel between North Academy and Duel Academy was drawing near.

"With them, you will triumph!" continued Foster, encouraging the young lad-no, young, brilliant minded man before him. "You will Chazz it up!"

"Chazz it up! Chazz it up! Chazz it up! Chazz it up! Chazz it up!"

Echoing cries from the crowd only encouraged Chazz even more and increased his chances of winning, now that he's got the entire North Academy crew's trust and belief in him. With the entire Academy depending and rallying behind him, along with a set of new powerful cards, there's no way he could lose!

Turning to face his fans, Chazz hollered at the top of his lungs while raising up the deck he was given, **"DUEL ACADEMY IS TOAST!"**

 **BOOM!** At the same time, thunder crashed down from the heavens themselves to proclaim Chazz's declaration and further ensure a devastating, crushing blow down towards Duel Academy, causing the fans to cheer Chazz's name more and even louder.

* * *

 _The next day..._

"Come on out, Elemental Heroes Avian, Burstinatrix, Sparkman, and Clayman! Oh, and Winged Kuriboh too!"

All Monsters whose names were called upon were summoned instantly, surrounding their female master. Seeing that there wasn't a duel occuring at that moment, the Monsters could only assume that she called them merely out of her entertainment. Well, this wasn't the first time, seeing that she's called them for the very same reason multiple times when she was only a kid.

 _ **"Kuri! Kuri!"**_ ("Jaden! Jaden!") Winged Kuriboh's voiceless chirps helped Jaden's mood before the Duel Spirit himself popped into Jaden's arms and snuggled closer to her.

"Ahahahaha! That tickles!" giggled Jaden, who couldn't help but snuggle closer to Winged Kuriboh. "Aww! Was that your attempt to help cheer me up for my big duel today, Winged Kuriboh?"

Winged Kuriboh nodded, but there was also another reason. _**"Kuri! Kuri kuri kuri kuri!"**_ ("Ah! You smell so nice!") He was instantly attracted by her lovely scent, which so happened to be a combination of flowers and candy.

"Thanks! Alexis let me borrow some perfume for today! Something about not wanting me to be stinky," thanked Jaden before glancing up to her Monsters. "Do your best out there, guys! I'm gonna need every ounce of power I've got to win for Duel Academy!"

The other four Elemental Heroes nodded, assuring her that they will do everything in their power to help their master win her duels no matter what.

"Jaden! Jaden!"

Entering from the entrance, Syrus rushed into the Duel Arena, slightly surprised to see Jaden's favorite Elemental Heroes plus Winged Kuriboh all visible and surrounding her. He shrugged off the thought, thinking it must have been Jaden's doing for whatever reason. Right now, he had to tell her something important!

"Huh? What's up?" asked Jaden as her Duel Monsters vanished.

"What are you doing? Everyone's waiting for you!"

"What for?"

"For the reception! The reception for the representative from North Academy! You know, the meet-and-greet!" Syrus quickly informed in a hurry. "North Academy just showed! Your opponent is here!"

"Oh, crap! I forgot about all that!" Jumping down from the stadium platform, Jaden broke into a run. "Let's go! Lead the way!"

"Well, yeah but-Hold on! You're going too fast! Wait for me!" called out Syrus, following after the energetic girl.

* * *

 _At the docks..._

Duel Academy students assembled into a large crowd behind Sheppard and Crowler as they watched North Academy's chancellor, Foster, step out of the submarine he and his students were sailing in.

"Foster! It's been far too long! How have you been?" greeted Sheppard, shaking hands with his good old friend/rival, Foster, who did the same.

"I've been well...Ever since I got over the defeat you handed us in last year's school duel," spoke Foster, muttering the last line out with disdain.

"Oh, it was a close match!" assured Sheppard, shrugging the past off.

"Not really," mumbled Foster, confusing Sheppard. "But this year, I have a feeling it will be!"

"Yes, I'm sure it will! To a spirited duel between our two schools!" Sheppard encouraged, trying to fit all of the joyful school spirit into everyone, including Foster.

"Oh! By the way, how's Dorothy?" Foster asked. If one could look carefully, they could see fires of jealously in his eyes right behind his glasses. Also, the fact that he was squeezing Sheppard's hands tightly was another clue.

"W-well she's fine!" grunted Sheppard, silently enduring the pain his friend was delivering to him through the tight grip of their handshake.

"Hey, hey! So, where's my opponent? Where's my opponent? I wanna meet him! I wanna meet him!" Jaden cried out, jumping up and down excitedly.

Surprised to see a student appear and interrupt them out of nowhere certainly surprised Foster enough to loosen his grip and allow Sheppard to pull his light red palms out to recover. Judging from Jaden's words, Foster could only assume this was the student Sheppard was talking about. Why Sheppard decided this student instead of their top student, Zane, was questionable, but as long as Zane wasn't involved, Foster was fine with whoever Sheppard chose for their match.

"Yes, well, we were getting to that," coughed Sheppard. "Jaden, this is Chancellor Foster from North Academy, so you should treat him with respect."

"Jaden! So, you're Duel Academy's representative!" greeted Foster. "It's so good to meet you at long last."

"Yeah! Nice to meet you, too!" Jaden turned and welcomed North Academy's Chancellor with a huge smile. "Hey, hey! So, where's my opponent? Who's the guy I'm supposed to face?!"

"Right here, slacker!" A rude voice called out from not too far away.

"Huh? Who just said that?" Glancing to her left and right, all Jaden saw were a couple of Duel Academy or North Academy students, but none of them seemed to focus on her.

"It's me!" Going by her tip toes, Jaden saw from across Foster's shoulder a couple of rough-looking boys accompanied by the dark-haired boy in the center. A boy that had gone missing but was worthy enough to be about equal skilled with Jaden.

What nobody anticipated next was this.

"CHAAZZZZZZZZZYYYYYYYY!"

Faster before anyone could blink, Jaden zoomed past the rest of the students the second she saw Chazz and tackled Chazz to the ground, hugging his waist and wrapping her arms and legs around him tightly. Chazz, who was caught off guard by the tackle, tumbled down on his back.

Looking up at Chazz's face, Jaden grinned while Chazz stared down at her in a daze. "It's so good to see you again!~ I missed you!~"

Chazz snapped out of it and tried to push Jaden's head downwards, trying to get her off him. "Hey! Lemme go!"

"Ow ow ow ow ow! Noooooo! I'm not letting you go! I wanna hug you more!~"

Immediantly, the Yaoi Fanclub squealed and started taking pictures and writing down for a new article for their club, having gotten new gossiping news. The rest of Jaden's friends sweatdropped as Chazz's new minions shielded both Jaden and Chazz from the fanclub paparazzi. Seriously, why was yaoi so popular nowadays?!

"Hey! Get off of him!" One of Chazz's new friends, the muscular one with the beard, lifted her by the back of her Slifer Red jacket with ease due to her being light and him obviously being stronger.

"Noooooo! I wanna hug Chazzy!"

 _'Why don't I have a nickname?'_ thought Syrus, feeling jealous towards Chazz.

Disgusted, Chazz stood up and brushed the dust off his jacket. "Ugh! Why do you wanna hug me? What are you, gay?"

"Gay...?" Tilting her head, Jaden pondered a bit. "Hmm...Yeah! Yay! I'm gay!" Her expression changed to a happy one as she lifted her arms high in the air, dandling her a little bit in the air.

"Do...Do you even know what that means?"

 _'I doubt she knows,'_ thought Syrus, Chumley, Alexis, and Bastion.

"NOPE!"

 _'Figures...'_ The four sweatdropped, already anticipating that.

"So, anyways...Why are you here?" Jaden asked.

"For the duel," answered Chazz.

"I think it's sold out."

"I'm in it!"

"Like as a ref?"

"No! I mean, I'm in the duel!"

"Um..." Still confused and tilting her head, Jaden tried again. "Are you dueling...someone today?"

"Yes!"

"Is it...Alexis?"

"NO! I'm dueling you, you retard!" shouted Chazz, infuriated. Seriously, how much of a hint can he get?! It was so obvious and right in front of him!

"You mean...it's you?! You're North Academy's dueling representative?!" exclaimed Jaden, not expecting that at all. Well, she knew that he traveled alongside with North Academy, but didn't know he joined North Academy until now. "Since when did you transferred?!"

"Since I stopped getting the respect I deserved!"

"That's right!" Two of Chazz's goons agreed, defending their leader.

The big muscular North Academy student holding Jaden in the air turned her around to face him. "Yeah, you wouldn't give him respect, so he'll take it!"

"What do you mean? Of course I respect Chazz!" replied Jaden, swinging her legs back and forth playfully. "I just don't like how much of a jerk he is, that's all!"

"What?!" The muscular North Academy student dropped Jaden harshly on the ground before another spiky-haired North Academy student lashed out and clutched her wrist firmly.

"Ow! You're hurting my wrist!" cried out Jaden, tugging her arm, yet the spiky-haired teen wouldn't budge.

"I dare you to say that again to the Chazz!" he challenged, tightening his hand around her wrist. Anymore and it would cause bruises.

"Let it go. I'll take care of him myself," ordered Chazz calmly, not caring about the pain Jaden went through. And why should he? In fact, it brought a bit of relief to him when he saw some punishment delivered to those who he hated.

Yet...what's this uneased and uncomfortable feeling inside of him?

As Jaden and Chazz stared each other down, strong gusts of wind forced them to cover their vision along with everyone else on land as two helicopters flew down on the roof of a nearby boathouse.

Recognizing the symbol imprinted underneath the helicopters, Bastion exclaimed, "It's...it's the Princeton Group!"

"What?!" Widening his eyes, Chazz glanced at the symbol and recognized it instantly. "But...if that's the case, then that means-!" He peered upwards, spotting his two older brothers on a helicopter with the door wide opened dangerously.

"Hi, Chazz!" called Jagger in a somewhat taunting tone.

"What's up, little brother? Mind if we drop in?" spoke Slade.

"Slade?! Jagger?!" Frowning, Chazz demanded, "Why are you two here?"

"Isn't it obvious? To celebrate your big dueling victory!" replied one of Chazz's brothers as the helicopters landed safely and slowly for safety measures.

"You are going to win, right Chazz?" questioned Slade.

A TV crew standing on top of a machine appeared out of nowhere with the cameraman zooming on Jagger and Slade's tall appearance. The director announced with his megaphone, **"That's it! Beautiful! Just act natural!"**

 **"Alright, just move it to the right...and okay! Camera 2, set!"**

"Uh...What's going on here?" questioned Foster, glancing up at the director. All around the campus and docks, producers and employees carrying microphones, cameras, or other TV equipment were spread out everywhere, tasked with multiple things currently.

 **"Oh? You haven't heard? This year, we'll be broadcasting the school duel worldwide, sponsored entirely by the Princeton Group!"**

"Worldwide?! We're gonna be on TV?!" wondered Jaden excitedly, hoping that would be the case. If that were true, then this would be exciting news! She always wanted her face to be on TV! It was every kid's dream come true! Well, every teen.

 **"That's right!"**

"Yay!"

* * *

 _Later, inside a private room..._

"You set it up, didn't you? This whole broadcast thing?" confronted Chazz once he and his brothers had a chance to talk privately in one of the Academy's rooms. "Just what are you guys trying to do?"

"Well, we need the whole world to see that you're on your way to becoming Duel Monsters' best," explained Slade. "It's all part of the plan, so this TV broadcast is a way to make the plan a reality."

"Yeah, yeah..." muttered Chazz. The plan, the plan, the plan! Every single time, his brothers always have to mention that whenever they interact. Honestly, it was starting to annoy and stress him out.

"Look, Chazz!" said Jagger, noticing Chazz's rude demeanor. "World domination is ours for the taking, if we all do our part!"

"And we have! Now, it's your turn," reminded Slade. "And, to help you, our goal here today is to help you win and promote you to becoming the top duelist of Duel Monsters-no, the new King of Games!"

"Chazz, we heard from this...'Dr. Crowler,' that you dropped out of Duel Academy," started Jagger, his tone growing more and more furious. "Did you really think that you could get away from your duties? Get away from us? By dropping out of Duel Academy?"

"W-well...I..." When it came to his older brothers, Chazz didn't have much of a response, as they were more experienced than he might ever be.

"Don't deny it!" spoke Jagger harshly, standing up and glaring at his brother with disgust and disappointment. "You have always been the slacker of this family!"

"It doesn't matter!" shouted Slade. "The point is, Chazz, you can still turn it around! You can still show that we're supreme! And since the Princeton Group is sponsoring this TV broadcast, you better not lose!"

"That's right!" agreed Jagger, shoving a black briefcase right into Chazz's hands. "And the dueling cards in this case that your brother and I spend a large sum of money on are going to help you! They're the most expensive out there, so you have no excuse to lose!"

Stunned by their sudden, not-so-generous action, Chazz was forced to continue listening to his brothers. Do this, do that! It was always the same! But, they're his older brothers, so he can't disobey! It's also his responsibility as a Princeton!

"Don't let us down, Chazz!" continued Jagger, roughly encouraging him through force. "Don't you dare disgrace the Princeton name! It's all on you! Now go and win!"

Glaring down at the briefcase in his shaky hands, Chazz gulped down and nodded, leaving the room first with the briefcase threatening to slip from his sweaty fingers. Normally, anyone would be satisfied and be confident enough to use the rare cards his brothers worked hard to get.

Then, if that's the case, why is he the one not satisfied?

* * *

"Maaaan! They should have told me that I would be on TV sooner!" complained Jaden, dashing down the hallways with a brush and more of Alexis' perfume, intending on using the girl's bathroom to make herself more fit for the TV broadcast.

"Damnit, damnit, DAMNIT!"

"Huh?" Slowly coming to a halt, Jaden heard some sort of voice coming from the boy's bathroom and decided to stick around a bit to see what was happening. Hiding behind the frame of the open boy's bathroom entrance, she spotted Chazz banging his fists against the sink as he was shaking uncontrollably.

"Shit! Come on!" continued Chazz as his break down grew worse and worse with every attempt he tried to encourage himself. "Show them that Chazz Princeton is no loser! That you're worthy of the Princeton name! That you-that you can win! That you can keep winning, over and over!"

Fighting back tears despite the sob in his tone, Chazz fell to his knees, losing his grip on the sink. "Over and over! That you're the best! You've...you've got to do your part, Chazz! You've got to show them that you're supreme! It's your duty! It's the PLAN!"

Gritting his teeth, it took everything Chazz had not to cry, for fear that someone might come in and taunt him for being such a crybaby. Worse, if one of his older brothers came to see his pathetic state. Just this once, Chazz wanted to cry, even if it lasted a moment. But, not even he was granted that freedom. Or rather, he wasn't allowed to.

He was a Princeton, and an untold rule stated that Princetons are never supposed to cry.

However, Jaden was a different story. Seeing the confident, cocky, and somewhat jerkish Chazz in the bathroom...seeing him breaking down like this made her heart break as tears whelmed up and fall down. She covered her mouth with her hands and ran off, tears sprinkling down as she made a break for the girl's bathroom.

Once inside, she sobbed and turned on the faucet, wiping her eyes free from anymore tears. She never expected to see such a sight from Chazz...And seeing that he had such a heavy burden broke her heart. Taking some deep breaths, she wiped her face with the paper towels and sniffled, not sure what to do.

At that moment, some Obelisk Blue girls came inside and saw Jaden.

"EEEEEK! BOY!"

"Wha-?! I'm not a-!"

"Get him outta here!"

* * *

 _At the Duel Arena..._

The audience roared with excitement since the school duel was about to commence right in public television. While it was a bum that Zane wouldn't be representing for Duel Academy, at least there was someone at least almost as equal in skill with him.

 **"That's it, everyone! Lots of energy! Remember, the whole world's watching this live! Now, let's cheer these duelists on!"** cheered the director through the megaphone as the camera began filming.

"CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP!" The North Academy side was rooting for their representative, Chazz, to win for the glory of their school. As if it weren't obvious enough, one of the students was standing and waving a flag which showed the symbol of Noth Academy.

Sitting next to Foster in the North Academy section was his dear old friend Sheppard. Even though they're from rival schools, they weren't bitter towards each other and could enjoy each others' presence.

"Same as usual, Sheppard," reminded Foster. "Whoever wins this year will get the usual prize. Right?"

"Of course. I remember," agreed Sheppard. "After all, old friend, this makes this all worth while." The two chuckled lightly to themselves, enjoying a good laugh like the good old friends that they are.

Standing near the duel platform were Syrus, Chumley, and Duel Academy's representative, Jaden, who looked unhappy, yet the others didn't notice or probably weren't bothered by it.

"Alright, Jaden! Here we go! The match against your dueling rival! So, how do you feel?" prepped Syrus, trying to get Jaden into her usual dueling spirit.

"I...I dunno..." muttered Jaden, thinking back on Chazz and his previous break down in the bathroom.

"You don't know?! The most important match of your life is about to start and you don't know?! You're supposed to be all excited and say 'get your game!'"

"Maybe you have a bad stomachache or something?" guessed Chumley.

"No, it's not that...it's just that...Well..." Looking at Chazz, whom his followers were helping him set up for the duel, Jaden wondered, "Hey...You think it's possible for me to just...throw this match?"

"Whaaaat?! Why?!" both Chumley and Syrus cried out in unison.

"Well..." Still staring at Chazz from across the area, Jaden explained, "I overheard Chazz a bit earlier in the boy's bathroom and-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold up! In the boy's bathroom?" questioned Syrus, getting the wrong idea.

"Yeah. I was heading for the girl's bathroom when I heard him yelling to himself and trying to force himself to win," spoke Jaden sadly. "I...respect him now, since he worked hard to become the top student of North Academy. It's just too bad that one of us has to lose. I kinda understand the sort of place he's coming from, and it's...not exactly an easy place."

"Jaden, right now, it doesn't matter!" said Chumley. "He's your opponent! You can't purposely lose because you pity him!"

"Yeah! My brother used to tell me one thing about duelists," said Syrus. "If...if you truly respect your opponent, then you'll do everything you can and pour everything you got to beat that person! Even if it turns out to be a sick person or even a kid!"

"Doing everything, huh...?" Smiling a bit, Jaden understood, quickly finding her resolve. "Yeah...Thanks, guys! Yeah, I'm gonna try and win this with all I've got! Even if I lose, it's not like it's gonna be the end of the world or anything, right?"

Standing up, both Chancellors from rival schools gained attention from the other students and camera crew. "Attention, students! Welcome to the school duel! From Duel Academy..."

"And North Academy..." chimed in Foster.

Both Chancellors nodded to each other and declared simultaneously, "Let the school duel begin!"

"Dr. Crowler, introduce the duelists!" ordered Sheppard to Crowler, who was standing on the platform with a microphone with the camera now focused on him.

 **"With pleasure, Chancellor Sheppard! After all, these are two duelists who I know personally!"** announced Crowler, who was all psyched about introducing the chosen duelists not only to both North and Duel Academy, but to the entire world as well. **"Now then, the duel between Duel Academy and North Academy is now underway!"**

Both sides of the crowd cheered and released uproars that could shake the entire Academy as the duel was about to take place in mere moments.

 **"Now, now! Keep it down! Keep it down...Now then! Introducing the Slifer slac-I mean...Jaden Yuki!"** Extending his arm out towards Jaden, who stood proudly with a confident look, the crowd cheered for her, especially the Yaoi Fanclub.

Jaden's friends were also cheering her on, especially Syrus. "Yay! Go, Jaden! Break a leg out there!"

 **"And his opponent, from North Academy-!"**

"Get off the stage," came Chazz's gruff tone, which surprised Crowler. "I'll introduce myself, so shut up and beat it, you scrub!"

Crowler was beyong enraged upon receiving the insult by his former pupil. **"SCRUB?! I BEG YOUR PARDON?! SCRUBS DON'T HAVE P.H.D.S IN DUELING!"**

As Crowler was stomping his feet repeatedly on the ground, he failed to notice that the cord attaching to the microphone he held was getting all tangled up with his ankles and feet until the last minute when he tripped, rolled around, and crash landed off the dueling platform; groaning in agonizing pain.

Jaden rushed over and kneeled down, worried for her teacher. "Hey, you okay?"

"Listen up!" hollered Chazz, loud enough for everyone to hear him. "Do you all remember me?! Chazz Princeton! Then again, I don't really need an introduction! After all, everyone here knows who I am! Or...do you?! See, Chazz Princeton has changed! Sure, I used to be a classmate of yours, but when I left here, I left an old part of myself as well! Now, you're looking at the new and improved Chazz! The North Academy Chazz! And I'm here to-!"

"CHAZZ IT UP!" North Academy screamed out Chazz's favorite motto as if it were their own; as if it would grant them victory.

"That's right! Say it again!" ordered Chazz firmly in order for Duel Academy to use their filthy ears and hear his name twice.

"CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP!"

"Whoa...Such amazing popularity..." muttered Syrus, amazed and a little...scared. After all, who knows what Chazz had to go through just to dominate the entire North Academy and become popular instantly? In Duel Academy, he was only respected for his fame, power, and riches. But in North Academy, it seemed to be entirely different.

"SHOW NO MERCY, CHAZZ!"

"You've got that right!" Whirling around with determination from his fans, Chazz shouted, "Let's go, Jaden! I can't lose this duel!"

"Bring it on, Chazz!" said Jaden, activating her duel disk.

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Chazz - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"I'll go first! Draw!" shouted Chazz, taking advantage of his first turn. "For my first move, I'm going to summon a Monster with some bite! Rise, Masked Dragon!"

A masked dragon with wide wings and a scale-like tail emerged from light beneath the ground.

Masked Dragon - (FIRE/Dragon) - LV4 - (1400/1100)

"That's all for now!"

"My turn!" said Jaden. "I summon Elemental Hero Burstinatrix in Attack Mode!"

A pillar of fire shot up to the ceiling before dispersing and revealing Burstinatrix, ready to take some action.

Elemental Hero Burstinatrix - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (1200/800)

"Burstinatrix, take out that dragon! Burst Fire!"

Soaring up to the ceiling, Burstinatrix charged up a large fireball between her palms before casting it downwards onto Masked Dragon, resulting in a huge destructive explosion for the Monster and his master.

"Awesome! Jaden's taking the initiative!" cheered Syrus.

"Just as I thought! You took the bait!" sneered Chazz, smirking. "I activate Masked Dragon's effect! When he's sent to the Graveyard due to battle, I can Special Summon a Dragon-type with 1500 Attack Points or less from my deck! And I have just the right dragon in mind! Armed Dragon LV3!"

A buff-looking dragon that looked strong, yet small in size appeared in a flashing light.

Armed Dragon LV3 - (WIND/Dragon) - LV3 - (1200/900)

North Academy cheered loudly for Chazz's successful Special Summoning, while the other students remained in confusion such as Syrus. "Uh...What does he mean 'Level?'

"Levels are a sort of Archetype which a Monster continues to level up as you meet its requirements, and right now, Level 3 is the lowest," described Alexis. "If Chazz plays this right, the dragon will get a lot stronger."

"Indeed," said Bastion. "I just wonder how Chazz got such a powerful card...?"

Upon realizing the Monster and whichever Archetype it came from, Sheppard gasped as Foster smirked; his plan slowly blooming in fruition.

"Why...! Isn't that one of your school's top cards, Foster?! Foster...! You didn't!"

Seeing that there was no point hiding it, Foster bragged with confidence, "I did what I had to do. I told you, Sheppard, I want that prize, and I'm going to get it."

"I can't believe you! I won't let you! Not on my watch!" promised Sheppard, more fierce than ever for Jaden to win. "Jaden, don't lose! You absolutely cannot lose! Jaden it up! Jaden it up!"

"Of course I won't lose!" said Jaden, enjoying the attempted cheering by her own Chancellor. "Anyways, sweet card, Chazz! I can't wait to see what that Armed Dragon can do!"

"Don't worry! You'll have a first row seat!" reassured Chazz confidently, knowing how much Jaden is eagered to find out his new strategies. With that in mind, he knows that Jaden's bound to fall for his traps. The first one was simply the beginning, but just wait until he experiences the next traps!

"Until then, I guess! I'll place a card facedown and end my turn!" said Jaden.

"Then, it's my turn! Draw!" said Chazz, staying in place once he drew his card. He chuckled and smirked darkly. "Jaden...Let me tell you something really interesting about Armed Dragon LV3...You see, during my Standby Phase, his ability activates and-"

"Ooh! Ooh! I know! I know!" Jaden shouted, raising her hand frantically. "He lets you take a Polymerization from your deck, right?"

"No, I-"

"Ooh! Ooh! He lets you destroys a Monster once per turn!"

"That's not-"

"No, wait! Maybe he lets you play a card called 'Chazzy is a jerk!'"

"That doesn't even make-HEY!"

"Ooh! He lets you play Pot of Greed twice-"

"Jaden, shut up!" snapped Chazz; his eye twitching as he still remained in his Standby Phase pose.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Jerk."

"As I was saying!" grumbled Chazz; an anime angry tick mark forming at his forehead. "By sending Armed Dragon LV3 to the Graveyard, I get to Special Summon Armed Dragon LV5 from my hand or deck!"

"Say what?!"

"Now then, let's get to it, shall we?! Armed Dragon LV5, RISE!"

Light burst from underground and obliterated Armed Dragon LV3, but in exchange, his brand new form took over with several spikes and a change of color as his new appearance.

Armed Dragon LV5 - (WIND/Dragon) - LV5 - (2400/1700)

While North Academy's cheers rose once the almighty Dragon-Type revealed himself, Bastion called out, "Be careful, Jaden! By leveling up, Armed Dragon can potentially become more powerful than the next, and the more powerful a Monster is, the more powerful their Attack strength and special abilities are!"

"Don't worry! Everything's under control!" replied Jaden. "Because I have a Trap! Hero Ring! And I'll equip it to Burstinatrix! Now, Monsters with 1900 or more Attack Points can't attack!"

With that said, Burstinatrix held up a steel red steel up to her face, prepared to deal with any blows the dragon might deliver to her.

Smirking even more, Chazz chuckled menacingly. "You think I wouldn't have prepared for something like that? Even with that Hero Ring shield out, my Armed Dragon LV5 is still going to crush your creature!"

"How?"

"How? I'll show you! Armed Dragon LV5's ability activates! By discarding a Monster from my hand to the Graveyard and destroy one Monster whose Attack Points are equal or less than the one I just tossed! So, if Flying Kamakiri #1 goes to the Graveyard, and since his Attack Points are 1400..."

"Then that means Burstinatrix's a goner!" finished Jaden.

"Go, Armed Dragon LV5!"

Roaring his head up to the ceiling, the spikes all over Armed Dragon LV5's body catapulted and swarmed all around the area before coming together towards Burstinatrix's location, destroying her through the massive explosion.

"And that was just his special ability!" boasted Chazz. "Now for a direct attack! Inferno Roar!"

Bringing his wrathful fists down on Jaden, she was tossed aside by the huge impact of such force as well as her Life Points.

 **Chazz - 4000 LP**

 **Jaden - 1600 LP**

"Fufufufufu...Did that hurt you, Jaden? Too scared to stand back up?"chuckled Chazz, thinking that he's gotten ahold of Jaden's sense of fear.

"Come on, Jaden! Jaden, stand up!" pleaded Jaden's friends and Sheppard from the sidelines.

Jaden quickly hopped to her feet, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "Hehe...Sorry for the wait! Man, must have embarrassed myself in front of TV for a second, but I'm ready!"

"Tch! Whatever! I place a card facedown and I'm ending my turn!" shouted Chazz, annoyed. She just got pulverized by a direct attack against one of his strongest Monsters and he's still all happy and giggles? No matter, he'll break him soon enough!

"Not half-bad...He's finally acting like a true Princeton," praised Slade, impressed.

"That's true," agreed Jagger. "I just hope he doesn't win too fast."

"Huh?"

"Hey, if he wins this fast, then there'll still be broadcast time."

Noticing his brother's point, he chuckled alongside with him while Chazz still kept his head in the game, concentrating on defeating the opponent before him.

"My go!" said Jaden, drawing her card. "I play Elemental Hero Bubbleman in Attack Mode!"

The Elemental Hero clad in blue and specialty of water popped onto the field in a barrage of bubbles before taking an offensive stance.

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"And, if Bubbleman is sent out on the field all alone, I get to draw two more cards! And now, I'll use one of them! Polymerization! I fuse together Bubbleman and Lady Heat to form Elemental Hero Nova Master, a new Fusion Monster!"

Lava erupted from the platform and rose up like geysers before a new figure appeared as well. Holding a flaming fist in one hand with the other being concentrated in power, a masked HERO garbed in golden and red armor stood by for battle.

Elemental Hero Nova Master - (FIRE/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2600/2100)

"Alright! Go for it, Jaden! You've got him now!" cheered Syrus.

"How'd you manage to fuse a WATER Monster into a Fusion Monster?!" demanded Chazz.

"Elemental Hero Nova Master's Fusion Materials include one FIRE Attribute Monster plus any Elemental Hero!" explained Jaden. "Alright! Time for a counterattack! Explosive Wave!"

Palms filled with fire, the fires Nova Master possessed increased in both power and size before he unleashed them in a wave of fire that burnt Armed Dragon LV5 to a crisp.

 **Chazz - 3800 LP**

 **Jaden - 1600 LP**

"Tch! Not bad, Jaden!" muttered Chazz. "But, this is far from over!"

"You're right! I activate Nova Master's ability!" shouted Jaden. "Whenever he destroys a Monster, I get to draw one card!"

"Fine, but now I'll activate my Trap! Call of the Haunted! Due to this card, I can Special Summon one Monster from my Graveyard in Attack Mode! And I choose Armed Dragon LV5! So rise, my dragon!"

Armed Dragon LV5 - (WIND/Dragon) - LV5 - (2400/1700)

"CHAZZ IT UP!"

"CHAZZ IT UP!"

"SHOW NO MERCY, CHAZZ!"

The reappearance of the fearsome dragon had everyone's hopes and spirits arising once more, causing them to cheer fiercely for Chazz.

"Well, guess I'll just throw down a facedown and end my turn!" said Jaden.

"Oh, great! Jaden just defeated that dragon and already, Chazz summoned it back!" cried out Syrus. "This is bad!"

"No, it's alright!" assured Chumley, causing the others to turn to him, awaiting an answer. "Armed Dragon destroys a Monster with less or equal Attack Points than the Monster card discarded from your hand. And, since Jaden has a high Attack Point Monster on the field, it'll be hard trying to get a high Attack Point Monster in hand.

"Oh! That's right!" Fully confident, Syrus yelled, "Do your best, Jaden!"

"Get ready for me to mop the floor with you, Jaden!" said Chazz, drawing his card. "Now, I'm using Armed Dragon LV5's special ability! I'm discarding Despair from the Dark from my hand to the Graveyard, and since it had 2800 Attack Points, your Monster's automatically destroyed!"

"I spoke too soon!" divulged Syrus, knowing what came next was going to end in disaster.

"Now go, Armed Dragon! Destroy Hero Nova Master!"

Spike-like missiles fired from Armed Dragon's body once again, aiming straight for the Fusion Monster in Jaden's possession.

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell, De-Fusion! Defuse, Nova Master!" ordered Jaden just as the missiles began to make their mark. At the same time, the FIRE Fusion Monster split up into both Elemental Heroes Lady Heat and Bubbleman in Defense Mode.

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

Elemental Hero Lady Heat - (FIRE/Pyr0) - LV4 - (1300/1000)

"Whatever! I still have Armed Dragon's attack left!" scoffed Chazz, not fazed by his dragon's failed attempt to rid the previous Fusion Monster. "Armed Dragon LV5, attack Lady Heat!"

Lady Heat screamed in pain once Armed Dragon LV5 brought his claws down on her body, destroying her.

"Haha! Now to power up my Armed Dragon once again! To the highest level!" called Chazz, raising both his arms. "Now, won't you join me, Jaden? In welcoming...the ultimate and all-powerful...LV7 Armed Dragon!"

Red beams of light lit up from beneath the previous dragon before he glowed and grew bigger and stronger than before. To show evidence of his newfound power, Armed Dragon LV7 unleashed a terrifying roar towards Duel Academy while North Academy cheered from behind.

Armed Dragon LV7 - (WIND/Dragon) - LV7 - (2800/1000)

"YEAAAAHHH! CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP!"

"Whoa...This is...Armed Dragon's ultimate form?" wondered Jaden before a smile slowly grew onto her face.

"Huh? That's strange! That Monster wasn't int he suitcase I gave to Chazz!" spoke Jagger suspiciously.

"Wait, what?!" exclaimed Slade, turning to his brother.

Seeing the tables being turned on Chazz and how Foster was being so smug and overconfident about this practically drove Sheppard insane and raging. He stood up and waved with both arms. "Don't give up, Jaden! We're with you!" cheered Sheppard, trying to lift up the Slifer Red's spirits. "Come on, everbody! Jaden it up! Jaden it up!"

"BOOO!"

"Sit down, Grandpa!"

"Yeah, no one wants to hear your cheers, old man!"

"Tell him how it really goes!" called Chazz.

"CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP! SHOW HIM NO MERCY!"

Pointing a finger sky high into the air with his followers cheering and encouraging behind him, Chazz smirked darkly once more. "See that, Jaden? My ultimate, legendary Monster! What's wrong? Trembling? Too scared to say anything? Well-"

"WOW! HE'S SO COOL!~" squealed Jaden with twinkling eyes as she clapped and hopped up and down. "I gotta get me one of those! He's so cool and cute!~"

 _'How exactly is a huge dragon that tall supposed to be cute?'_ thought Bubbleman, sweatdropping. Then again, this was Jaden, who always thought strange and powerful things were cute, even if they were an opponent's Dragon-Type.

"How exactly is my dragon cute?!" questioned Chazz. "The cool part, I get. But the cute part?! He's anything but cute!"

"Awww! Don't say that! You'll hurt his feelings!" pouted Jaden. "Bad Chazzy! But...I still want that Armed Dragon! Trade for him?!"

"No, I won't trade for him! What's wrong with you?! You should be scared of him! Not admiring and calling him cute!"

"But I can't help it! He's such an awesome Monster!" Jaden squealed once more, skipping up and down excitedly. "This is such an awesome duel, no matter how much of a pinch I'm in! Thanks, Chazzy! You're so awesome, bringing an awesome dragon who's gonna whip my ass later!"

"'Thanks?' You're thanking me because I'm about to make you lose?" questioned Chazz, shaking his head disappointedly and with disgust. "You make me sick, Jaden! You're too easily naive and pitiful that I can't stand you! Jumping up and down and squealing like some schoolgirl; never taking anything serious...! That's why you'll never be a champion!"

"You're right! I'm not gonna be a champion!" said Jaden proudly. "I'm gonna be King of Games!"

"...Once again, you've proven your naivety,' sighed Chazz. "Listen, Jaden! It takes discipline to win! You need to have sense of duty! You need to have some kind of plan! And I have a plan! And I have a sense of duty! And that's why I'm going to beat punks like you, Jaden! That's why I'll beat anyone in my way! That's why I'm gonna conquer everything, including the whole world! And you're first on my 'People I hate' list!'"

"Okay..." said Jaden awkwardly. "Well, if you don't mind, can I take my turn first?"

"Make it quick!" snapped Chazz, breathing heavily from his heavy weighted speech. He need a quick break for a minute and regain his composure, or otherwise, he'd never beat Jaden in such an aggressive way!

"My turn! Draw!" said Jaden. "First off, I'm calling Wroughtweiler in Defense Mode and calling it a turn after placing a card facedown!"

The Elemental Heroes' dog barked once before kneeling in Defense Mode as told to do so.

Wroughtweiler - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (800/1200)

"It doesn't matter how many defensive Monsters you summon!" exclaimed Chazz as he drew his card. "You know why? Because my Armed Dragon's gonna take them all out! Watch this! I activated Armed Dragon LV7's effect! By discarding a Monster from my hand to the Graveyard, all Monsters with less than or equal Attack Points as the Monster I just discarded are all destroyed!"

"Oh no! That'll leave Jaden wide open!" cried out Alexis.

"A powerful Monster with a powerful effect...how fitting," muttered Zane, impressed.

"I'm sending Armed Dragon LV3 to the Graveyard, so all your Monsters with 1200 or less than Attack Points are automatically destroyed!" shouted Chazz. "Go, Genocide Slicer!"

Roaring, Armed Dragon LV7 opened his steel-like abdomen and brought forth two surging discs of energy that slashed through Jaden's remaining two Monsters.

"Jaden!" Jaden's friends were extremely worried, for Jaden's situation grew a whole lot worse with Armed Dragon LV7's effect. How was she going to summon a Monster powerful enough to take out such a beast?

"Jaden, it's alright! You can still make a comeback!" cried Sheppard desperately. "Jaden it up! Jaden it up!"

Unfortunately, North Academy's cheering cries overpowered Sheppard's as the students continue to support Chazz and his approaching victory.

"I activate Wroughtweiler's effect!" continued Jaden, not willing to give up. "When he's sent to the Graveyard, I get to bring back Polymerization and an Elemental Hero back to my hand!"

"As if it'll matter, you Slifer slacker!" taunted Chazz, uncaring one bit about the little facts. "This is the end, Jaden! Time for you to go bye-bye! Armed Dragon LV7! Attack him directly with Dragon Talon Terror!"

Raising a clawed arm, Armed Dragon LV7 prepared to deal the finishing blow down upon his master's opponent; appearing to show no mercy to his enemies whatsoever as Jaden's friends panicked while Chazz, his brothers, and the rest of North Academy were starting to relish the fact that Chazz was about to win the duel.

Just when the talons were about to collide down on Jaden, she was quick on her feet. "I activate my Trap, Hero Spirits!"

The strike meant for her instantly changed towards the sudden reappearance of Bubbleman, who used his body as a shield, and as a result, caused a huge explosion. The explosion may not have destroyed Armed Dragon LV7, but it was still enough to knock him back.

Even Chazz was baffled by the sudden turn of events. "What the-?! How did-?! Why didn't my attack go through?!"

"If one of my Elemental Heroes are destroyed in battle, Hero Spirits makes all Battle Damage to 0!" spoke Jaden.

"Tch...Managed to dodge a bullet, huh?" muttered Chazz before smirking. "Well, doesn't matter one bit! My Armed Dragon's still the strongest on the field, and there's not a single card in your deck that can stop him! I end my turn!"

"My turn! Draw!" said Jaden before glaring at the card she just drew; smiling brightly. "Oh, hey! You came at just the right time, Winged Kuriboh! Now I summon Winged Kuriboh in Defense Mode and end my turn!"

Arms crossed over his chest, Winged Kuriboh stood floating in Defense Mode.

Winged Kuriboh - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV1 - (300/200)

"Why'd you bring him out, Jaden? He can hardly put up any defense against my dragon!" insulted Chazz, noticing Winged Kuriboh angrily flapping his wings at him and bouncing up and down. "Heh, he still gets angered easily, huh?"

Ojama Yellow appeared right next to Chazz's shoulder and spoke up, _**"Hey, Boss! Maybe you can ask him where my two brothers went! I'm still so lonely without them! Well, except with you! You're alright! So, please send me out on the field so I can ask him!"**_

"Get lost!" Chazz snapped at the Duel Spirit. "No way in hell am I sending you out there! You got that?!"

 _ **"I got it, Boss...Sorry..."**_

Unseen by anyone else other than Jaden and Chazz, Winged Kuriboh bounced off the field and leaped onto Jaden's shoulder before pointing at Chazz's direction. _**"Kuri! Kuri! Kuri! Kuriboh kuri kuri!"**_ ("Jaden! Jaden! Look! Chazz has a Duel Spirit right near his shoulder!")

"Huh? Chazz has a Duel Spirit?" Squinting her eyes for a moment, Jaden realized that Winged Kuriboh was telling the truth. "Hey! You're right! I can see him! Hey, Chazz! Who's your cute little friend? Can I play with him later?"

"W-what?!" Chazz frantically moved around, trying to get Ojama Yellow to leave while blurting out excuses. Finally, once Ojama Yellow vanished in a puff of smoke, Chazz drew his card and began his turn. "Time to finish off that lame weakling who couldn't even so much as scratch a wooden board!"

Taking that as an insult, Winged Kuriboh huffed, ready to take on anything Chazz throws at him to prove he was worthy.

"Armed Dragon LV7, attack!"

Armed Dragon LV7 raised his claws and slashed downwards, easily taking down Winged Kuriboh. Destroying the low-leveled Monster was almost as easily as shredding paper in half with ease.

"And with that, I'll end my turn!"

"Wait, I'm confused," said Syrus, examining the duel. "Why didn't Chazz use Armed Dragon's special ability?"

"Two reasons," answered Bastion. "One; with Winged Kuriboh's effect, Chazz would be unable to deal any damage to Jaden this turn. And two; there's a possibility that there aren't any Monster cards for Chazz to discard. Of course, that's just a possibility. Either way, it was inevitable that Winged Kuriboh would be destroyed."

"My turn! And I activate the Spell card, Pot of Greed! That lets me draw two more cards!" said Jaden. "Awesome! I discard one card from my hand to activate a Spell card, which happens to be Special Hurricane! Because I discarded one card from my hand, all Monsters that were Special Summoned are automatically destroyed!"

"Wha-?! My dragon!" Before Chazz could so much as glance at his dragon, wind gathered in one spot and transformed into a powerful hurricane that surrounded Armed Dragon LV7's body before resulting in a huge explosion much bigger than the previous one.

"Now that your best Monster is destroyed and you're wide open, I can hit you with a direct attack!" Jaden told him. "I summon Elemental Hero Wildheart in Attack Mode!"

The beast-like warrior rushed up to the field and drew out his jagged sword.

Elemental Hero Wildheart - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1500/1600)

"Wildheart, attack Chazz directly!"

Letting out a Tarzan-like war cry, Wildheart leaped up and came back down, slashing Chazz downwards which sent him flying and tumbling around the platform once he landed.

 **Chazz - 2300 LP**

 **Jaden - 1600 LP**

"Haha! The prize is sooo mine!" laughed Sheppard, rubbing it all in Foster's shocked expression. "After all, looks like your boy's down for the count! Sorry!~"

Infuriated at not only the loss of Armed Dragon LV7, but the fact that Sheppard was insulting him, Foster stood up with newfound determination. "Oh no he's not! Chazz, get up!"

"CHAZZ, GET UP! CHAZZ, GET UP!" cheered the rest of North Academy, still finding hope for Chazz's victory. It wasn't over until there was only one duelist left standing and it was definitely going to be their toughest duelist, Chazz!

"Jagger, what does Chazz think he's doing?" questioned Slade, displeased and angry. "Why isn't he using the cards we gave him?!"

"Grr...It's my turn...!" grunted Chazz, getting up and being swift in drawing his card. "Now I play a Spell card; Graveyard in the Fourth Dimension! This card lets me return two LV Monsters from my Graveyard to my deck and then allows me to shuffle! And with that done, I'm returning Armed Dragon LV3 and LV7! Next, I summon Armed Dragon LV3 in Defense Mode!"

Armed Dragon LV3 - (WIND/Dragon) - LV3 - (1200/900)

"CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP!" roared the North Academy crowd upon seeing the new appearance. Sure, it'd be a pain to go through the whole Armed Dragon summoning process again, but it'd be well worth it if Chazz managed to summon Armed Dragon's ultimate form once again.

"I'll set a card facedown before ending my turn!"

Glancing up a little to his left, Chazz caught the glaring eyes of his brothers before turning away, clenching his fists. _'Don't look at me like that...! I know I gotta win...I know I have to win! I'm trying! I'm trying!'_

"I'm trying...!" grumbled Chazz, tightening his fists as his shoulders stiffen.

Hearing a slight mutter from Chazz and noticing his tense appearance, Jaden decided to see what he was looking at before. Somewhere around the crowd, she spotted two characters that were out of place, as evident of their black suits and older appearances.

 _'Those must be...his brothers? They do kinda look alike,'_ thought Jaden, finding herself staring at them before looking down at the ground. She recalled the memory of seeing Chazz breaking down in the bathroom and felt tears coming back. _'I get it...He was being pressured by his brothers! Poor guy...being tormented and pressured like that..Who knows how long he's been enduring this all along?'_

Although it was faint at first, Jaden could now clearly hear her friends cheering her on from the sidelines, urging her not to give up and to win. Realizing they were right, Jaden knew that dueling wasn't about losing or winning, but having fun!

"Alright, Chazz..." started Jaden, getting Chazz's attention. "I'm sorry, but I have to win! Let's duel!"

"What do you think we have been doing, you idiot?!"

North Academy laughed at Chazz's comment, but Jaden could care less about that before North Academy began cheering on Chazz once more. "CHAZZ IT UP! BEAT HIM UP CHAZZ!"

Now filled with determination to win, Jaden announced, "My turn! Draw! Wildheart, attack Armed Dragon LV3! Wild Slash!"

Wildheart leaped up the air and came back down with a slash strike, slaying the potentially dangerous dragon.

"Gh-! I activate my Trap, Grave of Enkindling!" shouted Chazz. "Since a Monster was just destroyed in battle, it allows both of us to Special Summon one Monster in our Graveyard in Defense Mode! And I'm Special Summoning Armed Dragon LV5!"

Armed Dragon LV5 - (WIND/Dragon) - LV5 - (2400/1700)

"Grave of Enkindling made that way too easy! It's practically unfair!" complained Syrus angrily. "Isn't there any drawback into using it?"

"Hmm..." Thinking deeply, Bastion reponded calmly, "If I recall correctly, the resurrected Monster must remain in Defense Mode. That must be the reason why Chazz still placed Armed Dragon LV7 in the Graveyard. However, even in Defense Mode, Armed Dragon LV5 can still activate his effect, and the only Monsters Jaden has in the Graveyard are weak Attack Point Monsters."

"Well? What are you waiting for?! Resurrect! Take a Monster out of your Graveyard!" shouted Chazz impatiently. "But, lemme tell ya, no matter what weak Monster you Special Summon, it'll stand no chance against Armed Dragon LV5's effect!"

"Who said I was Special Summoning one Monster? In fact, I'll recall three!" declared Jaden.

Chazz scoffed, thinking Jaden wasn't paying attention earlier. "What are you talking about? That Grave of Enkindling only lets you bring one Monster back!"

"Oh yeah? Then, I Special Summon Hero Kid from the Graveyard!" announced Jaden.

A young, average-looking boy in a spacesuit-like costume and a red mask appeared, looking excited to have been summoned by the one he swore to protect.

Hero Kid - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV2 - (300/600)

"When did you send him to the Graveyard! He wasn't there last time I checked!" demanded Chazz.

"Don't you remember? When I activated Special Hurricane, I needed to fufill one condition; send one card from my hand to the Graveyard!" answered Jaden. "And I bet you can guess which card I sent."

"Hmph. Oh, yeah. Right."

"Plus, when Hero Kid is Special Summoned, then I get to call out every other Hero Kid in my deck!" said Jaden.

Two more Hero Kids appeared and kneeled down besides the first Hero Kids; all three triplet brothers reunited and together to aid Jaden with huge smiles on their faces.

Hero Kid - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV2 - (300/600) X2

"And now, I'm throwing down a facedown and calling it a turn!"

Chazz had to admit, he was impressed by Jaden's new strategy, so he silently commended him. "Heh, I see! By Special Summoning three Monsters, you think I'll have to discard three cards to destroy them, right? You wish! I don't have to discard three cards! I just have to play one!"

"W-what does he mean by that?" wondered Syrus, frightful of what's about to happen.

"Alright, my turn!" said Chazz, beginning his turn. "I activat the Spell card, Level Up! I select 1 LV Monster I control and send it to the Graveyard, then I Special Summon 1 Monster from my hand or Graveyard that's listed in the sent Monster's text, completely ignoring the summoning conditions! Come forth, Armed Dragon LV7!"

Armed Dragon LV7 - (WIND/Dragon) - LV7 - (2800/1000)

Just as North Academy hoped, Armed Dragon LV7 did reveal himself soon enough thanks to Chazz's hard efforts. They cheered for Chazz's success and how the dragon's second appearance was about to make a comeback and turn the duel around, allowing them the win. As proof of their loyalty and hope for Chazz, they cheered and yelled louder than ever for him.

"CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP!"

"I've been waiting a long time to tell you this, Jaden! So, listen up!" yelled Chazz, preparing for his counterattack. "'I've got my game on!' And, I'm about to turn yours off!"

 **"Yeah, keep it going! It's finally the climax!"** announced the director as he and his camera crew were still filming the whole thing live on television.

"Now, I'll play the Equip Spell card, Armed Changer!" Chazz continued. "Now, simply by discarding another Equip Spell card from my hand to the Graveyard, Armed Changer is equipped onto Armed Dragon LV7!"

One of Armed Dragon LV7's talons were geared up with a new weapon; one that happened to be a gauntlet with drill-like claws.

"Take out Wildheart! Dragon Driller!"

Rotating his arm at a fast pace, Armed Dragon LV7 practically made mincemeat out of slicing up Wildheart and destroying him.

 **Chazz - 2300 LP**

 **Jaden - 300 LP**

"And now, Armed Changer's effect activates!" said Chazz. "When Armed Dragon takes down a Monster in battle, it lets me bring a Monster back from my Graveyard to my hand, just so long as it doesn't have more Attack Points than the Monster I just destroyed! So, I'm bringing back Masked Dragon! But he won't be here for long, because now I'm using Armed Dragon LV7's special ability!"

"Masked Dragon's Attack Points are 1400," spoke Zane. "All Monsters with less Attack Points than that are automatically destroyed!"

"Activate your special ability and take out those Hero Kids!" Chazz ordered.

Three energy discs shot out of Armed Dragon LV7's abdomen and utterly destroyed the remaining defending forces that Jaden had left.

Armed Dragon LV7 on his side, the crowd cheering for his name, the excitement after nearly losing but rising back up like a fallen phoenix, and Jaden being completely defenceless...With all these things, Chazz couldn't help but laugh evilly and proudly of himself.

"Ahahahahaha! Poor little Jaden! You have no more Monsters to defend yourself with!" teased Chazz, grinning. "Tell ya what; if you surrender peacefully, then I promise I won't embarrass you in front of public TV! Oh wait, I already did! Ahahaha!"

"Jaden! Don't give up! Please!" pleaded Sheppard, even know he knew the situation was hopeless for Jaden.

"Who said anything about giving up?" called out Jaden, smiling. "I mean, I'm having WAY too much fun to be giving up! After all, that's what dueling's all about! Win or lose! 'Cause if you're having fun, you win every time!"

"Yeah, right!" said Chazz, disbelieving her.

"No, it's true! I mean, if I could have fun losing, then shouldn't you be having fun winning? I mean, just a minute ago, you were all laughing and saying how you were going to win. It's seriously not that hard, despite what your brothers want you to believe."

"What?! What do you know about my brothers?!" shouted Chazz, getting all personal.

"Well..." started Jaden. "For starters, Chazz, I know they're the ones you're dueling for." Her facial expression changed towards a serious and disaproval one. "And the ones putting all this pressure on you too. I mean, come one! Don't you remember dueling for the excitement of it all?"

"...I only duel to win," spoke Chazz stubbornly.

"Then, I'll make you realize that dueling is for fun! My turn! Draw!" shouted Jaden. "From my hand, I activate the Warrior Returning Alive card! Now, I can bring a Warrior-Type Monster from my Graveyard and to my hand! And I think I'll choose Burstinatrix! Then, using Polymerization, I'll fuse both Burstinatrix and Avian from my hand! I Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"

Her infamous Fusion Monster, also her current ace, appeared while sporting a huge evil grin on his face as well as a menacing aura. It looked like he had been looking forward to seeing Chazz on the dueling field once again. Chazz couldn't shake the feeling of fear despite the difference between his Monster and Flame Wingman's Attack Points.

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

"W-what good will calling him out do?" questioned Chazz, still a little frighten by Flame Wingman's presence. "Don't you remember that Armed Dragon's Attack Points are 2800? No way will you be able to outmatch him!"

"But I can! Everything's all set for my combo Trap!" said Jaden. "But first, I equip Magnum Shield to Flame Wingman! Because he's in Attack Mode, he gains Attack Points equal to the amount of his original Defense Points!"

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (3100/1200)

"I activate my facedown Trap, Miracle Kids! For each Hero Kid in my Graveyard, this card lowers the Attack Points of an opponent's Monster by 400 Points! So, that means that Armed Dragon LV7's Attack Points goes down by 1200!"

Armed Dragon LV7 - (WIND/Dragon) - LV7 - (1600/1000)

"Victory's mine! Flame Wingman, attack Armed Dragon LV7!"

Shooting up into the air, Flame Wingman unleashed all of his full power onto the legendary Armed Dragon LV7; engulfing his large, scale-like body in bursting, hot flames.

Panicking, the director yelled through the megaphone, **"This is bad! Chazz is going to lose! Cut the transmission! Cut! Cut! Cut!"**

All over national TV, the duel was cut short by a weather news report; thus, the remainder of the duel was not exclusive to anyone else other than the people at the site of Duel Academy.

 **Chazz - 800 LP**

 **Jaden - 300 LP**

North Academy groaned and cried at the prideful loss of Armed Dragon LV7, especially Chazz since he knew what was about to happen next.

"She did it! Flame Wingman took down Armed Dragon!" cheered Syrus.

"And, the assault's not over yet. Flame Wingman still has his special ability," reminded Bastion.

"Yeah, I remember," said Alexis. "Flame Wingman's ability is that he can inflict damage equal to the Attack Points of the destroyed Monster. Since Armed Dragon had 1600, and Chazz has 800 Life Points left, then this duel is all set.

"NOOOOOOOOO-OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

At first, Chazz was lamenting over the destruction of his strongest dragon, but at the same time, he was experiencing pain from Flame Wingman's effect. He heard rumors of how male duelists were traumatized by Flame Wingman thanks to his super power, and now it was his turn to experience it, and owwwww! Man, did it hurt! For some reason, he had some feeling that Flame Wingman REALLY didn't like him.

 **Chazz - 0 LP**

 **Jaden - 300 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

Duel Academy roared, fully filled with life and excitement over the intense duel. It was a real close call for their representative, Jaden, but a well-deserved victory as well. This was one duel they weren't going to forget anytime soon. Not just because a Slifer Red was chosen, but also because of the strategies, the Monsters, anything exhilarating about the duel.

"That's game!" giggled Jaden, giving out her usual hand posture.

Chazz went down on his knees, gritting his teeth as he heard footsteps approaching him. He glanced up a little to see black pants and black shoes, so it didn't take him long to figure out it was his big brothers coming to confront him.

"Chazz, what the hell were you doing?!" scolded Slade.

"You disgraced the Princeton name for the last time!" yelled Jagger. "You disgust us!"

"I'm...I'm sorry..." Apologized Chazz, placing his hands firmly on the ground and lowering his head;unable to gaze at his brothers straight in the eye any longer and appearing as if begging for mercy. "Please...Just give me another chance!"

"Another chance?! Do you know how much money we put into everything for today?!" demanded Jagger.

"The cameras! The rare cards! None of which you used, I might add!" added Slade.

"Sorry, but I just...I just wanted to win using my own cards," said Chazz. Letting out a yelp, Chazz was yanked up into the air by his jacket collar by Jagger. Both him and Slade weren't quite done yelling at his face at how much of a failure he was.

"Using your own cards?!"

"When could you do anything by yourself, Chazz?!"

"Let him go!" ordered Jaden, running up to the trio of brothers with an indignant look. The rest of her friends gathered behind her, ready to support her if needed. "Sure, he lost, but at least he dueled with everything he had, without your cards!"

"Stay out of this, kid! This is personal family matters only!" warned Slade.

"If you're really family, then you shouldn't treat Chazz like that!" argued Jaden, continuing to defend him. "Who cares if he lost? All that matters is that he tried his best!"

"We're not interested in the process! All we're interested in is the winning results!" told Jagger.

Jaden growled, unable to believe her ears at Chazz's two older brothers. How could they not even consider Chazz's feelings?! Why? Because they're two dumb assholes, that's what! Not only did she feel more sympathetic towards Chazz, but her need to defend him increased immensely. She knew the others felt the same way as well.

"Besides, why defend Chazz anyhow?" wondered Slade. "He's a nobody now! Disowned by us! And by the whole world! I mean, the cameras caught enough of it! He got beat and humilated!"

"Worse of all, he made a disgrace of us!" hollered Jagger right to Chazz's face as the younger sibling tried to look away.

"Wrong! There was one fight he did win!" Jaden argued with reasonable, bright eyes full of anger towards the older brothers, yet defending motivation for Chazz. "The fight against you two! Against you and your stupid pressure on him! Especially on his own turfs!"

Scoffing, Jagger shoved Chazz back, releasing him. Jaden looked at him and continued, "Dueling isn't about winning or losing. It's not just about having fun, but also gaining something important! Chazz, I think that both of us won and-"

"Save it, Jaden!" snapped Chazz, not wanting to hear it. "Look, the reality is that I lost. You won. Congrats. Now, nobody else believes in me, and nobody will. That's just how it's going to be from now on."

"I..." Jaden couldn't help but look down, unable to believe those cruel words. She wanted to help him, but she knew she alone wasn't enough to change his mind. Still, what could she do to help cheer him up, even a little...?

"We do, Chazz!" yelled a guy from the audience.

"Yeah, you did great!"

"We're proud of you, Chazz!"

"Both you and Jaden did awesome!"

"Awesome duel!"

"CHAZZ IT UP!"

"Both your brothers are mean! They should leave!"

"Yeah! Leave, stupid brothers!"

"BOOO!"

Both North Academy and Duel Academy, having eavesdropped on the whole scene between Chazz and his brothers, instantly began cheering for Chazz and Jaden, though mostly Chazz since he truly deserved it the most. As for the rest of the crowd, they started yelling for Jagger and Slade to leave, insulting them and even throwing items at their direction.

Glancing around and trying to avoid the things thrown at them, both Jagger and Slade couldn't believe the people at Duel Academy and North Academy. What was it that caused them to drive towards Chazz's side? Why join his side and why are they the ones treated as the villains? Both brothers didn't care enough to think and decided to just leave.

Watching his brothers leave the area, Chazz knew that there was only one thing left to do.

* * *

 _Later..._

All of Duel Academy and North Academy gathered at the port once against to say their farwells to North Academy as they were about to depart. Jaden was a bit sad to see Chazz leave, but knew it was for the best. At least she enjoyed a good duel, and she bet that deep down, Chazz enjoyed it as well.

"Hey, Chazz! That was such a sweet duel!" praised Jaden. "Let's duel again sometime!"

"Jaden, I'm not going back to North Academy," said Chazz seriously.

"WHAT?!" exclaimed all of North Academy. Why would their best student, Chazz, say such a thing?! Without him, they'd be nothing without their strong leader!

"Look, guys," spoke Chazz, turning to his fellow now former classmates. Sure they didn't spend a lot of time together, but he did appreciate them cheering for him, and he wouldn't ever forget that. "I don't belong with you guys. Sorry."

"Then, where do you belong?" asked Czar, the same muscular student who grabbed at Jaden before.

"Right here! Duel Academy was always my home! Czar, I'm returning the title back to you."

"B-but you're our best duelist, Chazz! Are you sure?"

"I am," assured Chazz firmly, looking back at Sheppard. "If Chancellor Sheppard will have me back, that is."

Sheppard nodded. "Well, Chazz! You were one of our best students, so how could I say no?"

"Guess I'll be going!" said Foster, sadden to see Chazz leaving his Academy. "But, before I do, I'd like to have my Armed Dragon deck ba-"

 **"Attention, please!"** announced Crowler, who was standing on top of a special stage with a microphone. **"And now to announce the prize for the duel between North Academy and Duel Academy! The most beautiful woman in the island...MISS DUEL ACADEMY!"**

"WHOA!" Everyone rushed up to the stage, wanting to see who "Miss Duel Academy" is. Well, mostly the boys since they were imagining Miss Duel Academy as more than just attractive.

Basically; Attractiveness x 100 + Dark Magician Girl = HEAVEN

"She's gotta be hot!"

"If Crowler says she's really beautiful, then damn, she must be as hot as Dark Magician Girl! Probably even better!

"Hurry up and show us!"

 **"And presenting Miss Duel Academy herself!"**

Appearing on the stage...Wearing makeup...Dressing appropriately in a lovely red, velvet dress...was Miss Dorothy.

"MISS DOROTHY!" Everyone cringed loudly while others started bawling and making complains.

"Awww! Miss Dorothy looks so beautiful!" said Jaden, not getting why the others were whining.

"Ugh...Sure, I guess she is in her own way," muttered Syrus, facepalming. Here he was, ready to embrace and stick the memory of the most attractive woman on the island...only for it all to crash down like lightning. He wasn't going to get that image out of his head anytime soon.

 **"Now, the Chancellor of the winning Academy! Please approach the stage!"**

Happily humming a tune, Sheppard walked up the stairs to the stage and leaned forward. Dorothy smiled brightly before smooching his lips in a huge, sloopy kiss. The crowd groaned, whined, or just averted their eyes as the kiss became a bit...intense.

Unfazed and oblivious, Jaden wondered, "A kiss? That's the prize? Oh! Good for Sheppard and Miss Dorothy, I suppose."

Syrus, whose hands covered his eyes, thought, _'I wonder if Jaden and I could be like that...No, bad Syrus! Focus!'_

Foster, who seen everything, burst into tears before running off as Chazz watched him. "WAAAAAHHH! WAIT FOR ME, MY LADY! I'LL BE BACK NEXT YEAR! WAAAAAHHHH!"

Feeling a bit bad and weird for Foster, Chazz sweatdropped. "...Yeah, I'm gonna pretend that the prize is just a good old pat in the back."

"CHAZZZZZYYYY!"

Whirling around, Chazz felt someone grab his arm and plant a kiss onto his cheek.

Guess who that happened to be? Three hints; Kuriboh-like hair, Slifer Red duelist, and an energetic person who loves Cheetos.

The commotion surrounding Miss Dorothy and Sheppard ceased when everyone turned their attention towards Chazz and Jaden, who was still kissing his cheek. Everything seemed to be frozen in place and silent as night except for the Yaoi Fanclub, who started taking pictures.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" screamed Syrus, falling to his knees in despair that his best friend was kissing her worst enemy! Being rejected was hard enough, but watching her kiss someone else was too much. Damn, now he knew how Foster felt.

Chazz shook his head and pushed Jaden off him. "W-WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

Jaden gave an innocent grin. "A sign of appreciation!"

 _'That's what she said to me when she kissed me in the cheek!'_ thought Syrus, getting all riled up. Seeing Jaden kiss somebody else left the little blue-haired boy jealous and making him want to punch Chazz.

Zane secretly felt the same thing as Syrus did, though he was more mature and calm about it. He looked like he didn't care, but for some reason, he wanted Jaden to do the same for him. Why did he want that?

Chazz still couldn't believe that he ALMOST had his first kiss stolen by his rival! A guy at that!

"How exactly is a kiss a sign of appreciation?! What are you, gay?"

"What's gay mean?" asked Jaden, tilting her head.

"...It means when two guys like each other."

"Oh! You mean Syrus and Chumley!"

Everyone swiftly turned to the two of them, whose jaws dropped before they shook their heads. "No, no, no! It's not like that!" both cried. Curse Jaden and her obliviousness!

Chazz shook his head. "I mean, two guys who love each other romantically!"

"Ooh!~ That makes sense! Yeah, now I know what you're trying to say!" replied Jaden, nodding. "But...even if you say that, I still say that Syrus and Chumley are stll gay!"

"WE'RE NOT GAY!" cried out both the Slifer Reds.

"Huh? You're not?" questioned Jaden. "But...Syrus, I caught you confessing your love to Chumley! And if someone confesses their love, they obviously love each other!"

"I...But..." Not even Syrus could answer that without stammering and blushing.

"Anyways, Chazz!" said Jaden, changing topics and turning to him. "I'm not gay! I mean, I can't be! After all, I'm a girl!"

Silence...until both Academies started bursting with questions.

"WHAAAAT?! A GIRL?!"

"You're kidding me, right?!"

"Jaden Yuki was a girl this whole time?!"

"T-that's a lie!" shouted Chazz, grabbing Jaden by the wrist and dragging her off behind some trees, ignoring Syrus's protests to protect his crush-er, best friend.

One minute passed...

Two minutes...

Three-

"Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!" **SMACK!**

A moment later, the two returned with Jaden wearing a casual smile on her face as Chazz clutched his head, which held a huge bump.

"Jaden...what happened?" wondered Syrus, almost too afraid to ask.

"Oh, Chazzy touched my chest, so I whacked him on the head!"

"HE DID WHAT?!" yelled Alexis, Syrus, Chumley, and Bastion before glaring at Chazz.

"H-hey! I just wanted to see what was up!" Chazz defended. "But yeah, I can clarify that Jaden's a girl...And how he-or, rather, she managed to keep it a secret is beyond me."

"I never kept my gender a secret," said Jaden.

"Liar! How have you gotten past more than 4 months without anyone else finding out you were a girl?!"

"Chazz, just think for a moment," spoke Bastion. "Given Jaden's male-like appearance and her tomboyish attitude, do you really think she would be mistaken as a boy?"

"...Oh."

Crowler was still in shock and was trying to sneak away at the moment. All this time, he had been harrassing a female student the whole time? Well, he didn't know of course, but that led to no excuse for what he's done! No, wait! Maybe there's still some hope! Maybe Jaden will be merciful and won't tattle on him for all the cruel things he's done!

* * *

 _Flashback..._

 _"Jaden Yuki! Detention for running down the halls!"_

 _"But I only just ran down once-"_

 _"SILENCE!"_

* * *

 _Flashback..._

 _"Jay! Jay! Pass it here! Pass it here!" called Syrus, waving his hands as he and Jaden were playing Frisbee with a duel disk._

 _"Here goes!" Jaden tossed the duel disk with all her might, and it just so happened that Crowler was walking around the area and got hit instead. "Uh oh..."_

 _"DETENTION! BOTH OF YOU!"_

* * *

 _Flashback..._

 _"Hehehe..." giggled Jaden, doodling something in the back of her exam paper, which so happened to be a cartoonish version of Crowler being chased by Flame Wingman and herself in a hero costume._

 _Crowler, who was making sure nobody was cheating, saw the cartoon and tapped Jaden's shoulder, causing the girl to freeze._

 _"..."_

 _"...I'm getting a detention, aren't I?"_

 _"How right you are!"_

* * *

Okay, never mind. Considering the treatment he's given her, she'd no doubt try and tattle on him.

"Jaden, I'm going to have to talk to you later in my office, okay?" told Sheppard sternly.

"Huh? Okay!"

 _'She's totally in for it,'_ her friends thought, knowing where this was leading to.

Once everything settled, North Academy departed Duel Academy island with their submarine, waving goodbye with manly tears running down their faces. They were crying out for Chazz, yet at the same time, cheering for him.

"Goodbye, Chazz!"

"See you next year!"

"Hope you get laid soon!"

"Good luck getting Jaden to be your girl!"

"Chazz it up!"

"Chazz it up!"

"CHAZZ IT UP!"

After North Academy became a distance away from Duel Academy, Sheppard spoke up. "Oh, Chazz! There's only one thing left to resolve."

"Since you dropped out of Duel Academy and are now coming back, you are technically a new student," explained Banner. "Therefore, if you wish to be promoted to Obelisk Blue, you must start at the bottom. From Slifer Red."

"What?! Me, in Slifer Red?!" shouted Chazz, shocked.

"Yes. Once we're back at the dorm, we'll get you suited up for a new dorm room with new roommates!"

"New roomates?! Listen, Chazz Princeton rooms alone! You guys got that?"

"Yay! W're gonna be new buddies!" cheered Jaden, leaping up and down and clapping her hands. "Nice to meet ya, new buddy!"

"Can it!" shouted Chazz before screaming his head up to the heavens, hoping North Academy would hear him. "I CHANGED MY MIND! TURN THE SUB AROUND!"

As Chazz grew more frustrated, Jaden giggled and encouraged everyone, "Hey, guys! How about we congratulate Chazz on getting into the Slifer Red dorm? Let's give Chazzy the Slifer cheer!"

"NO WAY! I DON'T WANT ITTTTT!"

* * *

 _That night, inside the Chancellor's Office..._

"...So, let me get this straight," began Sheppard. "From the very beginning, you were a girl."

"Uh-huh." Jaden nodded her head.

"And since the forms never included a gender selection, nobody could verify your true gender and assumed you were a boy?"

"Uh...What?"

"The forms never asked if you were a boy or a girl?"

"Nope! Hehe...Your question reminds me of this really famous game where some professor asks the player the same question!"

"Right..." continued Sheppard awkwardly. "So, you mean to say, you've been posing as a boy all this time? You do know that female students are automatically transferred to Obelisk Blue, right?"

Jaden gasped. "Really? But...all the girls I dueled aren't really that good! Except for Alexis! Man, she's almost beaten me a couple of times!"

"Well, let's just assume that they're improving," said Sheppard. "But why didn't you inform me or another teacher of your gender?"

"I just assume you knew already and let me stay at Slifer Red out of the kindness of your heart!" replied Jaden cheerfully. "Except for *cough* Crowler *cough*."

"What?"

"Nothing! Please continue!"

"Right, well, because we recently found out that you're a girl, we have to put you in Obelisk Blue," stated Sheppard. "Not only will you be able to associate with the girls, but your skills have already earned you-"

"No."

"May I ask why?"

"Several reasons, of course!" spoke up Jaden, starting to express her feelings. "First, Crowler is a big meanie! Second, all of the Obelisk Blue guys are such jerks! Except for Zane. Third, every single girl in Obelisk Blue are even more mean to me whenever I visit Alexis! But Alexis is the really nice one! Fourth, every time I try and visit the Obelisk Blue dorms to hang out with my friends, one of the boys always pulls a prank on me! And finally...I don't like the mini skirts! I tried one on before and they were too short!"

Allowing Jaden to voice her opinions, Sheppard couldn't help but agree with her on those parts. It's not unusual that Obelisk Blues have always treated Slifer Reds like trash, and the only way for anyone to visit the Obelisk Blue Dorms is through permission. He's going to have to deal with the bully system sooner and later. And for God's sake, who designed the Obelisk Blue Girls' uniforms in the first place?

Also, every student has the right to deny being promoted, though this is rarely since many students wish to be in Obelisk Blue.

"If you want to stay in Slifer Red, that's alright," said Sheppard. "But, you have to have your own room. You can no longer bunk with your current roommates, Syrus and Chumley. I'm sure Chazz will be thrilled to have some new roommates!"

"Noooooo!" complained Jaden. "Syrus and Chumley have been really good roommates with me! They let me have my own privacy and let me use the bathroom first! Plus, we have huge bunk beds. Also, you really think Chazzy will want to have new roommates?"

"Given Chazz's attitude...No, not really," agreed Sheppard. "But you'll have a new room all to yourself, and whenever or not Chazz likes it, he will have to switch with you."

"Please, Chancellor! Give Syrus and Chumley a chance!" pleaded Jaden. "I've never been bothered by them, ever! Plus, think of it this way! I still get to bunk in with my friends, and Chazz gets a room to himself! It's a win-win situation!"

"...Alright, alright," sighed Sheppard. "Seeing how you won't stop until I say yes, I suppose I can allow it. But be sure to inform me if there's any trouble. Boys sleeping together with girls is dangerous."

"Why? We sleep together all the time!"

'That's...not what I meant. Anyways, dismissed."

* * *

 _Late, that night..._

Tossing and turning in his bed, Chazz groaned and tried to ignore the sounds of mice and cockroaches scurrying around the dorm walls; possibly inside the pipes. His first night here, and already, he wasn't gaining any sleep! Maybe he should try that dumb, old method of counting sheep in order to sleep.

Before doing so, he heard a familiar, annoying voice. _**"Boss! Boss!"**_

"What is it? Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?" groaned Chazz, sitting up and rubbing his eyelids before noticing that Ojama Yellow was beaten up pretty badly. "Whoa, what happened to you?"

 _ **"B-boss...I'm sorry...I tried to stop them, but they were...too strong..."**_ With that said, Ojama Yellow fainted out of exhaustion from his wounds. Appearing from under the bed was a fierce-looking Winged Kuriboh.

Chazz scoffed. "Oh, it's only you; Jaden's pathetic Monster. What do you want?"

Winged Kuriboh, not in the mood for any jokes or anything of the sort, cleared his throat. _**"Kuri kuri! Kuri kuri kuri kuri kuri kuriboh!"**_ ("Chazz Princeton! Because the Elemental Heroes decided to be merciful just this once, they have decided to send me to give you a warning and a beating!")

"Ha! You, hurt me?" laughed Chazz, amused. "You and what army?"

From behind Winged Kuriboh, five differently colored Kuribohs flew over and surrounded Chazz, blocking any possible paths of escape. Each were of different colored; white, blue, pink, and lavender. The last one was brown, just like Winged Kuriboh, except he didn't have any wings.

 _ **"Kuri kuri kuri! Kuri Kuriboh kuri!"**_ ("These are my cousins! The five Kuriboh Brothers!") announced Winged Kuriboh. _**"Kuri kuri, KURIBOH!"**_ ("All forces, ADVANCE!")

"Ha! Yeah right! All I'm gonna feel is-uh...Where did you get that-" **BOOM!** "Gah! You could have killed me! Oh, wait. You're a spirit, so no way could you-Gah! Stop! Stop it! What are you-NO NO NO NO NO!"

From that night forward, Chazz has learned to both hate and fear Winged Kuribohs and the five Kuriboh Brothers.

* * *

 **Yay! I'm finished at long last! Took a very long while but I made it through! So, everyone knows Jaden's secret gender, so that's cat's out of the bag!**

 **Read and review! Oh, and I won't be updating this for a while since I wanna focus on a different story! Sorry!**


	23. Grave Risk

**Yeah, just a little bit more before we get to the Shadow Riders arc! To be honest, that name is WAY better than the...Seven Stars of Darkness? I dunno, I forgot what their actual name was in the Japanese version, But Shadow Riders sound way cooler!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

Climbing down the wooden ladder from up top his bed with the urge to go to the bathroom, Syrus groaned as he slowly made his way towards what he thought was the bathroom. Instead of the indoor bathroom he and his roommates shared, he unlocked the door towards outside; feeling the fresh breeze from the night sky.

Grudgingly sleepwalking, Syrus managed to avoid falling off the stairs and instead staggered around a bit until he opened a door quietly. Rubbing his eyes, Syrus regained a bit of his consciousness back and realized that he wasn't in the bathroom.

"Oh...this isn't the bathroom," he mumbled, letting out a quiet yawn. Before he could close the door, he saw his dorm teacher, Professor Banner with his back turned, communicating with someone using the computer. Well, it seemed that way in Syrus' point of view.

 **"I believe it's time we try using a...test,"** spoke the person conversing with Banner. The voice was clearly male, though a little rasp, but more on a serious tone.

"I know, but it's too risky!" said Banner, sounding worried. "They could all be buried alive!"

"Buried...?" wondered Syrus quietly as he listened in more of the conversation.

 **"If they're not prepared, so it shall be that they will perish in the tombs. But her potential will be tested..."**

Breath unsteady, Syrus backed away with fear written all over his face at what he just overheard. _'Tombs? Perished...? Just what could he mean?'_ thought Syrus before decided now would be the best time to sneak away as soon as possible.

* * *

 _The next morning..._

It was just another ordinary day in Duel Academy, where students are being taught dueling through regular, everyday classes such as Math, Science, and so on. It was during this time that Jaden and her friends were attending class, more specifically, Banner's alchemy class.

Many considered Banner's lessons to be...quite boring and only pretended to pay attention. Those who actually paid attention only did so for good grades and such. Unsurprisingly, Jaden, Chumley, and Syrus were among the ones bored; with Jaden having painted fake eyes over her closed ones to hide the fact that she was naping.

"So, as you can see, we can learn a lot about dueling from alchemy!" continued Banner on with his lecture as he poured a liquid onto a different colored liquid in a test tube. "Alchemy in the Middle Ages was used to make gold by mixing chemicals like this-!"

 **BOOM!** The instance the two liquids collided with each other, an explosion occured. Luckily, it was small and harmless but instantly drained Banner of his strength as he fainted afterwards.

The moment right afterwards, the bell rang and students began to gather their things to leave. Jaden, having woken up from the bell, yawned and stretched her arms. "Awesome! Time for lunch!"

Rattled by the explosion, Syrus turned to Jaden with a shocked expression. "H-how were you able to sleep through that?!"

"Huh?"

"P-please wait, everyone!" called Banner, collecting himself after brushing the ash off him."I want you to take this handout with you!"

"Noooo! Please tell me it isn't homework!" complained Jaden. If it was, then she was in huge trouble since she slept through the whole lecture!

"Nope! Even better! I've planned a field trip this Saturday, and it's located around the excavated ruins on his islands!" explained Banner cheerfully. "Plus, there's a picnic planned, so those interested, please come up right away-"

"I'M IN!" Jaden was the first in line as she snatched a handout with a gleeful expression. Field trip and picnic were the key words to convince her to join Banner's activity!

Suspicious of Banner and wanting to protect Jaden, Syrus stood up with a determined look and turned to Chumley. "Chumley! Let's sign up too!"

"Huh? Why? He said those that are interested can come. Well, I'm not intere-"

"Chumley, if you come, I will give you all the grilled cheese sandwiches I have for the rest of this school year."

"Deal!"

Also intrigued, Alexis went up to grab the handout. Maybe the ruins could help locate her brother!

* * *

 _The next morning..._

"I'm so glad everyone's here and-only four? Where are everyone else?" questioned Banner, having gathered his four students; Alexis, Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley around the back of the Academy.

"Well, they're probably back in their dorms, still sleeping..." told Syrus before letting out a yawn.

"Yeah, I would be doing the same if Banner didn't threaten us with detention," said Chumley. "But, I guess I'm a bit interested in the ruins. They say the ruins are close to the volcano, so it's always off-limits."

"Yeah! And if they're close to a dangerous place, then it's gotta have lots of fun stuff to look at!" agreed Jaden.

"It's rumored that those ruins have some shady business, like maybe having dealt with the Shadow Games before," theorized Alexis.

"Oh! So, maybe they have something to do with your brother?"

Alexis shrugged, but hoped that was the case. "Maybe. We'll just have to see."

"Everyone, please take out your PDAs. I already sent an Email with a link for the navigation of the ruins we're going to," instructed Banner. "Rumor has it that these ancient ruins hold the graves of ancient people long ago."

"Eh?!" Recalling Banner's conversation that late night before, Syrus turned to Jaden, nudging her in the arm. "Psst! Jaden! I gotta talk to you for a second!"

"Hmm?" Before Jaden could ask what was wrong, Syrus pulled her aside so that Banner wouldn't eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Jaden, about two nights ago, I heard Professor Banner saying stuff about being buried in graves and perishing in tombs!" hissed Syrus, his arm trembling as he clutched onto her arm, fearfully glancing back at Banner while he checked out his PDA.

"Huh? You sure it wasn't some dream or something? Maybe it was just your imagination," replied Jaden, shrugging off the thought.

"W-well, I was sorta half-asleep, but..."

"Then, there's nothing to worry about! It's just a field trip, after all." Comforting her best friend, she ruffled him on the head with a cheeky smile.

"Well, time to move forward, everyone!" cheered Banner, taking the lead since he's the older adult and leader of the group.

Syrus was the last to follow, though he couldn't stop the awful gut feeling from inside. _'I've got a bad feeling about this...'_

* * *

 _Several hours later..._

Who knew a 10-mile hike to the ruins would be not only difficult, but far as well? Apparently, nobody did until they had to experience that for themselves, which wasn't...pleasant. They had to climb through some small cliffs and terrains, brush past bushes and trees in the forest, crawl onto logs that acted as bridges above rushing rivers, and all sorts of dangerous obstacles.

"We've arrived!" announced Banner energetically while everyone else followed, exhausted. "Inside are what are said to be amazing, like ancient duel arenas and graves!"

"Why's Professor Banner so worked up about ruins?" wondered Syrus as he and Chumley sat down together.

"Yeah, everyone's all worn out," agreed Chumley.

"Before we go and explore the ruins, how about we eat lunch?" suggested Jaden, placing her backpack on the dusty ground.

"Sure, I don't see why not," agreed Banner, putting his heavy backpack down and fishing through his stuff to grab his boxed lunch. "I can't wait to eat my pizza lunch!~ Specially made by Dorothy!~ The best cook on campus!~"

"Eeh?! You got a pizza lunch?! And from Miss Dorothy?! Share some with us!" begged Jaden, not wanting to eat just lousy riceballs.

"No way! I have to eat more because I'm an adult! Besides, I...don't have enough!" excused Banner, being overly protective of his backpack.

"Tch..." Defeated, Jaden sat back down with her friends.

Humming to himself, Banner could almost taste the pizza lunch he got...until he fished out Pharaoh, who just so happened to have food crumbs scattered all over his face.

"Pharaoh?! NOOOOOO! MY LUNCCCCCHHHH!" Well, there was always option #2 as Banner got on his knees and pleaded to his beloved students, "Would you pretty please share your lunch with your beloved teacher? Please?"

"Well, we were going to, but then you wouldn't share your lunch with us, so no! You don't get any!" pouted Jaden as she and her friends held their lunches close to their chests. Ha, payback towards Banner.

"But I'm hungry! What am I supposed to eat?!"

While all of this was happening, Pharaoh pounced out of the backpack and crawled away before discovering a strange artifact hidden beneath some dirt and sand. Curious, he used his paws to dig it up with ease before the artifact was instantly triggered, revealing a green glowing light from the gem in the middle of it.

Beams of green light shot up from the cracks on the ground around the ruins, causing everyone to stand up in caution and glance up at the sky. To their amazement, the sun split into three and a vortex of colors merged together.

While everyone stared in astonishment, Winged Kuriboh poked Jaden frantically. "Huh? You're saying to run away?" wondered Jaden, seeing no harm from a light show.

"Everyone, run!" cried out Banner, already taking off with the others following him once they realized that something went abnormal with the strange lights show. "Run to the inside of the ruins!"

Everyone did as the teacher commanded except for Jaden who stopped to stare at the sky. It wasn't until they all cramped inside the ruins that the group realized that Jaden was still outside.

"Jaden! What are you doing? Come in here!" called out Syrus and Alexis, concerned.

"I'll be fine! You guys stay here!" ordered Jaden, taking off before the others could protest.

"Jaden, no!"

"Come back here!"

"Stop! Don't go!"

"Jaaaaddddeeeennn!"

As Jaden got farther away from her group, their voices grew distant until she could no longer hear them. She had to find out what was up with the strange phenomenon, but before she could, a bright light blinded her, sending her world black.

* * *

"Nhh..."

Groaning, Jaden started to wake up and picked herself off the ground. Her first sight happened to be a step pyramid instead of the crumbled ruins. In fact, even though the scenery was familiar, not a single part of the ruins was seen. The entire area looked like Ancient Egypt or something of the sort.

"Whoa, what's that?" she wondered.

 _ **"Kuri kuri!"**_ ("It's a pyramid!") chirped Winged Kuriboh.

"Yeah..." Turning around, she saw the familiar arch-shaped gate, but before, it had been crumbled and torn down. Now, it was as good as new. "Man...What happened while I was asleep.

Remembering that he was still angry with her, Winged Kuriboh flew up angrily and pinched on her cheek before pulling with his sharp, small claws.

"Owowowowow! What are you doing, Winged Kuriboh?!" cringed Jaden, frailing her arms comically as small tears formed.

 _ **"Kuri kuri! Kuri kuri kuri kuri kuri! Kuri kuri kuri!"**_ ("I can't believe you! Why would you run into danger like that?! This is your punishment!")

"Owie! You didn't have to pinch me that hard!" The pain caused Jaden to realize something; Duel Spirits _can't_ touch humans. "Wait...Winged Kuriboh, you _pinched_ me?"

"?" Curious, Winged Kuriboh gently clawed at her cheek, letting out a cry when he felt softness in the human girl's skin.

Jaden grabbed ahold of her Duel Spirit, feeling the fuzzy, warm fur in her fingers. "Whoa! Winged Kuriboh, I can feel you! This is so cool and soft! SO CUTE!~" She brought him closer to her before ruffling around his fur, allowing Winged Kuriboh to nuzzle and purr affectionately.

"You!"

Looking around, both Winged Kuriboh and Jaden spotted a dark-robed woman carrying a backpack, specifically Chumley's. Continuing, the woman said, "This is sacred ground! You must leave here at once before-*gasp*"

Without warning, the woman grabbed Jaden by the wrist and pushed her against the wall, leaning towards her and glancing behind her head to see if anyone else was around. Winged Kuriboh was forced to follow them for Jaden's safety.

"H-hey! Lady, you're getting way too clo-!"

"Shhh! Be silent!"

"..."

A group of dark-robed soldiers armed with spears barely noticed them as they marched up some stairs. The woman waited a few moments until she was absolutely sure they were gone before pulling back, sighing in relief.

"So, what's going on?" wondered Jaden, her head filled with questions. "And why do you have my friend's backpack?"

"To begin, let me start at the beginning," the woman started calmly. "This is the sacred royal family's gravesite, so those uninvited will be buried alive in tombs. I suspect that your friends may have already been caught and taken to tom-"

"No!" yelled Jaden, refusing to believe that. "Please, take me to them! I have to go rescue them!"

Noting the fierceness and undenying determination behind the female duelist's eyes, the woman nodded and handed Chumley's backpack back to Jaden. "Very well. But, be warned; for if you are caught, you will also be buried alive."

Following after the woman, Jaden took a good look at the entire place, noticeably the three suns and the tall pyramid. _'Just what's going on...And where are we?'_ she thought, keeping Winged Kuriboh close to her for protection.

Arriving in a strange site with a small hallway and open windows, the woman led Jaden to such a place before teling her, "You will remain here."

"Wait, what about my friends? I want to go with you!" protested Jaden.

"No, the gravesite is huge and tooo dangerous for the likes of you. If you just wander around, it won't take long for the guards to find and capture you. Understand?"

"...Fine." Although Jaden didn't like it, the woman's logic was sound and she could be trustsworthy. After all, if the woman wished, she could have just left Jaden to be caught by the soldiers but she didn't.

Winged Kuriboh curled himself up into a small ball and flew over to Jaden, rubbing against her. Jaden smiled and sat down, leaning against a wall before deciding to pet and play around with her touchable Duel Spirit for a little while until the woman came back with her friends.

Even though it's been a short while, Jaden couldn't help but feel impatient, growing constantly worried for her captured friends. "Man, I can't take it anymore! I just want to know if everyone else is alright and-"

"AAAAHHH!"

"SOMEONE, HELP US!"

"EEEEKKK!"

"Huh? That noise is coming from close by!" said Jaden glancing left to right aimlessly before looking up at the high windows. Maybe, if she took a good look out there, she might see what's up.

Knowing what she desired, Winged Kuriboh flapped his wings and grabbed the back of Jaden's jacket collar, using all the strength he could muster to lift her up and fly. Jaden yelped, surprised by Winged Kuriboh's actions, but at the same time, loving it.

 _'AWESOME!'_ she thought, stars sparkling in her eyes before the cries for help passed onto her ears once more. She looked out the window and down below, spotting the rest of her friends tangled in bandages and trapped in separate coffins with the lids ajar.

Before she could do anything about the situation, she felt something sharp poking her rear end, causing her to yelp. "Ow! Ow! Quick doing that, whoever you are!"

"Get down," ordered a tough-sounding man.

"And move towards the sharp object?! You've got to be kidding!"

"NOW."

Okay, the tone sounded as if things were going to get worse if she didn't obey. Besides, the poking ceased afterwards, but before Jaden could do anything, Winged Kuriboh dropped Jaden, causing her to fall on her butt before the Duel Spirit collapsed. Apparently, even though to most humans, she could be considered light-weighted, Winged Kuriboh couldn't muster the strength to hold her in mid-air for too long.

"Why'd you have to go poking my-"

Before Jaden could finish, she found herself cornered with so many spears directed at her, providing no escape in any direction whatosever. She grinned awkwardly, though sweat ran down the back of her neck as her life was being threatened. Well, with many weapons near her throat, who could blame her?

"O-Oh yeah! Where are my manners? I'm Jaden Yuki!" said Jaden, attempting to make friendly conversation. "A-And I'm here to save my friends!" _'Not sure if I should tell them that, but keep on with the flow!'_ "A-and you are?"

"I am the Gravekeeper's Chief," replied the man in the black turban and white robes; the only man not wielding a spear. "And you have traversed upon the sacred tomb in which I protect.

"Uh..." _'CRAP, CRAP, CRAP! He's the guy that lady was talking about?! Think, Jaden! Think! Don't beg, and demand like a cool guy, like...like...Seto Kaiba! Yeah! Just say, 'Screw the rules, release my friends!'_

Instead, Jaden ended up saying the complete opposite.

"I don't care what you do to me, but please release my friends and me possibly and we'll leave and never come back to disturb you and I hate pointy spears at my throat and please don't hurt me!"

Yup, real mature.

"I'm afraid that's impossible," said Gravekeeper's Chief, not fazed by her momentarily ranting.

"But...why not?"

"Because, fool, you have trend upon my domain. And you, along with your friends, will be punsihed and executed as graverobbers. Your punishment will be buried alive in stone coffins. "

"Wait! Hear me out!" cried out Jaden, trying to find a way out of this situation. "We're not graverobbers or anything!"

"Even if that's true, that is the tribe's laws."

"That's not fair! None of us even knew that law! Hell, we didn't even mean to come into this place!"

Sensing some sort of offense, the soldiers pushed the end of their spears even further, much closer to Jaden's throat than before. Just some slight movement, and a tiny hole in her throat would form. Actually, multiple tiny holes since the spears were aimed at her throat even more.

"Let me tell you something interesting," spoke Gravekeeper's Chief. "There was once a man who escaped this execution in the past. How, you wonder? He passed my challenge. Therefore, I will offer you a chance to live. Will you accept my challenge or not?"

"Well, what's the challenge?" asked Jaden, sweating bullets.

Gravekeeper's Chief smirked when he held up a deck, causing Jaden to realize what he wanted. At the same time, the soldiers pulled away their spears and stood by, still armed.

"A duel? Now you're speaking my language! You're on! But only if you pardon all of my friends along with me! Deal?"

That didn't seem like a problem to Gravekeeper's Chief, as he was confident on his own victory. "So be it. But that's only if _you_ win."

"Oh, I'll win, alright!" promised Jaden before bending down and unzipping Chumley's back in search for something. "I'm sure that Chumley had his duel disk around her somewhere...got it!"

"If you lose, you will be buried alive, and I will see it personally that your living livers along with your other insides are extracted, making you a mummy," warned Gravekeeper's Chief, finding too much pleasure into Jaden's loss.

"EEEEHHHHH?!" shrieked Jaden, freaking out and panicking. "That's too gross! If I'm dead, who'll rescue my friends?!"

"Fear not, for they too, will suffer the same fate...Ahahahahahaha!"

* * *

Upon reaching the duel site, which was on top of the pyramid with a large pit below where Jaden's imprisoned friends were, Gravekeeper's Chief and Jaden took their places, facing off with each other. Jaden's duel disk activated normally while a differently designed duel disk materialized in Gravekeeper's Chief' arm.

"Get your game on!" shouted Jaden.

 **-DUEL -**

 **Gravekeeper's Chief - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"'Get my game on?' What is this you speak of?" questioned Gravekeeper's Chief, drawing his card.

"Sheesh! Haven't you heard of figure of speech?" wondered Jaden. "You know, like slang?"

"It's like slang? How dare you! Speak to me honorably or face the consequences!" he snapped before beginning his turn. "I'll place one Monster facedown, thus ending my turn!"

"And starting mine!" remarked Jaden, drawing her card.

 _ **"Kuri!"**_ ("Jaden!") Winged Kuriboh, having recovered from before, flew up to Jaden's shoulder.

"Oh! Winged Kuriboh! You're alright!" said Jaden. That was one problem off her shoulders. "Watch this! I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman! And with his effect, if I have no other cards on the field, I get to draw two more cards!"

As Jaden drew her two cards, Bubbleman stood firm on the field with his arms crossed.

Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

Winged Kuriboh glanced at her drawn cards, cheering happily once he saw the two Elemental Heroes, Avian and Burstinatrix, placed in Jaden's hands. With those two on the field, all Jaden had to do was draw Polymerization on her next turn and it's a sure win with her ace Monster!

"Now, I equip Bubble Blaster to Bubbleman, increasing his Attack Points by 800!"

Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1200)

"Now attack, Bubbleman!"

Getting on one knee, Bubbleman closed one eye to increase his accuracy of aiming before firing a blast of water at the Set Monster before it flipped over, revealing to be Gravekeeper's Guard.

Gravekeeper's Guard - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (1000/1900)

 **Gravekeeper's Chief - 4000 LP**

 **Jaden - 3700 LP**

"No way! That Monster has higher Defense Points?" gasped Chumley. "Uncool!"

"Hey, just be glad that Jaden lost very few Life Points," spoke Alexis, defending Jaden. "If she had attacked without Bubble Blaster equipped, then she would have lost way more Points."

"True, true..."

"I activate Gravekeeper's Guard's effect!" told Gravekeeper's Chief. "His Flip effects allows me to target 1 Monster you control and return it to your hand! And of course, I will choose Bubbleman!"

Gravekeeper's Guard stabbed his weapon in the air; a red wave emitting from the tip of his weapon as it transversed towards Bubbleman, affecting him painfully before he turned and glowed into a small light which was sent back into Jaden's hand.

"Now you're completely void of any Monsters. Next turn, I will unleash a direct attack on you," promised Gravekeeper's Chief, smirking.

"...I set a card facedown and end my turn!" said Jaden, not willing to give up. After all, this was only the beginning, and she wasn't out of strategies yet!

"It is my turn!" started Gravekeeper's Chief once again. "I summon Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier in Attack Mode!"

Resembling one of the black-robed soldiers pointing spears from before, this Monster was no different than the rest.

Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (1500/1000)

"You are wide open, Jaden Yuki! Attack directly, Gravekeeper's Guard!"

Obeying the chief's commands, Gravekeeper's Guard leaped towards Jaden and slashed at her shoulder, wounding it not too deeply, but enough for it to bleed. Jaden yelled out in pain, grasping one hand onto her bleeding shoulder.

 **Gravekeeper's Chief - 4000 LP**

 **Jaden - 2700 LP**

"Urk...! This isn't any hologram! T-The pain's real!" grunted Jaden as Winged Kuriboh hovered over her, concerned.

The moment Jaden lost Life Points, part of the coffins' lids closed just a little. "No, no! It's closing!" shouted Banner as everyone else panicked just like him.

"And now, Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier! Wage your attack!" commanded Gravekeeper's Chief. "Plunging Spear Strike!"

Jabbing his spear forward, Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier aimed to strike Jaden's stomach when she twisted her body to dodge the attack, receiving only a minor cut on her left side before the Monster retreated. Even if it was only a small wound, it hurted nevertheless.

 **Gravekeeper's Chief - 4000 LP**

 **Jaden - 1200 LP**

"I end my turn now!"

"I-If this keeps going, then my body'll get torn apart before the duel's done!" muttered Jaden, keeping hold of herself as she tried to stand tall and strong.

Once again, the lids on the coffins slightly closed, nearly halfway from shutting for good. The captives inside were frightened and hanging in there, cheering on Jaden not to give up.

"Jaden! Don't give up!" pleaded Syrus, trembling.

"Hurry! If the lid closes, we won't be able to breath and we'll die from suffocation!" cried Chumley.

"I don't think that's helping!" scolded Alexis, also scared just like the two of them.

"It's my turn now!" said Jaden. "Good! I activate Polymerization, fusing both Burstinatrix and Avian to create Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"

Raising Polymerization into the air, the card transformed into a vortex of various colors. Burstinatrix and Avian appeared on the field before disappearing into the vortex and fusing together to create Jaden's ace Monster and most overprotective Monster.

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

"Alright! Time to battle! Flame Wingman, attack the Spear Soldier now!"

Flying mid-air, Flame Wingman's demonic arm shot out a swarm of flames which incinerated Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier in seconds due to the massive amoutn of heat and flames.

 **Gravekeeper's Chief - 3400 LP**

 **Jaden - 1200 LP**

"Don't think I'm done yet! Thanks to Flame Wingman's effect, you take damage equal to the Attack Points of Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier's Attack Points!"

A tornado of flames was fired upon Gravekeeper's Chief like a huge fire tidal wave, decreasing his Life Points immensely.

 **Gravekeeper's Chief - 1900 LP**

 **Jaden - 1200 LP**

"Now, I'll summon Wroughtweiler in Defense Mode and end my turn!"

Wroughtweiler - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (800/1200)

"A-Amazing..." mumbled Chumley.

"That's Jaden for ya! Good job, Jay!" called Syrus.

"It's fortunate that Flame Wingman came to turn the tides around," spoke Alexis. "But Jaden has to be careful. If she makes a couple more mistakes, we're through."

"I draw!" said Gravekeeper's Chief, not liking how the favors were turning to Jaden's side. But perhaps this new strategy should do. "I switch my Gravekeeper's Guard to Defense Mode! And then I'll Set a Monster in Defense Mode before ending my turn!"

"My turn!" said Jaden, glancing at her drawn card. "Dunno what sort of Set Monster you've got, but no matter what it is, it's no match for Flame Wingman! Attack, Flame Wingman! Inferno Rage!"

After Gravekeeper's Guard was easily taken care of, Gravekeeper's Chief was quickly engulfed by the large flames produced by the demonic arm Flame Wingman had, having taken the painful effect of the Fusion Monster.

 **Gravekeeper's Chief - 900 LP**

 **Jaden - 1200 LP**

"Oh, yeah!" cheered Jaden. "With that done, I'll end my turn!"

Silently, Gravekeeper's Chief drew his card. "I activate Pot of Greed! Now I shall draw two cards from my deck. I shall summon Gravekeeper's Assailant in Attack Mode!"

A female assassin whose face was masked by a black veil held her jagged-looking dagger close to her for protection.

Gravekeeper's Assailant - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (1500/1500)

"And she will be joined by Gravekeeper's Curse after I Flip Summon him!"

A dark-robed man appearing like a magician or doctor from ancient times carried a strange cane with him.

Gravekeeper's Curse - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV3 - (800/800)

"Whenever this Monster is summoned in any possible way, he inflicts 500 Points of damage to you!"

Bringing his cane closer, Gravekeeper's Curse' eyes closed as his body lit with a yellow aura. A strange hissing sound filled Jaden's ears and pierce through her brain cells, causing her to cry out in pain from the painful curse the Monster laid down on her.

 **Gravekeeper's Chief - 900 LP**

 **Jaden - 700 LP**

While Jaden was suffering a major headache, the lids on her friends' coffins were more than halfway closed by now. Even so, from their position, they could witness the duel with only one eye, but if Jaden kept losing Life Points, or worse, all of hers, then they won't be able to breath anymore.

Shaking her head to rid herself of the numbness, Jaden shouted, "That all you got?! You've got to do better than that!"

"Very well, then! Perhaps this card will suffice!" said Gravekeeper's Chief, accepting her challenge by revealing a Field Spell card in his hand. "I cast Necrovalley!"

After the Field Spell grew active, the entire playing field crumbled and regrew into a brand new background full of mountains and cliffs with the two duelists standing on tall pillars. Like the name suggests, it resembled a dark setting for a valley.

"W-what is this?!" wondered Jaden.

"As long as the Field Spell is in play, all of the Attack and Defense Points of all face-up Gravekeeper's Monsters increase by 500 Points!" explained Gravekeeper's Chief.

Gravekeeper's Curse - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV3 - (1300/1300)

Gravekeeper's Assailant - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (2000/2000)

"Now, Gravekeeper's Assailant! I order you to attack Flame Wingman!"

"Are you nuts?! Can't you see that Flame Wingman is more stronger? She's only going to get destroyed!" shouted Jaden before her eyes widen in realization. "Unless...Unless she's got-!"

"A special ability? Yes, she does, actually," revealed Gravekeeper's Chief. "And whenever she declares an Attack, so long as Necrovalley's in play, it allows her to change the Battle Position of any Monster!"

Gravekeeper's Assailant' eyes glowed white and her aura emitted purple, forcing her to use her ability onto Flame Wingman, who switched to Defense Mode unwillingly. Even while he was in Defense Mode, he struggled to break free of her curse, wanting to protect Jaden, but not defensively.

"Not bad, old man! Looks like things are about to get interesting!" praised Jaden, smirking.

"Hmph! I'm not that old, so don't you dare call me that again!" said Gravekeeper's Chief, annoyed. "Attack Flame Wingman!"

Being stealthy, Gravekeeper's Assailant snuck behind Flame Wingman; her dagger having grown longer and sharper. With one swift slash, she defeated the defensive Flame Wingman before retreating to her owner's side.

"Next, with Gravekeeper's Curse, I attack Wroughtweiler!"

Focusing his magic onto the Elemental Heroes' dog, Wroughtweiler's functions started heating up before he exploded into multiple pieces of junk.

"When Wroughtweiler is sent to the Graveyard, I can add one Elemental Hero and Polymerization back to my hand!" told Jaden.

"Unfortunately for you, when Necrovalley is in play, all effects of Spells, Traps, and Monster Effects involving the Graveyard are completely negated!" Gravekeeper's Chief revealed. "Cards in the Graveyard cannot be removed from play, either! It's useless, just as you have proven in your attempts to rescue your friends! Don't you see? Both you and your cards are futile here!"

"No...I refuse to believe it! I know Jaden can find a way!" mumbled Alexis, astonished by the quick change of events.

"Oh no, it's no use! We're done for!" gasped Banner.

"That's not true, Professor Banner! Jay's still winning!" defended Syrus. "I mean, Jaden's Life Points may be lower, but at least she still has a chance of winning!"

"Forget the Life Points! Look at the field! Jaden has no Monsters out! And the Gravekeeper's Chief has two!"

Taken aback by how quickly her field was emptied, Jaden thought, _'I can't believe it's come to this...If I lose, then...everyone...Everyone will...!'_

While everyone else below were wiggling around in their bounds, trying to break free while cheering for Jaden, Banner seemed to be the only one keeping a cool head as he remained silent with a faint smirk.

 _'Yes...That's right...Show me everything you've got in this Shadow Game, Jaden Yuki!'_ thought Banner sinisterly.

What he failed to notice until now was that he could barely see through his nearly closed lid.

"Gah! I forgot! I can't see much because of this lid!"

"Let's finish this!" shouted Jaden, drawing her card before hearing Winged Kuriboh's cheers. Looking at the card she drew, she didn't need to second guess that the card she drew was her cutest Monster yet.

Winged Kuriboh swirled around the air, flapping his wings and chirping happily that he was definitely going to be useful this turn.

Jaden giggled. "I should have known! You've always got my back, don't ya?" Inhaling fresh air through her nostrils as if regaining a new sense of direction towards the duel, Jaden assured, "Don't worry about a single thing! Giving up was never my intention from the beginning! I summon Winged Kuriboh in Defense Mode!"

The Duel Spirit, Winged Kuriboh, who had been flying around Jaden not a moment ago, vanished in sparkling dust before reappearing on the field.

Winged Kuriboh - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV1 - (300/200)

Glancing down where her friends were trapped in, Jaden called out to them, "Just hold on a bit longer, everyone! Mark my words, I will win! I end my turn! Your move!"

"How fitting. It seems you do not know your place. The blind lead the blind and the weak protect the weak!" taunted Gravekeeper's Chief. "I will admit, Winged Kuriboh is a troublesome Monster with an ability that reduces Battle Damage to 0 the turn he's destroyed, but in my world, rodents like that are for pounding! Not protection!"

"Grr...!" growled Jaden, still keeping her composure despite her friend being insulted. "He's no rodent! He's one of my very close friends!" _'And you're about to see why!'_

"Well, with friends like you, he needs no enemies! It is my turn! Draw!" said Gravekeeper's Chief, drawing his card at the start of his turn. He smirked, reassuring his victory just in case of a certain situation he might encounter later. "Go, Gravekeeper's Assailant! I attack Winged Kuriboh!"

"I don't think so!" yelled Jaden. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Transcendent Wings! By discarding two cards from my hand, Winged Kuriboh evolves way up to Level 10!'

Upon doing so, Winged Kuriboh's aura shined brighter than the three suns as his transformation progressed. Small, angel-like wings began sprouting from his furry back while a armored, golden helmet began to form on top of his head.

Gravekeeper's Chief wasn't even impressed by a single bit. "I knew it. I knew that you had laid down a trap to try and catch me off guard. That's why I was prepared for this! From my hand, I activate the effect of Gravekeeper's Watcher!"

"W-what the?!" exclaimed Jaden as a black-robed ministrel carrying a tome flew over and grabbed ahold of Winged Kuriboh's marvelous wings as if tearing them apart. In reality, Gravekeeper's Watcher was draining Winged Kuriboh's power.

"Let me explain Gravekeeper's Watcher's effect," said Gravekeeper's Chief, sending Gravekeeper's Watcher's card to the Graveyard. "By sending him to the Graveyard, I'm allowed to negate your Transcendent Wings effect if it allows you to discard. Luckily for me, it does!

Winged Kuriboh's LV10 transformation was undone, reverting Winged Kuriboh to his simple, cute LV1 form as if nothing happened. Even if Winged Kuriboh wasn't as strong as his LV10 form, he still provided as a means of defense for Jaden.

"And now, I'll wage an attack! Now, Gravekeeper's Assailant! Swift Stealth Strike!"

Swift before anyone could blink, Gravekeeper's Assailant performed her duty with ease; Winged Kuriboh's shrill cry being proof of her success.

"Thanks, Winged Kuriboh," said Jaden, sad to see her cute Monster destroyed. "You took one for the team and that's more than enough."

Syrus shuddered. "Oh no! Now that Winged Kuriboh's gone, Jaden is left defenceless!"

"But it's a good thing Winged Kuriboh has that special ability of his," commented Chumley. "It's that Jaden doesn't take any damage the turn he's destroyed."

"That's true, for this turn. But next turn is going to be a challenge even for Jaden," said Alexis.

"Now then, I've countered your move, I've destroyed your rodent, and there's not much else to do but place a facedown card and end my turn!" insulted Gravekeeper's Chief.

"Hey, that's enough!" snapped Jaden. "Winged Kuriboh's no rodent! I won't let you get away calling my cute friend a rodent!"

Gravekeeper's Chief merely laughed at her futile resistance. "Oh? You won't let me get away with that? Well then, would you perfer rodent or rat?"

"THAT'S IT! My draw!" Having enough of Gravekeeper Chief's mouth and wanting to shut him, Jaden glanced at her drawn card. "First off, I'm activating Pot of Greed! Thanks to its effect, I draw two more cards! Now I summon Dark Catapulter in Defense Mode!"

A Machine-Type Monster that looked somewhat animalistic appeared with defensive methods.

Dark Catapulter - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1000/1500)

"But I'm not done yet! I play Mirage of Nightmare! And now, I'm gonna throw down three facedowns and end my turn!" _'Okay, if all goes well, then my plan should work! Next turn, with Dark Catapulter's effect, I'll destroy Necrovalley and end this!'_

"Very well, my draw!" said Gravekeeper's Chief.

"And my chance to activate Mirage of Nightmare! Mirage of Nightmare's effect activates!" interrupted Jaden. "During your Standby Phase, I draw cards until there's four in my hand! ...Sweet! I've got it!"

"It seems from your words and facial expression that you've drawn some considerably good cards," commented Gravekeeper's Chief. "Well, don't be so sure. You don't know what is good because you don't know what you're up against!"

"Hmm? What is he planning...?"

"I now sacrifice Gravekeeper's Curse...to summon MYSELF!"

"What?! Summon yourself?!"

After Gravekeeper's Curse disappeared in a golden vortex of sparkles, Gravekeeper's Chief also vanished in the same manner, but he reappeared in place of Gravekeeper's Curse in the dueling field.

Gravekeeper's Chief - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV5 - (1900/1200)

"Thanks to Necrovalley's effect, I gain 500 extra Attack Points!" reminded Gravekeeper's Chief, feeling more stronger than before.

Gravekeeper's Chief - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV5 - (2400/1700)

"And as long as I'm on the field, my Graveyard is unaffected by Necrovalley, meaning I can use Traps, Spells, and Monster effects however I wish! That's not all! I also get to Special Summon 1 Gravekeeper Monster from my Graveyard!"

"No way! That can't be!" As the information progressed through Jaden's head, she realized one conclusion was made: Her opponent had way too much of an advantage right now and that her current situation was turning worse.

"I Special Summon Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier!"

Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (1500/1000)

Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (2000/1500)

"And now, I'll play the Trap, Rite of Spirit, from my field! This Special Summons another Gravekeeper! And I choose Gravekeeper's Curse!"

Gravekeeper's Curse - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV3 - (800/800)

Gravekeeper's Curse - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV3 - (1300/1300)

"When this Monster is summoned in any possible way, 500 Points of Damage are dealt to you!"

Jaden screamed as a pillar of raw power rained down on her, inflicting a vast amount of pain to her body.

 **Gravekeeper's Chief - 900 LP**

 **Jaden - 200 LP**

"Behold! The power of the Shadow Game!" bellowed Gravekeeper's Chief, throwing his arms up as if praise for the Shadow Game.

Collapsing to her knees, Jaden stared aimlessly at her cards, as if they weren't there as her mind progressed in shock. Her breath hitched in fear as she tried to control it. "S-Shadow Game...? I-Is that what this is...?"

"Yes, and the game's almost over! For you, your Life Points, and your friends! As your Life Points decrease, the lids of the coffins in which your friends are trapped in will also close up, little by little."

Just as Gravekeeper's Chief said, the lids slightly shut; nearly close to closure for eternity.

"Bad...This is getting really bad...!" muttered Jaden before snapping back to reality. "Still, if I make it past this turn unscathed, I'll win!"

"Oh?" Impressed by her willpower and resistance, Gravekeeper's Chief commented, "Even as you stand in the path of defeat, you have a strong and sturdy heart that remains unfazed and untempted by the darkness in this duel."

Gravekeeper's Assailant remained silent, but in her heart, she hoped that the boy she met earlier wouldn't succumb to the darkness.

"You're right about that...! For everyone's sake, I can't-No, WON'T lose!" promised Jaden, standing up with determination, straightening her back as she faced this new challenge before her. "After all, it's my dream to become the next King of Games! Yugi Muto's faced countless of Shadow Games, and if he won them all, then so can I! Bring it on, old man! I won't lose, no matter how much you throw at me!"

"Silence! I shall silent that insolent mouth of yours!" yelled Gravekeeper's Chief. "Battle! I attack with Gravekeeper's Assailant! Using her effect, I change Dark Catapulter's Defense Position to Attack Mode! Face it, after this attack, it's one more Direct Attack and it's over!"

Gravekeeper's Assailant rushed forward, and once she was in front of Dark Catapulter, she hesitated, slowing her movements slightly. But that was just enough for Jaden to make a comeback.

"I don't think so! I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Emergency Provisions!" shouted Jaden. "Now, by sending two Spell or Trap cards from my field to the Graveyard, I gain 1000 Life Points for each card! I'll get rid of two of my cards and regain 2000 Life Points!"

Having said that, all of her wounds from the previous assaults closed up and stiched themselves, as if they were never there.

 **Gravekeeper's Chief - 900 LP**

 **Jaden - 2200 LP**

"Curse you! Gravekeeper's Assailant, do as I say and finish Dark Catapulter! NOW!" ordered Gravekeeper's Chief firmly.

Finding this as her cue as well as a breath of relief, Gravekeeper's Assailant no longer hesitated and slashed through Dark Catapulter before returning back.

 **Gravekeeper's Chief - 900 LP**

 **Jaden - 1200 LP**

Jaden sighed, relieved that she survived that encounter when her relief turned to shock. Witnessing Gravekeeper's Assailant being slapped by Gravekeeper's Chief right after she retreated to her owner's side, she heard their slight conversation.

"You should have attacked faster!" scolded Gravekeeper's Chief.

"...Yes, Chief." All Gravekeeper's Assailant could do was bow her head before backing away.

Jaden quickly grew angry; first insults to Duel Spirits and now disrespect for his loyal subordinates? "Hey, it's not her fault you messed up! It's your own! I hate guys who don't care for the feelings of others!"

"Do not forget that I still have an attack. I will put an end to your life with my own hands!" said Gravekeeper's Chief, gathering magic in the form of an orb in his open palm. With a cry, he unleashed the orb in a large red beam.

"Oh no you won't! Go, Trap card! Draining Shield!" shouted Jaden as a green barrier shielded her. "This Trap negates one attack from you and recovers my Life Points by the amount of Attack Points you have!"

A fresh breeze kicked in, relinquishing Jaden's lungs and keeping her breathing steady as she felt relaxed.

 **Gravekeeper's Chief - 900 LP**

 **Jaden - 3600 LP**

"So, you blocked one attack!" grunted Gravekeeper's Chief, annoyed by Jaden's performance. "Go, Spear Soldier! Attack him directly!"

Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier thrusted his spear forward once closer to Jaden. Jaden jumped and tried to block by shielding her face with both arms, but coughed out blood when the spear stabbed her side, deeper than last time.

 **Gravekeeper's Chief - 900 LP**

 **Jaden - 1600 LP**

"And now, Gravekeeper's Curse! Attack him now!"

Smirking darkly, Gravekeeper's Curse sent a spell towards Jaden; a painful one that caused Jaden to grip both sides of her head as she experienced an awful, throbbing headache that seemed endless and unbearable.

 **Gravekeeper's Chief - 900 LP**

 **Jaden - 300 LP**

After Jaden's large amount of Life Point decreased session, the lids on the coffins nearly were closed to completion, making it so the inhabitants saw nothing but darkness.

Collapsing once again, Jaden took the time to catch her breath and ease herself; her body shaking abnormally and painfully. The noises she was making indicated she was sobbing out of fear for her life.

"Have you realized the true terror of a Shadow Game?" questioned Gravekeeper's Chief, satisfied with Jaden's despair. "Come now, fight back! This is barely fun anymore!"

Jaden sat up, and when it seemed she was crying, she was really laughing the whole time. "Really? 'Cause I'm having a blast!"

"Your friends' lives hang by a thread, and you...you are laughing?" Shaking his head, Gravekeeper's Chief sighed. "I do not know how humans like you are capable of dealing with such a predicament like this, but you no longer have a chance of winning!"

"Oh, yeah? But, I did make it past this turn!" countered Jaden, standing up and patting the dust off the back of her pants. "If I get a good draw next turn, I'll definitely win!"

"In that case, let me crush that hope of yours! I activate the Spell Card, Royal Tribute! It's a Spell that activates so long as I have Necrovalley on my field! Now we discard all Monsters in our hands to the Graveyard!"

"Huh?!" If that was the case, then Jaden couldn't defend herself with any Monsters if she can't summon them!

"For now, whatever Monsters you were planning to win with are gone!" laughed Gravekeeper's Chief smugly.

 _'And the only card I have left is The Warrior Returning Alive, which I can't use because of Necrovalley! I'll have to risk drawing!'_ thought Jaden, turning to the only hope she has left; drawing. "My turn! Draw!"

Looking at the final card she drew, she realized it was Bladedge, one of her most powerful Monsters. It was good since the card could lead to her victory!

"Oh? By the looks of things, I'll wager a guess and say you drew a high-leveled Monster," guessed Gravekeeper's Chief. "Shame that you do not have anymore Monsters to sacrifice and summon it!"

 _'Ugh...Why does he have to be right?'_ thought Jaden; her eye twitching in annoyance. _'Like he said, if I want to summon Bladedge, I'm gonna have to sacrifice two Monsters to bring him out! But...Yeah! That's it! I think I found a flaw in Necrovalley!'_

"Yeah...Yeah!" exclaimed Jaden excitedly. "Necrovalley's effect is all I need!"

"Please, don't make me laugh! If you were planning on Special Summoning a Monster from the Graveyard, forget it! Necrovalley's effect negates all effects aimed at the Graveyard!" reminded Gravekeeper's Chief.

"Yeah, you're right. Necrovalley is a Field Spell that negates Spells, Traps, and Monster effects aimed at the Graveyard, but it's not like it can even negate the effects of Monsters _in_ the Graveyard! And you did just sent one Monster who's effect activates anytime as long as he's in the Graveyard!" Jaden smirked; her turn to be smug. "Thanks for that, by the way!"

Gravekeeper's Chief didn't have a single clue what she was referring to...until he realized she meant the effect of Royal Tribute, which as long as Necrovalley was active, both of them discarded all Monsters in their hands. He did so so she wouldn't have any line of defense next turn and pull a fast one on him, but it seems that it was a very _grave_ mistake to activate the card.

It was too late to back up now.

"When you send my Monsters to the Graveyard, you also sent a certain Elemental Hero to there as well! A certain Elemental Hero known as Necroshade!" said Jaden as Necroshadow loomed over Jaden from behind as if protecting her. "And he allows me to Special Summon any Elemental Hero from my hand only once per duel! And the Elemental Hero I choose is Bladedge!"

The golden armored hero emerged on the field as fast as he could to end this duel once and for all.

Elemental Hero Bladedge - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV7 - (2600/1800)

"No!" cried out Gravekeeper's Chief, as he realized that not even he, who had the strongest Attack Points so far, could take down Bladedge. Even he could tell who Jaden's intended target was, and unlikely, it wasn't him.

"Bladedge, take down Gravekeeper's Curse!" yelled Jaden. "Finish this!"

Quickly as possible, Bladedge zoomed in on Gravekeeper's Curse and sliced through him, causing the Gravekeeper to explode. With the mass amount of Life Points loss, Jaden's win was assured.

 **Gravekeeper's Chief - 0 LP**

 **Jaden - 300 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

"That's game!" laughed Jaden, giving out her hand signature before Necrovalley collapsed. In mere seconds, she found herself on top of the pyramid setting, right before Necrovalley took over the field and filled it with gloomy despair.

"CHIEF!"

Gravekeeper's Assailant, Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier, Gravekeeper's Guard, and Gravekeeper's Curse hurried to their Chief's side, protecting him as Gravekeeper's Assailant helped Gravekeeper's Chief stand up.

"Hey! Is he okay?" called out Jaden, running around the other side of the top of the pyramid to get to Gravekeeper's Chief. On her way, she was confronted and blocked by the weapons belonging to Gravekeeper's Guard, Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier, and Gravekeeper's Curse.

"Stop! He lives!" ordered Gravekeeper's Chief. "Young boy, you were an magnificent opponent!"

"Thanks! But I'm a girl," corrected Jaden, shocking her previous opponent. "And anyways, that was one tight duel back there! Interesting too! Let's duel again, sometime!"

"What? You mean to say you _...enjoyed_ the Shadow Games?"

Jaden nodded. "Heh, totally! I mean, I could have done without the whole 'friends in the coffin' thing, but it was fun! I mean, I dueled against actually Duel Spirits! It was great! Though, it did hurt a bit too much...But all the Duel Spirits did great! Like the spear guy, the big, tough guy, and the weird guy with the cane and the haircut!" Turning to Gravekeeper's Assailant, she grinned. "Of course, you were awesome, too!"

"Only one other person has ever passed this challenge. That is, until now," informed Gravekeeper's Chief. "For having overcome your trials, I bequeath to you this mystic medallion." Taking half of a medallion with a red gem out around his neck, he handed it over to Jaden.

"Really? Awesome!" Jaden ran up to him and was handed over the pendant. "Huh? But...isn't this just half of it?"

"Yes. The remaining half is held by the other person who passed the same challenge you did," said Gravekeeper's Chief. "Hopefully, when the time comes for you to battle in another Shadow Game, this medallion will serve you well."

"Okay! Thanks for the cool reward!" Jaden placed the pendant around her neck, staring at it with happiness.

Facing the prisoners that were still located below the pyramid, Gravekeeper's Chief extended a hand out, and with his approval and power, the lids on the coffins were removed and the bandages binding the prisoners were ripped apart, setting them free.

"I-it's so bright!"

"Jaden did it! She actually did it!"

"We're free!"

"Ah...I love light! Light is my friend!"

After getting everyone out of that predicament and leading them to outside of the pyramid, Jaden reuinted with her friends and teacher along with Gravekeeper's Chief and Gravekeeper's Assailant.

"Jaden, I knew you could do it!" cheered Syrus.

"I would expect no less than one of my fellow students! I knew you would pass the test, Jaden!" praised Banner, stroking Pharaoh.

"Huh? What do you mean by that, Professor? I mean, this was a challenge," reminded Jaden, confused. Even the other students turned to Banner in confusion.

"Y-yes, well...Test, challenge, it's all the same!" said Banner, quickly defending himself. "I just mean that in a duel where one gets hurt physically, Jaden might be supreme champion! Ahahaha!"

The others were a little suspicious, but decided to drop it. They were all pretty tired and just wanted to get some rest back in their dorms once they leave the Duel Spirit World.

"Well now, it is time for you and your friends to return to your own world," said Gravekeeper's Chief.

"Yeah, but how do we do that?" wondered Jaden.

Glancing up at the three suns, Gravekeeper's Chief explained, "Go to the gate of the tomb just in time for the three lights to combine into one, so that the veil of radiance appears before you!"

"O-Okay...?"

With no time wasted, a platoon full of Gravekeeper's Guards and Spear Soldiers surrounded the group, including Gravekeeper's Chief and Gravekeeper's Assailant. However, instead of bowing before their Chief, they were aiming their weapons at the humans.

"What is the meaning of this?!" demanded Gravekeeper's Chief.

"Those who have raided the sacred grounds must face judgement!" one of the Gravekeeper's Spear Soldiers shouted.

"What the?!" Jaden was taken aback as Gravekeeper's Chief moved in to protect her.

"Stop! She has paid her misdeeds! She has passed the challenge! Her freedom has been earned! I order you to obey me at once!"

However, it seemed that the platoon weren't listening to Gravekeeper Chief's demands, as they wanted nothing more but to punish the intruders themselves. Their first intended target was the person who defeated their Chief; Jaden.

"Jaden!" cried out Alexis as the Duel Spirits charged and thrusted/slashed their weapons forward.

Suddenly, Gravekeeper's Assailant blocked every strike swiftly and skillfully, though it did cost her a small price; her black veil being unveiled.

"Oh! It's you!" gasped Jaden, realizing that Gravekeeper's Assailant was the same woman who helped her out before.

"Yes. I am Gravekeeper's Assailant," said Gravekeeper's Assailant. "I'm sorry that I had to trick you, but I couldn't disobey the orders of my Chief. If you return to your world, please give a message to the owner of the other half of the Shadow Charm Pendant. Tell him 'Yasmin is still in the other world, but I haven't forgotten him. And that one day, we will meet again.'"

Jaden gasped. "Could it be...like one of Alexis' romance novels? Forbidden love?"

"...Jaden, I doubt now is the time for that," sighed Alexis.

As the soldiers grew closer, not wanting to hurt their fellow Gravekeeper tribe member, Yasmin warned, "Stand back! She has won the challenge and we must honor our word! Or have you forgotten your pride as sacred Gravekeepers? If you want to get to her and her human friends, you'll have to get through me! But I'm warning you, I will not show mercy even if we are comrades!"

Left with no choice, especially with the Chief near the humans, the soldiers parted, moving out of the way to provide an open path for all.

Lowering her daggers, Yasmin told Jaden and her friends, "Now, while you still have the chance!"

"Yeah, but where should we go?"

Smiling, Yasmine lightly teased, "Well, I think a certain Duel Spirit should tell you!"

 _ **"Kuri! Kuri kuri kuri!"**_ ("Jaden! I'll guide you!") Winged Kuriboh popped out of his card and flew forward, motioning Jaden and her bewildered friends to follow. Taking this chance to flee, Jaden and the others passed the soldiers and followed Winged Kuriboh.

As they ran, Jaden looked at the three suns and saw they were slowly merging. "The three suns! They're merging together! Hurry!"

However, Chumley tripped and scraped his knee, causing everyone to stop running. "Gah! My knee!" Looking up, Chumley noticed that the three suns were combined as one and that an aurora-like colors filled the sky. "Hurry and get out of here! Just leave without me!"

"No! You'd think we're the type of people to do that? We're not going to leave without you!" shouted Jaden, shaking him by the shoulders.

"But you have to-!"

A light shined slightly from Chumley's backpack before Des Koala, one of Chumley's favorite Monsters, appeared. While everyone stood in amazement, Syrus rubbed his eyes, wondering if this was all an illusion or real.

Des Koala carried Chumley on his back before making a break for the gate as the others hurried as well. Just as they passed through the gate, beams of green light from before shot upwards and surrounded the group, blacking them out afterwards as the lights teleported them back to their world.

* * *

 _In the real world..._

 _ **"...uri! Kuri! Kuri! KURI!"**_

"H-huh?" Waking up at the sounds of her Duel Spirits' cries, Jaden rubbed her eyes and saw Winged Kuriboh tugging and biting Syrus on the head. Looking around, she saw Syrus, who was fast asleep, with his head on her lap. Considering that Winged Kuriboh is merely a Duel Spirit, he wasn't physically injured at all.

Come to think of it, her other friends were laying on the ground, unconscious. That's when she realized they were back in the old ruins; in their world.

 _'I wonder if it was all just a dream?'_ thought Jaden before she noticed the glimmering shine from her pendant. "So, it wasn't a dream! Oh well! But...It sorta seems like the Shadow Games will be back."

Looking at her friends again, Jaden grinned evilly as she took a black marker out of Chumley's backpack. "Well, given the situation, there's no way I'd pass up an opportunity like this...Hehehe...Revenge!"

She bent down and looked at her first target: Chumley. Her grin widened as she began drawing all over his face. On his cheeks, she drew circles with a dot in each. She had no idea why people found that funny but she now reverted to other drawings such as zigzag signs, heart signs, and a moustache.

 _'That's for calling me flat all those times!'_ she thought before turning to Banner. _'You're next, Professor Banner! This is for all the times you've given me extra homework every time I beat up the Obelisk Blues! It's not my fault they get on my face all the time! Man, I wish Chazz was here! Boy, would I REALLY want to draw on his face!'_

After watching Jaden deal with Banner and Alexis, though on Alexis' part, Jaden was mercilful and only drew a heart, Winged Kuriboh turned to Syrus sinisterly. Others may look at him as cute, especially when he was fiddling with his tiny claws like a villain normally would, but this was a different case.

 _'Yes...YES! I will have my revenge! I will get my revenge on Syrus for laying his head on Jaden's lap!'_ thought Winged Kuriboh, being protective of Jaden. Huh, maybe Flame Wingman was rubbing off him.

Winged Kuriboh flew over to Jaden just as she was finishing and pecked her on the cheek, showering affection all over her. Jaden squealed and hugged Winged Kuriboh, happy for his cuteness and adoration.

"Awww!~ So cute!~" she squealed.

 _ **"Kuri, kuri kuri kuri kuri? KURI?"**_ ("Jaden, can I use the marker? PLEASE?") With shimmering tears in his huge puppy dog eyes and a whimper, not even Jaden could say no to Winged Kuriboh's face.

"Of course you can, cutie!~"

 _ **"KURI!"**_ ("Yay!") Once he turned towards Syrus with the black marker in hand, Winged Kuriboh chuckled; his chuckles actually low purrs, as he slowly approached the blue-haired, glasses boy.

* * *

 _Later..._

"Ow...my head..."

"What happened?"

"Oh, you guys are awake!"

"Jaden? Was that all a...dream?"

"Nope, it was real!"

"Ahahaha! Professor Banner! Your face!"

"What?! Let me get my mirror! Oh no! My face! My beautiful face!"

"Ahahaha!"

"Ahahahahaha! Syrus! Yours is worse! AHAHAHAHA!"

"What the-?! *GASP* NOOOOOO! Now I won't get any cute girls!"

"What?"

"Nothing! Though, I do like your heart shaped cheeks, Alexis!"

"Thanks. And I think I know who did this...Jaden!"

"What? Why me?"

"You were the first one awake, plus you don't have anything in your face!"

"..."

"..."

"...YOU'LL NEVER GET ME ALIVE!"

Just another typical day for Duel Academy.

* * *

 **WHEW! Finished! Although, it may take a long while for me to update this since I have to study and get ready for school next month. I don't get how some schools start early during the freakin' summer! Well, none of my business anyways.**

 **READ AND REVIEW!**


	24. Doomsday Day

**Alright, so the first Shadow Duel involving the Shadow Riders begins now!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

In the midst of the night, hidden deep within a cavern, several mysterious individuals gathered for a meeting amongst themselves. The leader of the group spoke in a rasp voice, "Our enemies have been tested...Our allies are in place. The hour is upon us! It's time to cover the world with shadows...Which of you will lead us into battle?"

"I'll be the first to go, Master," offered a young man among the group, standing up and activating his duel disk.

"Nightshroud...So be it."

"I will not fail. Academy Island's prize will be ours."

* * *

 _In the middle of a stormy night..._

The harsh, stormy winds clashed with the roaring lightning hidden in the dark clouds as rain poured down disastrously, making the environment more darker and dangerous than it should be. Smoke arose from a volcano, and even though combining a storm with a volcano was bad, it wasn't enough to keep a volcano active and erupting luckily.

Still, the smoke signals that danger approaches, and not just from the storm.

Near the lighthouse awaited Zane, who was accompanied by Alexis carrying an umbrella for the heavy storm. She kept close to him and held the umbrella high above their heads, but not for romantic purposes, but simply because of the rain.

"Alexis."

"Hmm?"

"You've gotten a bit more relaxed lately," commented Zane with a small smile.

Surprised, Alexis said, "R-really? I never noticed. Sorry."

"No, it's a good thing."

 **BOOM!** The flash of lightning made Alexis yelp and flinch while Zane was only slightly startled, but remained calm. "Let's go," he said, noting that the more they stayed here, the more danger they were going to be in with the storm going on.

As they were leaving, another bolt of lightning shot from the sky, and for an instant, the both of them saw some sort of flying black object soar through the darkened skies, making them wonder if what they saw was real or an illusion.

Deep in thought inside of his office, Sheppard was pondering about something when he saw the black object. He frowned, knowing that it was real and that the time must have come for a great battle to begin very soon.

The black object turned out to be a hang glider with the user landing near the volcano. The user was a tall, young man wearing a dark mask, as if he wasn't ominous enough already.

Setting fire to his now useless hang glider, the masked man started to leave when he noticed half of his pendant glowing, catching his interest. Sensing an abnormal power coming from the Slifer Red Dorm, the masked man decided to wait and play things out.

Meanwhile, Jaden was snoring away in her comfty bed, too deeply asleep to even hear the loud noises coming from the storm outside. The only ones awake, whether it was from the storm or Jaden's snoring, were Syrus and Chumley.

"Man! How can Jaden sleep through this storm?!" complained Syrus, covering his ears with his pillow.

Hiding underneath his covers and peeking out, Chumley sighed. "I dunno. Let's just try and get some sleep."

What everyone failed to noticed was half of the pendant Jaden carried was also glowing.

* * *

 _The next day, in class..._

 **RING! RING! RING!** The moment the lunch bell started ringing, Jaden unconsciously took that as her cue to wake up from her nap, looking all refreshed. Apparently, in an effort to avoid getting into trouble, she used a smiley face paper mask to make it seem like she was asleep. Obviously, only an idiot would fall for something like that.

"Alright! Lunchtime!" cheered Jaden happily before bending down to fetch her lunchbox.

"You were asleep?!" exclaimed Syrus, not noticing at all her sleeping behavior.

Yes, apparently an idiot whose name is Syrus Truesdale had fallen for her obvious decoy.

"Yeah! Wow! I can't my decoy mask actually worked!" praised Jaden happily, placing her lunchbox in front of her. Rubbing her hands together in preparation, Jaden turned to Syrus and asked, "Want some?"

"Uh..."

Recalling all of the times Jaden practically force fed him, Syrus wanted to gag and throw up. Ever since the whole Eggwich incident, Jaden requested cooking lessons from Dorothy due to her sudden interest in cooking. So far, all of her cooking attempts had been... _disastrous._

Syrus was just another victim of her cooking and he wasn't the only victim as several other people were sent to the infirmary after taking even a single bite of her food. Unfortunately, no matter how much the victims complained, since Jaden didn't do any collatoral or physical damage, and since there were side effects other than nausea and fainting, Jaden was allowed to cook as much as she wanted.

In fact, one time, Jaden, without Dorothy's knowledge at the time, even cooked for the whole school, dedicating a few hours of her time to cook her own version of Eggwiches, which consisted of using half of the school's supply of regular eggs. Unfortunately, the end result was pretty bad and Dorothy had to cook new delicious sandwiches, promising the school that they would get free access to sandwiches on Sandwich Day for a month. But that's a story for another time.

Almost afraid to ask, Syrus asked cautiously, "...What's inside it?"

"Hmm? Fried shrimp and other things cooked by Dorothy! She's such a nice lady!" giggled Jaden as Syrus sighed in relief. Great, Dorothy! He'll happily take her cooking over Jaden's!

"Ah, Jaden! Your lunch will have to wait a bit," called Banner, stroking Pharaoh's fur. "You and I are going to the Principal's Office."

"Eh?" With a fried shrimp already stuffed halfway in her mouth, Jaden tilted her head in confusion.

"Jaden, please tell me you didn't do anything bad again," whispered Chumley.

"Jaden! You didn't pull a prank or anything really bad, right?!" cried Syrus, shaking Jaden back and forth.

"Hmm?" Swallowing her fried shrimp, Jaden appeared as clueless as ever. "Dunno why Sheppard wants me. Maybe it's an reward or something!"

An obnoxious laughter coursed through the room as Chazz stood up confidently, though he was a little across the room in a different spot among the Slifer Reds.

"You? Being rewarded? Ha! No way! It's never good news with Sheppard! You are so busted!"

"Actually, Chazz, he wants to see you, too," said Banner, recalling the people he was supposed to bring along for the ride.

"Wha-?!" shouted Chazz; his expression frozen. What'd he do wrong?! He was a good person! He never did a single bad thing ever since he returned to Duel Academy! ...Well, besides beating the crap out of cocky Obelisk Blues in duels, that is. But other than that, he was a good person!

"Oh, and Bastion and Alexis, you two have to come along as well."

"What's going on...?" wondered Jaden, worried. Okay, with this many people coming along, it definitely can't have some punishment involved since Bastion's one of the smartest people she knows and Alexis hardly ever gets in trouble. Something was amiss and they were about to find out.

* * *

"Just to let you know, Professor Banner, anything we did wrong was Chazz's fault."

"WHAT?! You wanna say that again, slacker?!"

"Now, now! I'm sure the two of you can handle your love fest later."

"LOVE FEST?! Hey, we're not-"

"What's a love fest, Professor Banner?"

"You see, when two people love each ot-"

"NO! We are not doing that!"

"Awww! I wanna know what he was-Oh! Hi, Zane! Hiya, Professor Crowler!"

As Jaden welcomed the two of them, her group along with Zane and Crowler stopped simultaneously once they encountered one another right near the Chancellor's Office.

"Oh, my! Such a powerful group with such powerful duelists!" gasped Crowler dramatically before looking at Jaden. "Oh, but what's this? Which one of these is not like the other? Clearly, there must be some mistake! Surely there's an odd person among your group!"

"He is not! Chazz was invited!" said Jaden with a cheeky grin.

Eye twitching, Chazz shouted, "He means you!"

Jaden gasped. "Me? ...If I'm so odd, I must be pretty special!~"

 _'Yeah, specially dumb,'_ thought Chazz, sweatdropping. "Anyways, let's just head inside!"

Once everyone gathered together right in front of Sheppard's desk, the Chancellor explained as carefully and detailed as he could, leading everyone to more answers and more questions than before.

"The three Sacred Beast cards?" said Jaden, the mention of such cards piping her interest.

Sheppard nodded. "That's right. Sealed within this island, those three cards have been with us due to their overpowered forces they seem to possess."

"Where are they now?"

"Well, this Academy was originally built over where those cards are being sealed even today. Those three Sacred Beast cards lie dormant deep underneath the Academy. Those who have challenged us, who have ambitions of breaking the seal on those cards, have appeared."

"Who exactly are they?" Zane asked.

"...The Shadow Riders," Sheppard spoke gravely. "They are seven duelists who are shrouded in complete mystery, but one of them is already on the island."

"What did you say?!" gasped Bastion. If one of their enemies is already on the island, they have a bit of an advantage on their side since none of them know how powerful the enemy truly is.

"How do we protect the Sacred Beast cards?" Alexis asked.

"By protecting the seven Spirit Gates!" said Sheppard. "Seven enormous stone pillars known as the seven Spirit Gates protect those cards. To get to the cards, one must unlock them! And to unlock them, one must unlock the seven keys to each gate! That, is how we will protect those cards. By protecting the keys, and here they are. One for each of you to guard."

Setting a black box in front of him, Sheppard presented the seven duelists the box which held the sacred Spirit Keys which were meant to open the Spirit Gates. Both the Spirit Keys and Spirit Gates were the only thing standing in the enemies' way.

"Wait, so...we hold the keys?" questioned Bastion. "Won't that make us targets?"

Sheppard nodded. "To that end, I would ask you to protect these seven keys. With these keys, the Shadow Riders will seek you out."

"You want us to protect them, but how are we supposed to do that?" questioned Chazz.

"Naturally, by dueling," spoke Sheppard, surprising everyone. "Fortunately, for our side, the keys can't simply be stolen. An ancient edict states that they must be won in a duel. That is why I had you, the best duelists within our academy, gathered here. Well, I had to call two more to match the amount."

"I'm sure he means you, Slifer slacker!" Crowler whispered and pointed to Jaden, who appeared annoyed.

"Hmph!" Deciding to take her payback, Jaden kicked as hard as she could against Crowler's shin. Crowler cursed under his breath and limped after Jaden, shaking his fist at her. Jaden stuck her tongue out and used both Bastion and Alexis as shields.

Sheppard sighed but continued. "The Shadow Riders will come here to challenge those duelists who possess those seven keys. If you are prepared to battle th Shadow Riders, then I would like you to take these keys."

"Sounds fun! I'll do it!" offered Jaden, opening up the box to reveal seven differently shaped keys with symbols on them. She took one of them and placed them around her neck like a necklace.

Agreeing to such risks of dangerous duels approaching, Zane, Bastion, Alexis, and Chazz all took one each, leaving only two left in the box.

"How could I refuse? I mean, our very world is at stake!" replied Crowler joyfully. "The way of life, the future of the school, and, if I said no, I wouldn't get this lovely piece of jewelry!"

"Y-yes, well...good to know that you're doing it for the right reasons," said Sheppard. "...Kinda..."

With one last Spirit Key left, Banner decided to take it, seeing how he's a teacher and that he should participate in such an interesting challenge himself. "I shall also take one for myself!" Pharaoh began playing with the key in his hand, making the Spirit Key jingle back and forth.

"Challenging and beating us, huh?" started Jaden. "If it were up to me, I'd definitely challenge the strongest guy! No, maybe something more! The strongest duelist in this group versus the strongest member of the Shadow Riders! And the strongest in this group is...well, me!"

"You?!" shouted Crowler, startling Jaden and causing her to fall to the ground. "If we're talking in terms of skill, it should be me! That, or Zane. After all, he is the school's top student and he did manage to beat Jaden!" Sneering at Jaden and getting her back for kicking him in the shin, Crowler bragged, "Yes, that's right! I know all about that little match you had with Zane! And I know you lost to him in no time at all! How pathetic!"

"Hey, I was close to beating him!" pouted Jaden, defending herself.

"Ah, forget the both of them!" scoffed Chazz confidently. "I'm clearly the best choice!"

There's no choice! This isn't some tournament where we choose who goes first!" scolded Sheppard, unable to believe that everyone, save for Bastion, Alexis, Zane, and Banner, were acting this way. "This is war! You could be attacked by your enemy at any time at any place! So, my students, be on guard! That said, thank you for participating. From this moment on, the battle begins! Please, be on standby to duel at any moment. And please, you must protect the three Sacred Beast cards and the seven Spirit Keys without fail."

* * *

 _That night, at the Slifer Red dorms..._

"...And that was why I was picked as one of those seven guys!" said Jaden, finishing her explanation with Chumley and Syrus while glancing down at the Spirit Key in her palm.

"That's amazing, Jaden!" said Syrus.

"Still, I gotta wonder what sort of cards are the Sacred Beasts. I'd like to see them sometime," admitted Chumley, slightly interested.

Jaden nodded, thinking of the same thing. "Yeah. They've gotta be awesome cards if they had to be sealed up like that." Yawning, Jaden stretched her arms and proceeded to climb onto bed. "For now, I'm gonna sleep!"

"What? The fate of the entire world is at stake and all you can think about is sleeping?" wondered Syrus, dumbfounded. "What if one of the Shadow Riders come and get you during the night? I would wet my pants if some stranger came while I was asleep!"

"Nah, not to worry! We'll deal with all of that in the morning," yawned Jaden, tugging onto her bed covers. "Besides, my time to shine is still a long way, so I'm just gonna wait patiently. Goodnight..."

Syrus and Chumley glanced at one another, unsure what to do. From what Jaden told them, these Shadow Riders were extremely dangerous, but not as much as the powerful Sacred Beasts. They knew that if those cards were to come out, chaos would erupt. They decided to question more on the topic tommorow after they've gotten some rest.

Later, Alexis, who couldn't sleep, decided to take a walk towards the Slifer Red Dorms, intending to tell Jaden something. She couldn't get that earlier conversation out of her mind; the one involving the Shadow Riders and how they wished to obtain the dangerous Sacred Beast cards.

 _'If what Chancellor Sheppard says was right and the Shadow Riders get to decide who to duel, then the odds are that they'll go after who's weakest first,'_ Alexis thought, picking up her pace. _'And with that Slifer Red jacket, it's Jaden! I gotta warn her!'_

Stepping a bit from the shadows of the overgrown trees in the forest, the masked man made his entry, though through anyone's perspective, he was difficult to see. His eyes shined red as he began to activate his dark powers from afar, aiming directly towards a certain someone inside one of the Slifer Red Dorm rooms.

Snoring loudly, Jaden and her two friends were fast asleep; not noticing the bright light shining past the windows and curtains in their room. Sensing something amiss, Winged Kuriboh appeared and began bouncing up and down on Jaden's Kuriboh-like hair like a bunny, crying out her name in order to wake her up.

After several attempts, Jaden felt something soft landing up and down on her head as well as the familiar, cute sounds of her Duel Spirits. She yawned and groggily nodded her head back and forth. "What is it...Winged Kuriboh...?"

Winged Kuriboh flew around the room and pointed to the bright windows, causing Jaden to get out of her bed before groggily rubbing her eyes. She blinked several times before realizing something strange with the light and hurried to wake up her roommates.

"Syrus! Chumley! Wake up!" No matter how much she shook them or shouted, both were in a deep sleep. Before she could attempt to wake them up more, Jaden's pendant glowed, catching her attention. "What's this...?"

Alexis, who was close to the Slifer Red Dorms, noticed the light in her friend's room, realizing that the light was abnormal and that Jaden, along with Syrus and Chumley, could be in danger.

"Jaden!" After running up the stairs, she forced opened the door, relieved that Jaden doesn't always lock her front door. Normally, she'd scold Jaden about this matter, but just this once, she'll let it go.

Noticing Alexis, Jaden was about to ask if she knew what was happening. Before either of them could figure out the mysterious light, the source of the light brightened the room even further, blinding them all and teleporting everyone from the room to someplace else.

* * *

 _At the volcano..._

With strange powers at use, a solid platform was created, hovering high above the lava beneath it. Jaden and Alexis found themselves on top of the solid area, though they were taken aback by the fact that they were inside and floating in a dangerous, highly explosive volcano.

"W-where are we?" stuttered Alexis, feeling the hot atmosphere inside the volcano.

Crawling towards the edge of the solid platform, Jaden glanced down to check if the volcanic lava was real or not. The hot air was promising, but still didn't clear her doubts. "Isn't this the volcano?

Flames resembling a dragon burst out from the sea of lava, startling Jaden enough to force her to scootch back besides Alexis as the flame dragon spiraled around the air a bit before crashing onto onto the solid platform; creating a huge fire.

Emerging from that same fire was a masked man, approaching the two girls in a menacing manner.

"W-who are you?!" demanded Jaden.

"My name is Nightshroud," spoke the masked man, smirking as the fire behind him died out quickly. "I am one of the Shadow Riders! Jaden Yuki, I have chosen you as my first opponent!"

"YES!" squealed Jaden, jumping up and down excitedly. "Ha! Take that, Crowler and Chazz! I knew I was the strongest out of you guys combined!"

"Jaden, this is no time to be celebrating!" scolded Alexis.

At the same time, Jaden's pendant as well as Nightshroud's lit up, causing Nightshroud to pause and take his pendant in his hand, staring at it with slight interest.

"I'm not sure why, but the light of this pendant led me to you," revealed Nightshroud. "Looks like you've got the other half. Wow, the Gravekeeper must be getting sloppy."

"What are you...?" Jaden asked, scratching her head.

"But enough about the pendant. What I desire is the Spirit Key that you have around your neck! How? By winning it in a Shadow Game!"

"A Shadow Game?!" Jaden asked, knowing full well the high risks and dangers involving a Shadow Game. Gritting her teeth, it took all of her strength not to tremble right in front of the Shadow Rider.

Deep down, she was scared.

Was it fear of losing her life? Well, that was part of the reason, but mostly because her own Duel Spirits warned her of how there are lots of evil Duel Spirits around. Nightshroud didn't seem like a Duel Spirit, but just remembering her past experiences of the Shadow Games somewhat traumatized her a little, so this Shadow Game might be worst than before.

"Oh, and to make sure you cooperate with me, I have...certain methods to force you to," said Nightshroud. "Here, say hello to Syrus and Chumley!"

"Jaden!"

"Jaden! Help us! We're down here!"

"Huh?" Turning to the side and looking below, Jaden's eyes widen in shock when she saw both Chumley and Syrus trapped in a force field orb that hovered slightly above the molten lava. Should the orb vanish, it would be...very, very bad. "Guys!"

"Syrus! Chumley! Are you alright?!" called out Alexis.

"You don't have to worry," assured Nightshroud. "They're being protected by that orb of light, but that barrier will vanish as time goes on. If you don't participate in a Shaodw Game with me right now, well, let's just say that with a snap of my fingers, I can easily disperse that barrier, and they'll fall. Fall and _burn_ in the lava below them."

"No!" Unable to hide her fear any longer, Jaden pleaded, "Look, just duel me! But let them go! They've got nothing to do with this!"

Nightshroud shook his head. "Tsk, tsk. The more you whine, Jaden, the more time will pass and that barrier will disperse. Of course, I can do you a favor and get rid of those annoying friends of yours with a snap of my fingers if you want."

"No! Don't!"

"Relax. That's only if you refuse to cooperate with me. Oh, and one more thing." Holding up a blank card enfused with darkness in his hands, Nightshroud explained, "Whoever loses this Shadow Game will have their soul sealed within this card. Basically, your soul will be sealed in this card when you lose! Of course, when I lose, my soul will also be sealed! But hey, let's be honest with ourselves! Me, lose? No way!"

"Whoa...Is this for real?" whispered Alexis, scared and shocked simultaneously. "But...You can't accept these terms! They're too risky!"

"Tell that to Syrus and Chumley!" reminded Jaden, sweat dripping from her forehead and back of her neck not just out of the hot air, but also out of fear. "Besides, I've already experienced these sort of duels before, so I know what I'm getting myself into. I'm just hoping it doesn't hurt as bad as the others."

First, there was the Shadow Game involving Jinzo which she risked her life for three lives to return. That was actually scary for her, but she hid it with ease in order to avoid worrying everyone. Then, there was the Gravekeeper's Chief she had to duel, and that Shadow Game was twice as worst than the last one since it was also her friends' lives at stake. This Shadow Game was no different, but she was on a time limit and needed to win, fast!

"Let's do this, Nightshroud!" shouted Jaden, putting her duel disk onto her arm as Nightshroud did the same.

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Nightshroud - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"I wil go first! Draw!" shouted Nightshroud. "I summon Troop Dragon in Defense Mode!"

A green-skinned armored dragon wielding a shield and sword as his defenses knelt down in front of Nightshroud to protect him.

Troop Dragon - (WIND/Dragon) - LV2 - (700/800)

"I set one card facedown and end my turn!"

"My turn! Draw!" Jaden said. "Yeah! I summon Elemental Hero Blazeman in Attack Mode!"

Popping out from the lava below and entering the field was a red masked hero garbed in red chest armor and gauntlets as his fiery flame-like hair reflected his personality while he held up his fists to attack.

Elemental Hero Blazeman - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV4 - (1200/1800)

"If he was Normal or Special Summoned, I can add 1 Polymerization from my deck to my hand!" said Jaden, playing it safe. "Now, Blazeman! Attack Troop Dragon!"

Fists blazing with fire, Blazeman leapt forward and smashed his fists down onto Troop Dragon, taking him out.

"At this moment, Troop Dragon's special ability activates!" said Nightshroud. "When he's sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon another Troop Dragon from my deck! I Special Summon another one in Defense Mode!"

Troop Dragon - (WIND/Dragon) - LV2 - (700/800)

"Gh-! I end my turn!" said Jaden, gritting her teeth.

"My turn again! I draw! And this time, I activate my Trap, Call of the Haunted! This Special Summons a Monster from my Graveyard in Attack Mode! So, come on back, Troop Dragon!"

Troop Dragon - (WIND/Dragon) - LV2 - (700/800)

"I'm not done yet! Next, I sacrifice both my dragons in order to summon the Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

"What?! Red-Eyes Black Dragon?!" exclaimed both Alexis and Jaden, taken aback that Nightshroud had such a rare and powerful card. Not only that, but it was said to be rivaled to Blue-Eyes White Dragon's superior power.

Shooting out from the lava, a spiral fire swirled around in the air, soaring around its home field and making its presence highly dangerous to all but Nightshroud, its master.

"Whew! At least we're safe in here!" said Chumley, pressing his palms against the force field orb. Tapping it a bit, he didn't expect for parts of the orb to disperse until his hand phased through the orb, and Syrus had to use all of his strength to pull Chumley back up. They both glanced at each other worriedly, knowing that the countdown to their demise was just beginning.

After circling around the field in a fiery dance, the spiral flame flew downwards before bursting into more flames; the flames manifesting into a giant, black dragon with gleaming, red eyes and a terrifying power hidden within.

Red-Eyes Black Dragon - (DARK/Dragon) - LV7 - (2400/2000)

Wasting no time and enjoying the shocked look on Jaden's expression, Nightshroud commanded, "Red-Eyes Black Dragon! Attack Blazeman now!"

Taking flight into the air, Red-Eyes Black Dragon unleashed an explosive fireball that not only destroyed Blazeman, but also threw Jaden back, causing her to topple around a bit until she landed near Alexis' feet.

"Jaden!" the blond-haired Obelisk Blue cried, helping Jaden stand back up as Nightshroud laughed.

 **Nightshroud - 4000 LP**

 **Jaden - 2800 LP**

"Not done...!" grunted Jaden, getting back up on her feet.

Nightshroud smirked. "That's right! Get back up so I can hurt you some more! After all, this duel has lives at stake, you know! Just one little mistake, and your friends will be pummeling down to the lava before you know it! This is a Shadow Game, after all! Oh, and I end my turn!"

Straightening her back, Jaden called out, "I'm pretty confident about my strength, not just my dueling, you know! My turn! Draw! Awesome! I activate Polymerization! I fuse together Burstinatrix and Lady Heat in order to Fusion Summon! I fuse them both together to create Elemental Hero Nova Master!"

The entire volcano started shaking, though not enough to cause an eruption or anything of the sort luckily. Emerging from the lava while rocks collapsed and splashed onto the lava, a new fully-armored Elemental Hero appeared with his red cape fluttering behind him and acting like a cape of fire.

Elemental Hero Nova Master - (FIRE/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2600/2100)

"Nova Master has higher Attack Points than Red-Eyes! He'll win!" gasped Alexis, glad to find a new ray of hope in a short amount of time.

"Nova Master! Attack Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Jaden ordered.

Nova Master clasped his hands together as he channeled his energy into one attack. His energy and firepower combined into the form of a flaming fireball between his hands before he threw the fireball at Red-Eyes Black Dragon, who let out one final roar before succumbing to the full force of the explosive fireball.

 **Nightshroud - 3800 LP**

 **Jaden - 2800 LP**

"Yes! I defeated Red-Eyes! And when Nova Master destroys a Monster in battle, I draw one card!" cheered Jaden excitedly before drawing her card. "Now, Nightshroud! You know what you have to do right? If you want to get to me, you'll have to take down Nova Master! I end my turn!"

"Grr...! Shut up!" Nightshroud snapped, upset that his dragon was defeated by the likes of a weak Slifer Red. "My draw! Heh, looks like Lady Luck's on my side! First, I summon Attachment Dragon to the field in Attack Mode!"

A thin, turquoise scaled dragon with a lack of defense and offense flew to the skies.

Attachment Dragon - (WIND/Dragon) - LV1 - (100/100)

"Sure, he doesn't seem all that tough, but wait until you see his special ability!" said Nightshroud. "When he's summoned, I can equip him to your Monster and once per turn, I can change that Monster's battle position! And the good news is that only I can change his mode and not you!"

Attachment Dragon flew towards Nova Master and wrapped his limbs around his body, forcing him to bend down and kneel in Defense Mode.

"Next, I activate Monster Reborn and bring out my all-powerful Red-Eyes!"

Red-Eyes Black Dragon - (DARK/Dragon) - LV7 - (2400/2000)

"No! Not him again!" cried out Alexis.

"Red-Eyes Black Dragon! This is your chance!" shouted Nightshroud. "Attack Nova Master now!"

Taking in power, Red-Eyes Black Dragon used all of his stored power into the form of a fire breath which destroyed both Attachment Dragon and Nova Master, taking both of them down.

"Of course, since Nova Master is destroyed, Attachment Dragon's effect is cancelled and he's send to my Graveyard as a result. But that's a little minor fact for me. I end my turn!"

Jaden panted heavily, gripping her arm and squeezing it in order to remind herself to win at all costs. She started to feel exhausted and her injuries weren't helping one bit, but she refused to give up. If she did, then she, Chumley, and Syrus would die, and Alexis would be all alone to face against a tough foe like Nightshroud. She couldn't allow that to happen, so...

"My turn! DRAW!" Placing all her sheer will into the card she drew, she flipped it over. "Sweet! I activate Fusion Sage! This lets me add a Polymerization from my deck to my hand! With that done, I'll activate Polymerization and fuse together Clayman and Avian together from my hand! I Fusion Summon one of my most powerful Fusion Monsters! Elemental Hero Gaia!"

Once more, the volcano started shaking and trembling even more crazier than usual. Parts of volcanic rock tore off from the volcano itself and floated towards the field in midair before a Monster burst from the rocks, having been hidden inside. A machine-like Monster that appeared like a robot and a heavy hitter with advanced technology stomped onto the field before raising his fists.

Elemental Hero Gaia - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2200/2600)

"Now for Gaia's special ability!" yelled Jaden, finding a liking to his abilities. "When he's Fusion Summoned, I can target 1 Monster you control, and until the End Phase, I can cut its Attack Power by half and Gaia gains the same amount of Attack Points as the amount he's cut in half! I cut Red-Eyes Black Dragon's strength in half and transfer that power over to Gaia!"

Red-Eyes Black Dragon - (DARK/Dragon) - LV7 - (1200/2000)

Elemental Hero Gaia - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (3400/2600)

"No! Not my Red-Eyes!" cried out Nightshroud.

"This is payback for all of my Monsters you destroyed!" Jaden said. "Now, Gaia! Attack Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

Raising his fist onto the air, Gaia brought it down onto the weakened Red-Eyes Black Dragon, smashing his head apart in pieces from his full-grown strength before the dragon could even get a chance to let out a final cry.

 **Nightshroud - 1600 LP**

 **Jaden - 2800 LP**

"Alright! With this, I turned things around!" shouted Jaden excitedly. This was great! Just a little bit more and she'll win and get back Syrus and Chumley!

"Gh-!" Wiping a trickle of blood off his mouth, Nightshroud scoffed. "Progress means nothing in a Shadow Game. Which of us is left standing when everything is over is what matters!"

"Yeah, maybe you're right," Jaden had to admit. "Still, there's no way I'm losing! Not when there's a lot at stake here! I set a card facedown and end my turn! At this moment, Gaia's Attack Points return to normal!"

Elemental Hero Gaia - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2200/2600)

"It's my turn! Draw!" said Nightshroud before smirking. "...I can hear them."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Maybe you can't hear them, but I can! The voices of the fallen Dragons resting in the Graveyard, whispering to me, crying out for their vengeance. They only want one thing! They're yearning to burn the Earth to nothing but ashes with their scorching flames! And now, I'm going to call forth the ultimate dragon that will fufill their desires! To start, I will summon Red-Eyes Black Chick!"

Spewing out from the pool of lava, a hardened red egg floated towards the field and a baby dragon popped out of the countless cracks from the egg.

Red-Eyes Black Chick - (DARK/Dragon) - LV1 - (800/500)

"Then, by sending Black Chick to the Graveyard, I'll Special Summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon from my hand!"

Red-Eyes Black Dragon - (DARK/Dragon) - LV7 - (2400/2000)

"Now, it's time to release Red-Eyes' true form! I sacrifice Red-Eyes Black Dragon to Special Summon the ultimate dragon I mentioned earlier! Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon!"

Emerging from the hottest lava underneath the volcano and using the combined wrath of all the fallen dragons, a brand new and more powerful dragon scaled in black armor and possessing unforgettable red eyes while baring sharper fangs, talons, and wings rose up to avenge his comrades and vanquish the enemy.

Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon - (DARK/Dragon) - LV9 - (2400/2000)

"The cries of the dragons, from the depths of hell itself, will become my Darkness Dragon's flesh and blood! For every Dragon-Type in my Graveyard, Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon's Attack Points increase by 300! There are six dragons, so that makes it a total of 1800 extra Attack Points!"

Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon - (DARK/Dragon) - LV9 - (4200/2000)

"Crap! Damnit!" cried out Jaden, protecting herself with her arms as her shield, bracing herself for some hot fire at hand.

"That's right! Try and endure this pain if you can! Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon! Show no mercy! Attack the one that destroyed your previous weaker form! Destroy Elemental Hero Gaia!" ordered Nightshroud, smirking sinisterly.

Roaring loudly at his previous loss, Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon's rage filled his power as he charged up power onto his next blast. Once he was fully charged up, he blasted out a fire breath which left not even ashes from Gaia's destroyed body.

 **Nightshroud - 1600 LP**

 **Jaden - 800 LP**

Jaden screamed in pain as she was thrown aside; parts of her jacket and clothing burnt off from the massive fire. Once the smokescreen disappeared, her skin showed signs of burnt marks that needed emergency treatment as soon as possible. Clutching her arms tightly, Jaden stepped forward as if to prove her determination before she collasped and fell down.

"Jaden!" screamed Alexis, rushing to her aid while Chumley and Syrus stared in horror and Nightshroud laughed at Jaden's pathetic body.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, near the lighthouse..._

Zane was deep in thought and preferred the quiet peace as he thought over today's events and all about what Chancellor Sheppard said before. If the Academy was hiding something as important as the Sacred Beasts, and these Shadow Riders were after them, then he had to be prepared. Who knows how powerful these Shadow Riders really were.

Something caught his eye as he was about to leave for his dorm. Smoke arising from the island's volcano. That was strange as well as bad, since smoke coming from a volcano almost always indicates that a volcano is about to erupt. That, or something else must be at work.

Grasping at his Spirit Key, Zane felt it shaking by itself since he's not the one shaking from fear. Something must be happening in the volcano, and he must hurry and find out what. But researchers should have realized the volcano was safe since Kaiba Corp did build an Academy in the island where there was also a volcano.

That leaves only the work of a Shadow Rider.

* * *

 _In the Ra Yellow dorms..._

Bastion was typing away in his computer, working hard as he tried to conjure up new strategies on how to take down the Shadow Riders. But, with so little information about them, the task was very difficult and causing him a major headache.

He ceased typing when his Spirit Key started shaking all by itself, making him sense that something was terribly wrong. He got up and left his room, intent on finding out what was the cause.

* * *

 _In Chazz's room..._

"Stop dancing!" shouted Chazz, watching as Ojama Yellow was dancing around in front of him while he was trying to catch some sleep.

 _ **"But, I can't help it, Boss! I'm just following the rhythm of that Spirit Key you have!"**_ replied Ojama Yellow, pointing to the shaky Spirit Key.

"Huh, come to think of it, what is causing all that shaking?" wondered Chazz, taking the Spirit Key into his hands.

* * *

 _In Crowler's room..._

Crowler was just sleeping. That's all. He didn't even notice his Spirit Key shaking. That's just how deep asleep he is.

* * *

 _Back in the volcano..._

Alexis clenched her fists tightly as she watched her friend battered and nearly burnt up. Her friend was dying, Syrus and Chumley's protection won't last them any longer, and she's the only available one left standing and unharmed. Therefore, there was only one solution out of this without any of her friends getting killed.

"Stop it! End this duel already!" yelled Alexis.

"Hmm? And why should I?" questioned Nightshroud.

Revealing her Spirit Key to him, Alexis said, "I also have a Spirit Key. In exchange for this, leave Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley out of this!"

 _'Why do I feel like I know her?'_ Nightshroud thought, feeling a bit hesitant. _'I feel like her name's on the tip of my tongue...'_

"That's what you want, right? You can even throw my soul into that card! It's a win-win situation for you! You'll get my soul and Spirit Key, and all that'll take is for you to allow Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley to live!"

"N-No...Alexis!" grunted Jaden, struggling to stand up after hearing Alexis' courageous and self-sacrificial words. "I won't let you...! This is my duel, and my duel alone! I DRAW!"

"Jaden! Please hurry!" cried out Syrus as waves of lava splashed around the force field orb trapping Syrus and Chumley as they screamed for help. The force field was at its limits and it wouldn't be long before it shattered and both inhabitants would be swallowed up and burnt by the lava.

 _'This is it! My last chance! Gotta make it count!'_ thought Jaden, panicking a bit. "Alright! I activate my Trap, Hero Blast! I target 1 Elemental Hero Normal Monster in my Graveyard and add that Monster to my hand! I return Clayman to my hand! Now, I activate Polymerization one more time! This time, I fuse together Clayman with Necroshade! I Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Escuridao!"

Shadows rose from the smoke of the volcano as they swirled around and combined their forces together before flowing onto the field, taking the form of a new Elemental Hero thanks to Jaden's efforts. With sharp claws, wings, and an alluring aura of darkness, Escuridao clutched her claws for battle.

Elemental Hero Escuridao - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2000)

"Next, I'll equip her with the Equip Spell card, Megamorph!" Jaden countered. "Because my Life Points are lower than yours, the original Attack Points of the equipped Monster is doubled!"

Elemental Hero Escuridao - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (5000/2000)

"Also, for each Elemental Hero in my Graveyard, she gains 100 Attack Points! I have 7 Elemental Heroes, so that makes a total of 700 extra Attack Points!" said Jaden.

Elemental Hero Escuridao - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (5700/2000)

"What?!"

"Escuridao! Attack his Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon, now!"

Storing up a ball of darkness in her palms, Escuridao, once prepared, threw it waords Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon, who got swallowed up by the overwhelming, mass amount of power she possessed before exploding.

 **Nightshroud - 100 LP**

 **Jaden - 800 LP**

"Another effect of Megamorph!" said Jaden. "Because my Life Points are now higher than yours, Escuridao's original Attack Points are cut in half. But she'll still gain that 700 Attack Point bonus."

Elemental Hero Escuridao - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (1950/2000)

"I end my turn!"

With his powerful dragon gone, what hope did Nightshroud have? "M-my turn! ...I end my turn!"

"Then, this is the end!" shouted Jaden. "I draw! Battle! Escuridao! Hurry and finish this off!"

Escuridao sharpened her claws and flew towards Nightshroud, slashed at him and ending the duel.

 **Nightshroud - 0 LP**

 **Jaden - 800 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

* * *

 **Yeah, not gonna go and include the ending because we all know what happens. Jaden is unconscious and too injured, the others arrived right as Jaden and her friends are teleported out of the volcano, and everyone finds out Nightshroud is Alexis' brother.**

 **I thought it'd be too much work to include the ending, so I decided to leave the duel as the final part instead. Parts of this duel wasn't included in the real anime, so I had to struggle a bit with this duel. At the very least, you guys got to see more of Jaden's never-before-seen-anime Fusion Monsters. Including Gaia! I thought his effect was pretty neat!**

 **That said, I apologize if this chapter's ending didn't exactly satisfy you, but I'm a bit busy and school is almost here for me. This'll be my last update in a while since I gotta return to school and focus on other things.**

 **Also, in case anyone's wondering, I will NOT be including the Masked Heroes, or whatever it is they're called. To start off with, I barely know anything about them other than the fact that Jaden uses them in the manga. Also, it'll take me a while to memorize the effects of the Masked Heroes, so that's bothersome. I'd rather we stick to the regular Elemental Heroes. The Neo Spacians, I will do since they have to be included with the anime. Plus, I like the Neo Spacians, too.**

 **That said, read and review and I apologize for a lack of romantic interest in this chapter. But, hey. It's the start of the Shadow Riders saga. Best of luck!**


	25. Field of Screams Part 1 & 2

**Sorry for the long wait! Ever since school started, my bag's been pumped with homework and tests and there was a huge exam I had to take before. It was really bothersome, but the storm's passed...for now.**

 **That said, let's get to it!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

Mist arose and surrounded the dark night as the waves clashed softly against each other in the endless sea. Other than the sounds of the wind howling and the waves striking one another, silence filled the atmosphere.

Emerging from the maze of mist, a gondola aimlessly swam the ocean waters while several bats suddenly started spreading the air around the gondola as if expecting something. Inside the gondola was a coffin half-covered by a sheet. The coffin crept opened by itself and a figure sat up.

The figure, despite the darkness of the night and the hazy mist around, was identified as a young, beautiful woman whose appearance seemed dull except for one particular thing about her. Her red, blood colored lips, which changed into a smirk as she opened her mouth to reveal sharp fangs...

"..." Staring down at Jaden's unconscious figure was Syrus, who was pondering what to do, clasping his shaky hands together as he sat down on a chair besides her bed. The more he spent time with Jaden, the more his crush for her became unbearable. Right now, he wanted to swoop down and kiss her on the lips, hoping it'd be just like Snow White or Sleeping Beauty.

But...what if he kisses her, and she wakes up? Yeah, it'll be great that she's awake and well, but she might also realize that he kissed her without her permission. What if she doesn't like that at all and hates him for the rest of his life? What if he screws this up? If...If he does do this, then he's pretty bold, doing this in the infirmary with Fonda around.

 _'Gah! I can't take it_ anymore!'thought Syrus, making up his mind. He leaned forward slowly, closing his eyes and pinning both his hands on both sides of Jaden's head, preparing to take what was going to be his first kiss.

Emphasis on 'going to be his first kiss.'

"AAAAAAHHH!" Eyes snapping wide, Jaden awoke from her friend and instinctively sat up. Or, at least she tried to. Since Syrus was close to her, their foreheads collided with so much force, both of them pulled back, clutching their foreheads in pain.

 _'Waaaaahh! I was so close!'_ Syrus mentally complained before focusing his attention on Jaden, hoping she was alright.

At first, Jaden felt instant pain on her forehead when it hit something hard, but now that she was moving around, the injuries from her Shadow Duel with Nightshroud took their effect and started to strain Jaden, causing her to wrap her arms around her stomach where some of the injuries reside.

"Jaden! Are you alright?" asked Syrus, worried as he placed his gentle palm on top of Jaden's.

"I..." Taking a deep breath, Jaden recalled what her mysterious dream was. "I had...a dream..."

"A dream?"

"Are you awake, Jaden?" called out Fonda.

"Oh, Ms. Fontaine! How's Nightsh-I mean, Alexis' brother?" asked Jaden.

Reverting towards the bed where Atticus laid unconscious, Fonda replied, "Well, he hasn't woken up yet, but he's in stable condition, so he'll be alright."

Like Ms. Fontaine said, Atticus was lying on another infirimary bed, covered in the bed covers with Alexis watching over him with a concern look on her face, refusing to leave his side after being reunited with him after so long. His breathing seemed a bit ragged but he wasn't in any danger as a

Meanwhile, unknowst to anyone, Jaden's dream wasn't a dream, but rather a prediction as the woman raised her arms into the dark night, speaking in a commanding tone, "Go, my minions! Find me my prey, so that we may succeed where Nightshroud has failed!"

Her bats hurried to obey her command, flying towards Duel Academy Island as the woman stood up straight, holding a rose near her bosom while she smirked in excitement over the upcoming events and who the rest of her challenging foes might be.

* * *

 _The next day..._

"Vampire?!" cried out Chazz, shocked to hear such a mythical creature being mentioned by the Chancellor himself. And here, he thought all sorts of myths were...well, myths!

Gathered inside the Chancellor's Office were 5 of the holders of the Spirits Keys; Zane, Chazz, Crowler, Bastion, and Banner, who were called upon by Sheppard himself. Jaden was already too injured to come and Alexis was busy tending to her brother's side, so Sheppard was sympathetic enough to allow her out of the meeting.

"That gossip is currently the talk of the entire academy," explained Sheppard. "I'm afraid the rumors may not be rumors after all."

"Oh, my! An actual vampire? That is indeed frightening!" admitted Banner.

"Please!" scoffed Crowler. "There's no way a _vampire_ actually exists! It's a mythical joke!"

"A joke?" questioned Bastion sternly as he crossed his arms. "It wasn't a joke when Jaden was put in the hospital. Furthermore, if this 'vampire' rumor is true, and if it's involved with the Shadow Riders..."

"There's a good chance that this vampire is already on the island," finished Zane, figuring out what Bastion was going to say.

Concern about the new situation at hand, Sheppard glanced at everyone. "Everyone, I sincerely ask that you don't let your guard down no matter what. Be on the lookout for anything strange!"

Bastion, Zane, and Chazz nodded firmly while Crowler and Banner nervously chuckled while glancing at one another. It would appear as though they didn't like the idea of a blood-sucking mythical creature lurking around in the shadows of Duel Academy, where she could potentially suck their blood in the middle of the night anytime, anywhere.

Later, Chazz was sitting on his dorm room floor, rearranging and forming up new combos for his deck in preparations for his duel. "Waiting for an opponent to come and challenge me doesn't really suit me," he mumbled under his breath as he checked out his cards.

Unknown to him, a bat was hanging upside down at the corner of the ceiling, examining Chazz's every movements along with studying every details of his cards as its eyes glowed red.

Some more bats laid in hiding within dark places, eavesdropping and watching not just Chazz, but Zane, Bastion, and even Crowler. As for Banner...he was the only other one out of the five not studying his cards, but rather trying out ways to ward the supposed vampire away, waving a spiritual stick around along with wearing spiritual robes, a headband, and even covering his room with garlic everywhere.

Needless to say, Banner wasn't even worth checking out.

In the meantime, Jaden had fallen asleep after being given treatment and medicine from Fonda, being instructed to get as much rest as possible. While Syrus was watching over the sleeping Jaden, Alexis came by to check up on the girl.

"How's she doing?" the Obelisk Blue girl asked.

"She hasn't said anything since last night," said Syrus, looking worried and discouraged. "So, how's your brother, Alexis?"

Shaking her head, Alexis didn't need to directly tell him that Atticus still hasn't awaken yet. "Pretty much the same. But he'll get better. I know it. He's a fighter, you know?"

"I know!" Syrus agreed, nodding in agreement.

"But..." Her confident smile changed towards a worriesome expression. "I wonder how long these duels will last? After all, it sounds as though the next Shadow Rider is here."

A bat in hiding decided that it had seen enough before quietly flying back to its mistress for the upcoming reports it needed to bring.

* * *

 _Somewhere on the island, inside the bathroom..._

The female vampire laid against the warm water shielded by various bubbles that she had prepared for her lovely bath. Rose petals floated on top of the water, creating a flowery aroma which entinced the entire bathroom.

She opened her eyes after sensing one of her loyal bats flying towards her and lifted a hand in order for her bat to land on top of. "Ah, my darling...What is our competition?"

The bat's eyes glowed red and all the information is gathered transferred onto the female vampire's mind, causing her to chuckle in satisfaction at her competitors."Oh...I can see them all...all yours strategies...Now...which one will be my first..."

When her eyes laid upon a certain dark blue haired duelist with a serious expression, she instantly became attracted by his handsome appearance. "You...You will be my first!"

* * *

 _In the Chancellor's Office later on..._

"Good news, Chancellor! We searched the whole campus!" announced Chazz, reporting in with Zane, Bastion, Crowler, and Banner alongside him. "And there's no-"

"VAMPIRE!" Barging in and intruding, Chumley panted as he revealed what he knew. "*Pant*We've got trouble! I saw her! She's...she's at the lake!"

Astonished, Sheppard stood up from his seat while the others were determined to check out the source of his information. So, the enemy has shown herself...That meant no mercy at all, especially when one of their Shaodw Riders has caused enough damage to both Atticus and Jaden.

Outside of the lake, the fog made it hard to see clearly, making the others, who just arrived, to see nothing but the endless ocean as well as the continuous shrouding fog.

A red carpet rolled down from the endless ocean, reaching at the feet of the land; Duel Academy Island. Somehow, the red carpet made it seem as though the ocean was a physical surface to stand on, otherwise, the carpet would have already pummeled underwater by now. Perhaps this was the works of the vampire's powers?

"She's coming..." warned Zane, staying alert for anything that happens.

"What now?" wondered Bastion as Crowler and Banner snuck and hid behind the three strong-willed students; Zane, Bastion, and Chazz.

"We have to rise to the challenge."

"Who's going first?" questioned Chazz. "'Cause if nobody calls up, I'm going first!"

Accidentally, both teachers collided with each other with their backs turned, causing them to shriek and for Crowler to leapt out as if he wished to go first. Not wanting the others to know he was scared, Crowler quickly said, "I-I'll go first! Yes! That's what I intended to do all along!"

"Wow, that's very impressive of you, Dr. Crowler!" praised Chumley, crossing his arms and nodding with a proud look.

"Yes, we'll be right behind you!" encouraged Bastion.

"By a good ten feet away!" added in Banner cheerfully. "In a way, you'll be representing the professors!"

"Eep?!" Swiftly facing the others, Crowler tried to find an excuse to get out of this peculiar situation. "O-Of course, I'll be going first! Ahaha...! But, why don't we pick straws to see who goes first? That way, it'll be fair!"

"Sorry, Crowler! You're up," said Chazz, having already figured out what was on Crowler's mind. It didn't take an idiot to see how cowardly Crowler was.

* * *

 _A few minutes later, in the infirmary..._

"We've got trouble!" cried out Chumley, bursting inside, disrupting the two injured patients' rest. "Dr. Crowler's gonna duel against the vampire lady!"

"What?! Tell me you're kidding!" said Syrus, standing up from his stool.

Concern, Alexis tore her attention away from the unconscious Atticus to the new subject at hand. "That's crazy! It's absurd that he's starting another dangerous duel like that!"

Blinking her eyes awake, Jaden overheard the conversation and grew worried for her teacher. Sure, he may be an egotistic, self-centered jerk like Chazz at times, but she still cares for him. Besides, she's already gotten her revenge by beating him in a duel. If Crowler was weaker than her, which he would never admit out loud, and since Jaden just recently got injured from a tough duel with a Shadow Rider, the results will be catastrophic for Crowler should he actually go through with this duel.

Winged Kuriboh appeared and poked Jaden in the cheek, trying to make her feel better. He didn't like that teacher either, but he would never wish actual life-threatening harm to him just as Jaden would never wish for the same thing.

* * *

 _At the lake..._

Crowler was screwed, no doubt about that. The signs of his fear were revealed through his trembling body, and it wasn't even that cold outside.

"Hey, you okay?" asked Chazz, a little bit worried. He knew there was a chance Crowler might screw up in his duel, considering he's all talk and no bark.

"I'm just swell!"

A slight, strong gust of wind instantly vaporized the fog as though it was nothing, revealing that at the end of the red carpet was a female, green-haired woman standing on a gondola, surrounded by her precious bats.

"Gentlemen...why don't I just come to you?" the woman said before stepping off the gondola and perfectly walking down the red carpet. The person in front of her...was this supposed to be her opponent? "And who might you be?"

"Y-your opponent!"

 _'You? I don't think so. How unpleasant,'_ thought the female vampire, displeased. _'But, I wouldn't mind a change of pace...'_ By that, she was glancing at Zane for a moment before looking back at Crowler.

"You are not worthy!" she stated bluntly, shocking Crowler.

"I BEG YOUR PARDON?! I HAVE A P.H.D. IN DUELING! I DIDN'T COME ALL THIS WAY FOR NOTHING, YOU KNOW!" hollered Crowler; a tick mark appearing at the corner of his head.

"Fine!" said the female vampire, finding a little bit amusement to his reaction. "If you're that anxious to lose your key, then you shall lose to me in a Shadow Duel! I, Vampire Camula, mistress of the Shadow Riders, shall be your opponent!"

She bowed slightly as a polite gesture before glancing up; her red eyes glowing as bats flew around her as if this was her grand entrance.

"Oh, so she is the rumored vampire everyone is talking about!" commented Banner.

"Hmph! Your tricks don't scare me!" said Crowler. "So, what are the winning terms of this duel?"

"Quite simple, really," started Camula. "If I win, I get your Spirit Key, and your soul, and it'll stay trapped in this little doll." To prove her point, she held up a small, lifeless doll right between her fingers.

"You want to take his soul and the key?!" exclaimed Bastion, finding the terms to be a bit unfair.

"You serious? Forget it!" shouted Chazz.

"What utter nonsense!" laughed Crowler, getting a bit too overconfident. "You expect me to believe in such fairy tales? You're better off telling those to another idiotic fool than me!"

Smirking darkly, Camula opened her mouth slightly, but enough for everyone to notice the sharp fangs she bared. "Be careful what you wish for...It may just come back to bite you! Now then, Key Keeper! Let's duel!"

"Gladly!"

Both opponents walked back for more distance between themselves and initiated their duel disks, preparing for their first Shadow Duel and for the fight for their souls along with the possession of the Spirit Key.

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Camula - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Crowler - 4000 LP**

"I'll take the first move! Draw!" announced Camula. "I summon Zombie Werewolf in Attack Mode!"

A muscular werewolf wearing torn pants, yet baring sharp fangs and claws as his primary weapons howled at the sight of the full moon.

Zombie Werewolf - (DARK/Zombie) - LV4 - (1200/1200)

"And I'll end my turn with a facedown card!"

Crowler scoffed and smirked at his brilliant thinking. "Please, what do you take me for? That facedown is clearly a trap, and that Monster is obviously the bait! But even so, I'll bite. My turn, draw! First, I'll activate the Continuous Spell, Ancient Gear Castle!"

With the ground rumbling, a fortress-like castle armed with cannons and other gear-like weapons spawned from the ground, appearing behind Crowler as it acted as a means for both offense and defense.

"Then, I'll summon Ancient Gear Soldier in Attack Mode!"

Kneeling a bit as if pledging his life towards fighting, a large, mechanical soldier wielding a multi-shooting rifle in his palms appeared.

Ancient Gear Soldier - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1300/1300)

Ancient Gear Soldier - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1600/1300)

"Alright! Thanks to Ancient Gear Castle, the Attack Points of any Ancient Gear Monsters rises by 300 Points!" exclaimed Bastion, impressed that Crowler made a good move.

"Furthermore, Ancient Gear Soldier has an incredibly useful ability," commented Zane. "Whenever that Monster attacks, the opponent can't activate Magic or Trap cards until the end of the Damage Step."

"With that said and done, it's time to attack!" shouted Crowler. "Magnetized Fury!"

The barrel of the rifle started rapidly spinning in place as Ancient Gear Soldier commenced a fury of attacks onto Zombie Werewolf. The Monster let out a howl of pain before being destroyed as Camula stayed calm, unfazed by the destruction of her Monster.

 **Camula - 3600 LP**

 **Crowler - 4000 LP**

"That actually wasn't half bad. Crowler actually did something good for a change!" admitted Zane, impressed. It takes a lot to impress the young man, and considering the fact that Crowler was older and has a lot more experience, it didn't take too long for Zane's approval.

"That was fun! I should get out of the classroom more often! That was certainly a magnificant attack!" squealed Crowler; his heart pounding with excitement. So, this is how fun dueling can be! Crushing your opponents into tiny little bits!

"Is that so? Then, I shall have fun enjoying my own _magnificent_ counterattack," spoke Camula, smirking. "Be revived, Zombie Werewolf!"

Zombie Werewolf - (DARK/Zombie) - LV4 - (1700/1200)

"But how?!" gasped Crowler, his energetic attitude diminishing the second he saw the Zombie Werewolf return, stronger than before.

"Ah, my apologies. I must have forgotten to tell you that, when Zombie Werewolf is destroyed in battle, I can Special Summon another one from my deck and raise his Attack Points by 500."

The rest of the Key Keepers weren't impressed the second they heard of Zombie Werewolf's effect. Wasn't Crowler supposed to know stuff like that? He's a skilled teacher with a P.H.D. in dueling after all. He even admitted to having one a few minutes ago.

"And he's supposed to be teaching us?" questioned Chazz.

"Hey, weren't you supposed to know that?" wondered Bastion.

Realizing that his reputation as a skilled duelist was at stake, Crowler quickly defended himself. "E-everything's under control! I place one card facedown and end my turn!"

"Why, thank you. It's my turn," Camula said politely. "I summon Vampire Bat in Attack Mode!"

A small group of bats acting as one Monster appeared side by side Zombie Werewolf.

Vampire Bat - (DARK/Zombie) - LV3 - (800/1200)

"And with my wicked friend on the field, every Zombie-Type on the field gains 200 extra Attack Points including itself!"

Zombie Werewolf - (DARK/Zombie) - LV4 - (1900/1200)

Vampire Bat - (DARK/Zombie) - LV3 - (1000/1200)

"Now, I'll attack Ancient Gear Soldier with my Zombie Werewolf! Howling Slash!"

Surged with new strength hidden within, Zombie Werewolf rushed forward in a much faster speed, slashing Ancient Gear Soldier in a matter of seconds and leaving his remains in ruins.

 **Camula - 3600 LP**

 **Crowler - 3700 LP**

"Please, that was nothing!" laughed Crowler confidently. "I've still got more Life Points!"

"Yes, but not for long! That was only the beginning!" corrected Camula. "Vampire Bat, attack him directly!"

Shrieking in unison, the group of bats began swarming around Crowler, biting him in small, but multiple areas while unleashing their supersonic waves on him. Gripping his head and trying to bear the pain, it took everything out of Crowler not to scream out loud.

 _'T-this pain...! It's not some mere hologram! This...is real! The Shadow Games really do exist!'_ thought Crowler, fear overtaking his heart at the realization that his life was actually at stake here.

 **Camula - 3600 LP**

 **Crowler - 2700 LP**

"Heh, I end my turn," spoke Camula, smirking as she watched her opponent groveling in pain.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in the infirmary..._

"Professor Crowler's really in big trouble!" cried out Syrus as he, along with Chumley and Alexis witnessed the duel from Syrus' PDA. "That looks pretty painful!"

"Well, at the very least, the others should have all the proof they need that Shadow Games really do exist," spoke Alexis.

Jaden opened her eyes, and glanced at the direction where Syrus and the others were. She couldn't really see much, but she did managed to catch a glimpse of Crowler being attacked by bats. Everyone assumed that she was asleep, so they left her alone, but with her teacher in agonizing pain, there's no way she can let anyone else suffer like this!

Hearing some shuffling noises from the bed, Syrus turned and saw Jaden grunting in pain while trying to get up. Chumley and Alexis noticed as well, and the three of them ran up to Jaden, pushing her down on the bed.

"L-let me go! I have to stop the duel! Crowler's getting hurt!" cried out Jaden, struggling, though her strength was faltering due to her body still weakened and the fact that three people's combined strength was outweighing hers.

"Jaden, don't worry! The others will take care of it!" replied Alexis, trying not to hurt her friend too much.

"You've done enough! Just rest!" said Syrus.

"Yeah, you need your rest!" agreed Chumley.

* * *

 _Back to the duel..._

"So, how does it feel, being tormented by the underlings of the dead?" insulted Camula, smirking at the battered form of Crowler, who had bite marks all over his body, even his face.

Crowler gritted his teeth, wiping some blood off of some of his wounds as he was kneeling on one foot, trying to get up and resume the duel.

Seeing the pitiful, weak human struggling, Camula sighed, deciding to feel some pity for him. "Listen, dear...You don't have to endure this. Step down, and I shall duel him in your place." Who she was staring at was now directly towards Zane, something the others picked up as well.

"Heh, congrats, Zane. Looks like you're her type," teased Chazz, also mentally cheering since that's one less rival off his list for something other than dueling.

"So, how about it? It's not too late to change," offered Camula. "Just exchange your student with yourself, and you're free to go."

"As tempting as that may be..." grunted Crowler before standing up straight, furious that Camula would offer such a despicable offer like that. "I WON'T LET YOU LAY A SINGLE FINGER ON ONE OF MY STUDENTS! Do you understand?! I'm the leading professor of the most famous Duel Academy in the world! And if you want to get to my pupils, you'll have to go through me first!"

"But, you can barely stand, Crowler!" shouted Chazz, worried for the teacher. He may be a prick at times, but no way did he ever deserve to be treated like this!

Crowler forced a grin, no matter how painful it may be to form, turning to Chazz. "D-don't worry...! I've still got my deck...and a few tricks...up my sleeve! Like this, for example! I activate my facedown Trap card, Damage Condenser! Due to it's effect, I can Special Summon one Monster from my deck with Attack Points less than or equal to the damage I took this turn! And I Special Summon that Monster in Attack Mode! And the Monster I've chosen is Ancient Gear Soldier!"

Another Ancient Gear Soldier popped out, and due to the effect of Ancient Gear Castle, his Attack Points increased by 300.

Ancient Gear Soldier - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1600/1300)

"And now, it's my turn. Draw!" continued Crowler. "I'll sacrifice Ancient Gear Soldier to Tribute Summon Ancient Gear Beast in Attack Mode!"

An animalistic armored Monster with the appearance of a beast-like hound dog approached the field, growling at the opponents before him. Once again, due to Ancient Gear Castle's effect, he also gains an additional 300 Attack Point boost.

Ancient Gear Beast - (EARTH/Machine) - LV6 - (2300/2000)

"And now, I'll use Ancient Gear Beast to attack your Zombie Werewolf!" shouted Crowler.

"Wait, don't do it!" called out Chazz, recalling Zombie Werewolf's nasty effect. "If you destroy the werewolf, she'll just bring him back over again! Hello?!"

"Appreciate the advice, but you're forgetting all about my beast's ability," spoke Crowler. "Ancient Gear Beast's special ability allows him to negate the effect of a Monster he destroyed in battle!~"

Bastion sighed in relief. "Clever calculations!"

Banner agreed as well. "Yes, good thinking!"

With all the confusion aside, Crowler faced Camula once more with new resolution. "Now, attack her annoying Zombie Werewolf!"

Ancient Gear Beast pounced on top of the opponent's Monster, biting his fangs onto a fatal spot of the Zombie Werewolf before he was destroyed.

 **Camula - 3200 LP**

 **Crowler - 2700 LP**

Camula's confident attitude vanished once she realized that her Zombie Werewolf's ability was no longer effective. Not only that, but her worthless opponent had the stronger Monster on the field at the moment.

"Haha! How's that?" Crowler said, his overconfidence getting the best of him yet again. "If you'd like some help with some dueling strategies, feel free to stop by my class!"

"Maybe Crowler's lesson plans do work," admitted Chazz.

Sweatdropping, Bastion gave an awkward smile. "Quiet. He'll only give us more homework."

"Hmm...Nice move. My turn," said Camula. "I now cast the Field Spell, Infernalvania!"

Shaking like an earthquake, a brand new castle just as grand and large as Ancient Gear Castle sprung up, resembling like Dracula's castle.

Recalling the disastrous effects of the Field Spell, Crowler cried, "B-but that's a forbidden Field Spell! Not only that, but you'll destroy everything with that!"

"Exactly!" said Camula, intent on using the effects. "By discarding one Zombie-Type Monster from my hand, I can send every creature that's on the field straight to the Graveyard!"

"Heh, that's true. But, don't you forget!" called out Chazz, being smug. "If you activate that effect, you won't be allowed to Normal Summon or Set this turn!"

"That's true, but surely you haven't forgotten to mention a certain effect from one of my Monsters...right, Professor Crowler?" Now it was Camula's turn to be smug as she focused the attention onto Crowler.

A little sweat dripped from his forehead as Crowler already knew what she was saying. "T-that's...! Your Vampire Bat's ability-!"

"Ah, so you do know! When he's destroyed, by simply sending another Vampire Bat from my deck to the Graveyard, I can negate his destruction!"

Shocked, the spectators gasped as they grew worried for Crowler. If her vampire Monster is left unharmed on the field, Crowler's going to take more terrible damage, worst than before!

"Now I discard one of my Zombie Monsters to activate Infernalvania's effect," announced Camula.

The moment she's done so, the castle's surrounded glowed red as its effect began to take toll on all the Monsters on the field. Ancient Gear Beast and Vampire Bat burst into pieces, though Vampire Bat's remains scattered around the field like rose petals.

"And like I said, by discarding another Vampire Bat from my deck to the Graveyard, I can negate my Vampire Bat's destruction. And with that done, attack! Bloody Spiral!"

The group of bats swirled together rapidly, forming a miniature tornado as they lunged towards Crowler. Once close, they resumed biting him and letting loose their soundwaves, injurying Crowler furthermore as he yelled in pain.

Body trembling with anger and a rising urge to help him out, Zane muttered to himself, "He needs our help!"

As if hearing Zane, Crowler shook his head, trying to fight off the pain. "S-Stay back! This is my duel! You must take this as a lesson not to mess things up! You must...protect your keys...!"

Having finished what seemed to be his final words, Crowler collapsed on the ground, blood dripping onto the soiled dirt from his injuries.

 **Camula - 3200 LP**

 **Crowler - 1700 LP**

Shocked, the only noises heard were the gasping sounds coming from the Spirit Key holders along with the flapping of the wings and hissing from the Vampire Bat Monster. Bastion was the first to try to run up to Crowler, only to back away when the Vampire Bat turned their attention to him.

"Crowler! We can't just stand here and do nothing!" said Zane, ready to jump in and take over Crowler's place. Crowler's tried his best to protect his students, so now, as the top student of the academy, it's time for him to live up to his own reputation and fight against the nasty Shadow Rider.

"Yes, I completely agree with you, darling," agreed Camula. "Please, step in. Save your teacher, because obviously, he can't save himself!"

"YOU'VE GOT THAT WRONG!"

Reverting to the direction of the voice, everyone was surprised to see Syrus carrying Jaden on his back. Well, he was having trouble, so Chumley helped by pushing Jaden up so she wouldn't fall off.

"Dr. Crowler is definitely strong! No doubt about it!" continued Jaden, defending Crowler even more.

Waking from being unconscious for a little while, Crowler heard the voice of the person he disliked the most. "I know that voice...Slacker...!"

"I know because I've dueled him before! Believe it! Sure, he can be overconfident, rude, mean, wears too much perfume, a big jerk like Chazz, looks like a girl, has a huge ego..."

 _'Is she trying to make me feel better or worst?'_ wondered Crowler, sweatdropping as he listened to Jaden rant on of how a terrible person he can be. If it weren't for the fact that he was severely wounded, he would have ran up to Jaden and yelled at her, giving her at least a month's-no, two month's worth of detention!

"But even so, he can throw down!" Jaden ranted on, now talking positive about her teacher. "And he'll beat you! So, get up, Dr. Crowler, and get your game on!"

"I...am...not...giving...UP!" hollered Crowler, taking most of his strength to stand up and fight for what's right. As much as he hated it, he knew Jaden was right, and her words motivated him...except for the part where she started talking bad about him.

"Oh? Are you still here?" mocked Camula, having lost interest in her opponent just moments ago.

"You better believe it! And here to stay, too! I, Dr. Vellian Crowler, will absolutely not be defeated in some Shadow Game! As much as I hate to admit it, Jaden's right! I can thrown down! I can beat you, and I can get my game on! Ugh...now I feel the urge to rinse my mouth!"

"Aw, it's not that bad to say it! But you're right. You said it, Crowler!" cheered Jaden.

"Yes, but now the situation's turned on Crowler. More importantly, his field and Life Points," reminded Bastion, getting back on subject.

"Crowler's going to need a large comeback if he wants to win this," agreed Zane.

"It's my turn! I draw!" said Crowler. "Yes! I summon Ancient Gear Golem in Attack Mode!"

His ace Monster rose from underground and stood tall and strong like a fortress right besides his owner.

Ancient Gear Golem - (EARTH/Machine) - LV8 - (3000/3000)

"Check it! Crowler's best Monster!" pointed out Chazz.

"But, where's the sacrifice?" wondered Syrus.

"It's on the field. The Ancient Gear Castle!" explained Zane. "And a very skillful move! With the Continuous Spell, Ancient Gear Castle, for the Tribute Summon for another Ancient Gear Golem, the castle can be used for as many sacrifices as however many Monsters you Normal Summoned."

After Ancient Gear Castle vanished, Crowler shouted, "Ancient Gear Golem, attack her Monster with Mechanized Melee!"

Smashing his iron first onto the group of Vampire Bats, they dispersed like rose petals once again.

 **Camula - 1200 LP**

 **Crowler - 1700 LP**

"Did you forget that Vampire Bat can't be destroyed so long as I use his effect?" reminded Camula. "On my next turn, I will definitely smite you using my combo of both Vampire Bat and Infernalvania!"

"I believe you're quite mistaken!" said Crowler.

"What's he going to do?" wondered Chazz, stunned just like the others that Crowler still has some unexpected tricks up his sleeve.

"Simple! I'm going to destroy every Spell and Trap card on the field using the wrath of my Heavy Storm Spell card!"

Powerful gusts of winds overtook the duel and blew away every single Spell and Trap on the field, especially Infernalvania, leaving the field empty except for the Monsters on the field.

"Hmph. You really are weak and predictable, you know that?" replied Camula, acting unfazed, almost as if she knew that would happen.

"Please! You don't know what you're talking about!"

Revealing her hideous expression with her tongue sticking out sharply, Camula grew serious, yet full of confidence herself. **"Oh, don't I?! I activate the Trap card, Zombie Bed!"**

Startled, Crowler said, "You can't! I just destroyed all the Spell and Trap cards!"

 **"That's precisely what I wanted you to do!"**

"But why?!"

Being familiar with certain effects like this, Zane said, "Of course! It's so obvious! In order to be activated, Zombie Bed has to be destroyed!"

 **"Very good, my darling! And now that it's effect has been triggered, it allows me to Special Summon Zombie Werewolf in Attack Mode! And due to Vampire Bat's ability, he'll gain 200 more Attack Points upon return!"**

Zombie Werewolf - (DARK/Zombie) - LV4 - (1400/1200)

"She knows Crowler's moves even before he does!" said Chazz.

"It's almost as if she's psychic herself!" spoke Syrus before shuddering in fear. "A psychic vampire...I never thought I'd actually see one!"

"Hmph. It's easy when you have a hundred flying bats spying on everyone!" bragged Camula, returning to normal. But even with her beauteous appearance, everyone can now see she was a monster both metaphorically and literally on both the inside and out.

 _'Huh? What's she talking about?'_ thought Jaden, confused about her previous statement.

A bat flew down besides Camula's shoulder, folding its wings as its eyes glowed red; something Crowler noticed and was taken aback with a hint of fear.

"It's over, Crowler! My turn!" said Camula. "I activate Book of Life! It ressurects my Vampire Lord which I had previous sent to my Graveyard before! And due to Vampire Bat's effect, he gains 200 extra Attack Points!

Vampire Lord - (DARK/Zombie) - LV5 - (2200/1500)

"In addition, I can target one Monster on your Graveyard and remove it from play! So, I'll be taking your Ancient Gear Beast so you can't use him again! I remove from play Vampire Lord to Special Summon Vampire Genesis in Attack Mode!"

A beast that's supposed to resemble a vampire made his appearance, making up his hideous appearance for his huge amount of power.

Vampire Genesis - (DARK/Zombie) - LV8 - (3000/2100)

"And since Vampire Bat is still on the field, his Attack Points increase by 200!"

Vampire Genesis - (DARK/Zombie) - LV8 - (3200/2100)

No words were need to be told that Vampire Genesis was definitely stronger than Crowler's ace Monster. Even if he didn't get that power boost, Camula still would have caused both Monster to destroy each other, then use her Monsters to take down Crowler.

Crowler...had no more tricks left.

Even so, Crowler turned to his students with some hope left in his eyes. "My students, no matter what happens to me, always remember this, and please promise me one last thing! It's true that I may have been harsh on you, but it's simply because I believe in you! Therefore, if I fall here, there's still hope! Please promise me that you will believe in hope, and that you will never waver or doubt your own hearts!"

"Don't talk like that!" shouted Zane, refusing to believe the reality that is to come.

Now Jaden was feeling terrible about herself and regretting the bad things she's said about Crowler. While what she said was her perspective, she was now undoubtable witnessing full proof of Crowler caring for his students. Sure, he was annoying at times but-No, right now, he's truly a respectable teacher who would sacrifice his life for his students.

"Have you spoken your final words, Crowler?" called Camula. The pathetic human before her should be grateful that she's even allowing him a final word with his students.

"EXCUSE ME, BUT THAT'S 'DR' TO YOU!"

"Ahahaha! If you wish, I will put it in your tombstone when I am finished with you! Attack, my minions! First, his Ancient Gear Golem, then his Life Points!"

Her loyal Monsters were happy to obliged as they got straight to work. Vampire Genesis made short work of Ancient Gear Goldem, while Zombie Werewolf and Vampire Bat finished off Crowler's Life Points for good.

 **Camula - 1200 LP**

 **Crowler - 0 LP**

 **Winner: Camula**

"And that's the end. His key is mine," proclaimed Camula proudly.

Throughout the entire assault, everyone stayed silent and still, wishing with all their might that they could have saved Crowler, but it was inevitable. One cannot simply interfere in a Shadow Game like that. Besides, Crowler wouldn't have allowed it anyways. Still, that didn't stop everyone from despising Camula and her cruel methods.

Watching Camula approach Crowler's body, Chazz refused to believe the outcome of the duel. "No way...I can't believe it! Damnit!"

"We-We can't stop her...She's already won the duel," spoke Syrus timidly.

"One down, six to go," muttered Camula, picking up Crowler's Spirit Key, which vanished from her fingertips and towards the holding place where the Sacred Beast cards were hidden. "And now for my second prize!"

She took the mini mannequin doll from her pocket and focused her powers onto it. A surging aura consumed Crowler's body before it vanished; his remaining soul stuck in the doll as it transformed into a doll version of him. Disgusted, she tossed the doll to the ground and stepped on it.

Angered by this action, Jaden moved in to leap at her. "Why you-!"

Zane stopped her, blocking her path with his arm and shaking his head. He was just as angry as Jaden and desired justice as well, but now wasn't the time to lose one's cool. If they wanted to win this, they have to do so using their brains instead of their hearts.

Amused, Camula said, "I bid you farewell. I look forward to our next challenge."

Behind her amongst the hidden fog was a now visible castle in front of the shining moon. The moonlight shined down upon the castle, revealing all of its glory and ancient structure. That must be the next destination of their duel.

"Is that...a castle?"

Smirking, Camula spoke one more time. "We shall meet again!" A whirlwind swallowed her up and transformed her into a bat, which she joined her fellow bats up into the night skies; her laughter echoing in the skies as everyone remained dead silent.

* * *

 _The next day..._

"Damnit! How could she make Dr. Crowler...? Camula's gonna get it sooner or later!" Too weakened to get up, Jaden let her anger out by speaking harshly about Camula and the rotten things she's done. Besides, it's not like she can get up like that, for the others would easily take her down if she tried.

"..." Staring at the Crowler doll in his hands, Chazz decided to keep it for safekeeping. Clearly, he didn't want it, but if Crowler's soul was inside the doll, then he might as well protect it a bit until they defeat Camula. Chances are that Crowler should return to normal should she be defeated. Besides, if anything happened to the Crowler doll, Crowler may never come back.

"I mean, seriously! Taking the Spirit Key was one thing, but Crowler's soul too?!" ranted on Jaden while the others remained uneased and silent. "Just...just how the hell are we gonna return Crowler back to normal?!"

"Jaden..." Growing worried, Syrus gently spoke, "You really oughta rest."

Banner couldn't agree more with him. "Sy's right. After all, we're going to have to place everything we have in these Shadow Games. If we lose, we'll be put in dolls like Dr. Crowler! And I really don't want to-!"

Unknowingly gripping Pharaoh's fur as he was stroking it, Banner accidentally tugged on the fur too much, causing Pharaoh to cry out in pain and jump off his lap. Pharaoh quickly escaped under the infirmary bed Jaden was using, with Banner crawling after him and shivering in fear.

"I-it's alright! I've got Pharaoh! And we shall be under here! ...For a few minutes. Maybe an hour? It'll be a while, though."

Anyone can obviously tell that he won't be coming out there anytime soon.

Everyone grew silent, worried about their obstacle up ahead. They certainly needed to defeat Camula, but if she's this tough, just imagine how much more powerful the other Shadow Riders are like.

Bastion decided to speak up for everyone's sake. "The worst part is, since Camula was about to take Crowler's key, she needs six more to unleash those Beast cards."

"And it won't just be our lives and souls at stake, but everyone's in the world," said Alexis, finishing what Bastion was meant to say.

Letting out a frustrated cry, Jaden tugged harshly on her bedsheets. "Damnit! We just need to win, right? Then, that settles it! I'm dueling her tonight!"

"You, duel? Please, gimme a break!" said Chazz, pulling the bedsheets over Jaden and practically trapping her inside as she struggled and fumbled with the sheets. "Leave all of this to the Chazz!"

"Hold on...! Yeah!" Using all her strength, Jaden managed to free herself of the bedsheets, gasping for breath afterwards before crotching over in pain.

"Tch." Clicking his tongue, Chazz stepped forward and pulled the sheets even harder before shoving her back in the bed. "You're injured, so shut up and get some rest!"

"Chazz! That was mean of you!" cried out Syrus, rushing to Jaden's side and glaring at the black coated student. "You didn't have to be so rough!"

"Oh, quiet! I'm doing what's best for her! For all of us!" said Chazz, growing annoyed, yet determined to beat the female vampire. "One of us is going to have to face Camula!"

"And by 'us,' you mean you, Chazz?" questioned Bastion. "I'm sorry, Chazz. But I'm not entirely convinced that you're the man for the job. I should go."

"You?" Now it was Chazz's turn to distrust the Ra Yellow. Bastion may have beaten him once, but that time was only a fluke! A fluke! He's changed and grown much stronger than last time!

"Chazzzy! Please, let me outta here!" complained Jaden, continuing to struggle with her ensnaring bedsheets.

"Shut it!"

"...Fine! Meanie..."

"What we need is to work together!" said Alexis, bringing the topic back into attention. 'Protecting the keys and Crowler's soul is all that matters! That's why we can't lose to these Shadow Games anymore!"

The others gave a nod in unison, agreeing with Alexis that the menace known as the Shadow Riders definitely needed to be taken down, starting with Camula.

Zane, having heard enough, walked out of the infirmary quietly with Syrus being the only one who noticed. Getting up, Syrus left the infirmary as well and caught up with his brother down the hallway.

"Zane! Zane, wait!" he called, causing Zane to stop. "W-what's wrong? Didn't we all agree we would work together? I-If it comes to it, when you have to duel, at least be careful!"

Instead of rudely ignoring his little brother like usual, Zane unexpectedly gave Syrus a soft smile of reassurance before walking off. Unknown to both of them, another vampire bat was spying on them, reporting all to Camula through the red eyes.

* * *

 _Back in Chazz's room..._

Lost in thought about which deck his should use, Chazz sat on his bed with three decks laid before him. Each of them he managed to gather by himself by buying Booster packs and collecting all the useful cards he could find. Clearly, there was no way he was using his Ojama deck, so the only things left were to choose which deck...

Once again, Ojama Yellow, curious to see what his Boss was up to, flew up to his face. _**"Hey, watcha doing, Boss?"**_

"None of your business."

Irritated, Chazz casually smacked Ojama Yellow as usual, sending him straight towards his TV. Thankfully, since Ojama Yellow's body wasn't physical, he dove inside the TV before flying back, quickly recovering.

Chazz, who decided to rearranged a brand new deck using the cards in his three decks, tried to swat Ojama Yellow away. "Go away!"

 _ **"Hey, hey! Boss! Can I help? Can I? Can I? Can I? Can-"**_

 **WHACK!** Finally, Chazz successfully hit Ojama Yellow once more, making him crash and bounce onto the Crowler doll.

 _ **"OW! That hurt!"**_ cried out the Crowler doll. Surprised and curious, Ojama Yellow began to lift up his arm and tickle the doll. _**"What are you doing?! Stop! AHAHAHAHA! STOP! I'M-AHAHAHAHA! TICKLISH! AHAHAHAHA!"**_

Gasping, Ojama Yellow called out, _**"Boss! This doll's alive!"**_

Getting up from his bed and walking towards Ojama Yellow, Chazz picked up the Crowler doll as the doll itself started complaining. _**"Would you mind not moving me so much?! You're wrinkling my coat!"**_

Judging from the obnoxious tone along with the new, high-pitched voice the Crowler doll seemed to adopt, there was no doubt that this doll contained Crowler's soul.

"Oh yeah. That's Dr. Crowler, alright," assured Chazz before smirking. "But...you don't get an opportunity like this every day, so..." He placed the Crowler doll back on the desk before turning around and walking towards something.

 _ **"Hmm? Chazz? Where are you going?! Don't leave me here with this...this weird yellow freak!"**_

 _ **"Hey! I'm not a freak! Take that back!"**_

 _ **"Ow! You cretin! You kicked me! You do NOT kick me! Me, a superior teacher in the greatest dueling school in the world!"**_

"I'm back." This time, Chazz returned...with an evil grin and scissors. More specficially, tiny, yet sharp and sword-like scissors.

 _ **"W-what are you doing with those?!"**_ exclaimed the Crowler doll, wanting to scootch away. Unfortunately, he couldn't move, therefore, he was helpless and vulnerable to whatever move Chazz makes.

"I've been waiting for something like this for a long, long, LONG time..." chuckled Chazz with a evil glint in his eyes, approaching the Crowler doll while raising the scissors. "Total payback for all those times..."

If the Crowler doll could sweat, he could already have been doing it already. _**"N-now, now! Let's not do anything drastic!"**_

"Drastic? Oh no, I'm just going to change your appearance a bit. I don't normally deal with stupid dolls like yourself, but I'll make an exception this one time. And I'm starting with your girly hair..."

 _ **"EEP! NO! NOT MY HAIR! MY LOVELY, LOVELY HAIR! AND HOW DARE YOU CALL MY HAIR GIRLY?!"**_

"Oh, I am sooo gonna enjoy this..."

Being sympathetic with the Crowler doll while hearing his cries for help, Ojama Yellow wanted to help him, but noticed something else outside. Looking out the window, Ojama Yellow saw several bats flying around the dark clouds in the night sky. Chazz ceased his 'activity' with Crowler and tugged aside the curtains, also spotting the bats.

Knowing that Camula was ready for the next duel, Chazz snatched his deck along with the Crowler doll, ignoring the doll's cries to be left alone because he didn't want to be left alone with Chazz of all people.

The others must have noticed the bats, because they all started to leave their dorm rooms to confront the current threat at hand; Camula.

* * *

 _At the castle..._

Soon after gathering at the beach, everyone proceeded to walk down the velvet carpet presented to them by Camula the night before, which would evidently lead them straight towards the vampire's castle.

Somehow, Jaden managed to convince Chumley to carry her, probably something of a deal with grilled cheese sandwiches, bringing her to reunite with the others. At first, they protested, wanting her to get some rest back in the infirimary, but after a few minutes, everyone finally agreed to let her come along, seeing as she can't do anything due to her condition and how everyone else will stop her physically if she tries to. Besides, Jaden can be rather persistant.

The group entered inside the dark, mysterious castle altogether, staying close so that they wouldn't get lost. They passed through dark hallways lit up with torches until they made their way to the main room where Camula was waiting.

Zane walked ahead first and entered the main room as a result, looking around until he spotted Camula on top of one of the balconies.

"Welcome, children! Let me welcome you!" introduced Camula, raising her arms high in the air.

Immediantly, Jaden was set to go after seeing Camula, wishing to avenge Crowler. "I'm your opponent, Camula!"

"Get back, Jaden," ordered Chazz, stepping forward. "I'll be the one dueling her."

"No, I will," said Bastion.

"I have no interest in little boys or girls," remarked Camula, shaking her head.

"She means you," Bastion said, referring to Chazz.

Chazz growled at the indirect insult. "No, she means you!"

"Once again, you mortals are wrong," spoke Camula before pointing her finger at Zane. "I want you."

With no disagreeing, Zane turned to Camula, having made up his mind. "Alright, let's duel."

Seeing that Zane was going to duel and that Camula had chosen for him, nobody else had any objections, though Syrus looked like he wanted to say something. "Good luck, bro..." he whispered. His brother was definitely strong, but he had some weird feeling about this...

As lightning crashed down from the outside, Camula and Zane were facing off against each other in opposite balconies while everyone else watched from the sidelines.

"Darling, you do know the rules, don't you?" reminded Camula. "The winner will advance on, while the loser will have their soul sealed in another doll. If you win, you get Crowler's soul back. But if I win, I get your soul, your Spirit Key, and I'll be on my way to completing the path to unlocking the three Sacred Beasts!"

Both duelists inserted their dueling decks inside their duel disks as they're about to begin the duel.

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Camula - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Zane - 4000 LP**

"I'll go first. Draw!" said Camula. "I summon Vampire Lady in Defense Mode!"

A beautiful female vampire resembling Camula and wearing a gown appeared, smirking sinisterly at Zane.

Vampire Lady - (DARK/Zombie) - LV4 - (1550/1550)

"Next, I'll lay a card facedown and end my turn."

"My turn, draw!" said Zane. "From my hand, I activate the Spell card, Power Bond!"

Nobody could contain their gasps when they saw Zane about to trigger the effects of Power Bond. Normally, Zane wouldn't pull out a reckless card such as Power Bond, so naturally this came as a surprise to them.

"What? Power Bond?" asked Camula.

"It allows me to Fusion Summon Machine-Type Monsters with this card," explained Zane. "I fuse the three Cyber Dragons in my hand! Now, unite and merge into the all-powerful Cyber End Dragon!"

Upon appearing on the field momentarily, the three metallic dragons started to fuse with each other; their bodies and strengths combining with each other to form the most strongest Monster on the field.

Cyber End Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine/Fusion) - LV10 - (4000/2800)

"Zane summoned his most powerful Monster on his very first turn!" gasped Alexis.

 _'Wow, that's not like Zane at all,'_ thought Syrus, growing suspicious and more worried for his big brother. _'He usually feels out an opponent before playing Power Bond! It's almost like he's just...using it...instead of playing it...'_ Syrus' thoughts halted when he realized that Zane was acting like when Syrus did when they were young. Syrus wanted to use Power Bond, but didn't play it exactly, which nearly cost him the duel with that bully. Could it be that...Zane is in that sort of situation, yet he doesn't realize it himself?

With the Cyber End Dragon's loyalty right behind him, Zane knew his chances of winning has increased immensely, yet he kept a stern and calm look on his face. He couldn't afford to take any chances prolonging for a victory. He has to carve out a shortcut to victory himself before Camula pulls out a big move on him. That may have worked on Crowler, but it sure as hell won't work on him!

"You do recall Power Bond's risks, right?" reminded Camula. "Can you truly handle all the consequences?

"She's right," muttered Chumley, recalling the effects of the dangerous Fusion card. "At the end of his turn, he'll take Cyber End Dragon's original 4000 Attack Points as damage."

"With Power Bond's additional effect, Cyber End Dragon's Attack Points double," revealed Zane.

Cyber End Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine/Fusion) - LV10 - (8000/2800)

"8000 Attack Points?! But, even so, my Vampire Lady is in Defense Mode, so-"

"Not so fast! Cyber End Dragon can inflict Piercing Damage, so there's no point in defending yourself!" said Zane. "And luckily for me, I won't have to worry about the consequences after this turn! Go, Cyber End Dragon! Evolutionary Burst Stream!"

Fully charged, Cyber End Dragon fired streams of explosive power from his mouths, which would serve more than enough to wipe out Camula and her Vampire Lady.

"I activate my Trap, Red Ghost Moon!" countered Camula. "By discarding a Zombie-Type Monster from my hand, this card adds the Attack Points of your attacking Monster to my Life Points while ending the Battle Phase!"

A fire barrier flared up and shielded both Camula and Vampire Lady, rending Cyber End Dragon's beam attacks useless as his were absorbed in the fire barrier and changed into sparkles that showered onto Camula.

Gritting his teeth, Zane glared at the female vampire with frustration. While he was focused on making his Monster stronger, he had forgotten all about the set card Camula had laid out. He had to get his head straight! He can't afford to make another mistake like this again!

"Now that Cyber End Dragon's Attack Points are being added to my Life Points, I'll have a grand total of 12,000!" bellowed Camula proudly.

Head straight, Zane shouted, "From my hand, I activate the Quick-Play Spell, De-Fusion! It cancels the fusion of a Fusion Monster on the field, leaving you..."

"With absolutely nothing!" finished Bastion. "That means that since Red Ghost Moon lost its target, the effect is canceled!"

"My points!" cried out Camula as Cyber End Dragon dispersed into the three original dragons they were composed of.

Cyber Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV5 - (2100/1600) X3

"Hey, you know what else?" spoke up Chumley. "Now that Cyber End Dragon's gone, Power Bond isn't effective anymore, which means Zane won't take any Effect Damage!"

"As I thought, Zane's pretty cool!" exclaimed Jaden excitedly, making Syrus nod in agreement.

"I set one card facedown and end my turn," said Zane.

Camula chuckled to herself, finding more amusement in this duel than her duel with Crowler. "Oh, my darling! You're quite interesting! No wonder I always loved types like you!"

"Sorry, but I always _hated_ types like yours," countered Zane, coldly showing disgust towards the merciless vampire.

Instead of being hurt, Camula just grew more interested. "Ooh!~ How cold! Still, that's why you're something I want for myself. Still, it's my move, isn't it? I draw! I sacrifice Vampire Lady to Tribute Summon Vampire Lord!"

Vampire Lord - (DARK/Zombie) - LV5 - (2000/1500)

"Next, I shall remove him from the game in order to Special Summon Vampire Genesis!"

Vampire Genesis - (DARK/Zombie) - LV8 - (3000/2100)

While the others stared at awe at the powerful Monster who took down Crowler's ace Monster, Camula spoke up, "Darling, I will at least acknowledge your tactics of using De-Fusion to avoid the huge Effect Damage you would have taken from Power Bond. But, did you honestly think I wouldn't prepare for your ace Monster? Now that I've forced you to dismantle your Monster, there's no hope for you now! So, what say you?"

Despite her comments, Zane made no move to speak. He didn't need to, for he had no wish to engage in conversation with the sadistic vampire.

"Tch! How annoying!" complained Camula when he didn't even utter a word. "Vampire Genesis, attack!"

Just as Vampire Genesis was pumping up for an full-charged attack, Zane said, "You must have truly underestimated me if you thought that Cyber End Dragon is the only Monster I could rely on. I activate the Trap card, Attack Reflector Unit! Attack Reflector Unit will now evolve one of my Cyber Dragons into Cyber Barrier Dragon!"

Particles of light began to surround one of the Cyber Dragons, transforming him into a brand new, defensive-looking dragon.

Cyber Barrier Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV6 - (800/2800)

"When Cyber Barrier Dragon is in Attack Mode, it can negate a Monster's attack once per turn! Thanks to his Monster effect, I negate Vampire Genesis's attack!"

Cyber Barrier Dragon began to unload his defensive barriers right as Vampire Genesis charged through head on, but was instantly blocked by the strong barrier effect Cyber Barrier Dragon held up, thus the Zombie-Type was forced to retreat.

With no other choice, Camula said, "I end my turn."

"My turn! I activate the Spell card, Pot of Greed!" said Zane. "This lets me draw two cards from my deck. Then, I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Photon Generator Unit! By sacrificing the two Cyber Dragons on my field, I can Special Summon Cyber Laser Dragon!"

A new version of a steel-like dragon resembling Cyber Dragon, yet having more power, appeared on the field right next to Cyber Barrier Dragon.

Cyber Laser Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV7 - (2400/1800)

"Once per turn, Cyber Laser Dragon is able to destroy one Monster with Attack or Defense Points higher than his Attack Points."

"Wait...if his ability is to destroy one Monster with higher Attack Points than him...And since Vampire Genesis has 3000 Attack Points..." muttered Camula, trying to calculate the results.

"That's right! I activate Cyber Laser Dragon's effect on your Vampire Genesis!" shouted Zane.

Revealing his cannon-like tail, Cyber Laser Dragon unleashed a powerful blue laser which blasted through Vampire Genesis, destroying him.

"Cyber Laser Dragon, attack her directly!"

This time, Cyber Laser Dragon shot his laser blast from within his jaws, effectively hitting Camula as she shrieked in pain.

 **Camula - 1600 LP**

 **Zane - 4000 LP**

"Cyber Barrier Dragon, attack her as well!"

Letting loose painful soundwaves, Cyber Barrier Dragon's head struck back as he concentrated on his attack. Camula screamed; the force of the soundwaves being enough to drive her up the wall.

 **Camula - 800 LP**

 **Zane - 4000 LP**

"He did it!" cheered Syrus as everyone else was also pleased. Just a little bit more, and Camula will be defeated.

"Zane's really amazing, huh?" commented Chumley.

"Of course! After all, he did beat me, after all!" said Jaden, grinning. Despite the fact that she lost, it didn't appear like she was that bothered by it. In fact, by acknowledging her defeat, she was also acknowledging a respected duelist like Zane.

"Yeah! Now, you guys see why my brother's never lost! This is why I always look up to him!" said Syrus. "Although, Mom says I've always got the looks!"

"I'll set a card facedown and end my turn," said Zane.

"Darling...do you realize that you're forcing me to reveal my ugly side?" Camula's face disorted to that of the same hideous, frightening expression she gave to Crowler with her tongue sharply sticking out, disgusting Zane. "I shall play Illusion Gate!"

A mysterious, ancient-looking gate that appeared to be from relics, yet looked untouchable, showed itself right behind Camula. The designs were something out of this world and completely unknown, yet at the same time, held a mysterious power.

"Behold! First, this card can destroy all Monsters on my opponent's field!" Camula began explaining the effects of Illusion Gate.

The gate doors flung open as a terrifying wind along with a bright light coming from inside the gates started to shine through. The only Monsters left on the field, Cyber Laser Dragon and Cyber Barrier Dragon, gazed upon the light before vanishing instantly. At the same time, a clone of Camula forged by the Illusion Gate appeared right besides her, almost as if both Camulas were twins.

"But, that's not all Illusion Gate has to offer," spoke Camula. "This card can Special Summon a Monster that was used during the duel, ignoring any requirements. And even though you already defused your Cyber End Dragon and returned him to the Extra Deck, he can still be Special Summoned since he was used during this duel."

"That's ridiculous!" shouted Zane, losing his cool. "A powerful card that has all those effects...you'd have to pay a serious price to keep Illusion Gate up and running!"

"Yes, you're quite right. Everything has a price," Camula agreed as her clone began glowing. "And the requirement for keeping this card would be...that I would have to offer a soul. Should I lose this duel, my soul will be offered to the Sacred Beasts."

"That's...just too life-risking!" gasped Bastion.

"Well, good! That's what you get for taking Crowler's!" scoffed Chazz.

"Oh? Who said anything about my soul? Since we are playing a Shadow Game, the shadows don't care whose soul it is they take so long as they get a soul," replied Camula, smirking as she glanced down at Syrus. "And wouldn't it be more exciting if I took my opponent's precious little brother as the soul bargainer?"

Eyes widening, Zane immediantly knew that Camula meant as he hollered, "RUN, SYRUS! RUN!"

"Huh?"

"I won't let you!" Swooping downwards, the clone Camula instantly got behind Syrus and sunk her teeth into Syrus' neck, sucking quickly and enjoying the innocent nectar-like blood coming from the boy's bloodstream. Losing consciousness due to lack of blood, Syrus went limp, unable to put up a fight even though he had no chance of succession. Before any of the others could lunge for the clone Camula or even rescue Syrus from Camula's clutches, the vampire flew right back to the spot where her true self was dueling.

"B-brother..." mumbled Syrus tiredily as blood slowly seeped from the two holes in his neck.

Satisfied, Camula announced, "I sacrifice this child's soul to Special Summon Cyber End Dragon!"

The gates burst opened once more, and a slight hologram of Cyber End Dragon appeared. With the appearance of the powerful beast, Syrus cried out in agony as his life energy was being drained and placed onto Cyber End Dragon, making him completely physical and visible.

Cyber End Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine/Fusion) - LV10 - (4000/2800)

Zane grunted and was about to make a move to finish off Camula when Camula foresaw this and spoke up quickly. "Oh! Before you grow hasty, I should let you know that should you ever defeat me in this duel, only your brother's soul will be taken instead of mine. So, what shall you do?"

 _'The facedown Trap card on my field is Call of the Haunted,'_ thought Zane. _'If I brought back Cyber Barrier Dragon, I can use his effect to negate Cyber End Dragon's attack. But, even so...even if I do make it past this turn...What if she pulls off another cowardly move? If I waste more time thinking, Syrus will die! He's already suffering from blood loss and his life draining from Illusion Gate! He doesn't need more treatment from tha-'_

"STOP!" yelled Jaden, catching everyone's attention. "Pick me! I don't care what happens to me! Exchange my soul for Syrus'!"

"What are you saying?!" cried out Alexis.

"Chumley, put me down!" ordered Jaden, growing frantic.

"W-what-?! I'm not doing that!" said Chumley, shaking his head.

"Do it, stupid!" Jaden didn't appear to be joking around. "If you're not going to...Then, I'll make you!" Being true to her word, she sunk her teeth down deeply onto Chumley's shoulder.

"OW!" Nearly losing his grip on Jaden, Chumley struggled to get her teeth off his shoulders. Naturally, the others tried to help by attempting to pry Jaden off of Chumley's shoulder while keeping her on his back, which worked successfully.

Jaden then resorted to more drastic matter, such as jabbing the back end of her elbow down onto Chumley's arm, causing him to yelp in pain and release Jaden as he tended to his arm. Jaden fell to the ground painfully, but that didn't matter to her as she used all her strength to get back up and rush forward.

However, Bastion and Chazz easily stopped her by grabbing onto her arms and holding her back. "Let me go! I need to save Syrus! Syrus! SYRUS!" screamed Jaden, desperately trying to save her little friend.

"Jaden..." Shocked by Jaden's determination to save Syrus, Zane then made up his mind. Yes...the choice was clear.

"So, what will you do?" called out Camula. "Win and lose your brother's soul? Or will you lose and give up your own soul and Spirit Key?"

"Zane...Go on, Zane. Do it. My soul is a small price to pay," spoke up Syrus weakly. "Big brother...I've always looked up to you, and I always will. So, don't worry, I won't blame you for this. Besides, if anyone else finds out that me, a pitiful, weak, and useless Slifer Red duelist, was your little brother, no doubt that your reputation will doubt. It's okay...I might have the looks, but Zane, you have pretty much everything, even the good looks. Anyways, this is good for both of us. If I go down like this, you won't have to worry over weak old me, and I'll always be remembered as the hero. And we both knew that I would never have survived in Duel Academy. It's just like you said, big bro... _I never belonged here."_

"DON'T SAY THAT!" screamed Jaden, tears running down as Bastion and Chazz continued to hold her back. "No! No, no, no, no, NO! Please...don't do this! NO! NO! I WON'T LET YOU! TAKE MY SOUL, CAMULA! I DON'T CARE!" Unable to handle it, she collapsed to the ground before Alexis rushed over to support her.

"..."

The decision was final. Of course Zane would save his little brother. After all, he wouldn't go so far to win a duel if it meant sacrificing someone. Besides, Syrus has changed a lot ever since he's gained some good friends such as Jaden. Evidence of that was being presented right now as Jaden was pleading for Camula to take her soul in exchange for Syrus's soul. Therefore..."

"I stand down," declared Zane.

"Zane, no! What are you doing?!" exclaimed Syrus, not expecting this from his brother.

"Very well! Cyber End Dragon, attack him directly!" ordered Camula.

Being influenced by Illusion Gate, Cyber End Dragon tried his hardest not to attack his master, but ultimately gave in and blasted away the rest of his Life Points, leaving him not even a shred of his Life Points.

"BROTHER!" screamed Syrus as everyone else stared in astonishment.

 **Camula - 800 LP**

 **Zane - 0 LP**

 **Winner: Camula**

Zane's body went still and motionless as his eyes went dull, no longer filled with life. Holding up another doll, Camula watched as Zane's body disappeared due to the powers of the Shadow Games. Zane's soul quickly merged with the doll, creating a Zane-lookalike as Camula carried him with much care.

Jaden managed to snap out of it in time to see the conclusion of the duel, which she was left stunned just like the others. Unable to believe it, Syrus fell to his knees, thinking it was his fault.

"Don't worry about Zane," assured Camula to everyone. "I'll be sure to cherish both him and his Spirit Key tenderly. Mwahahahaha!" With that said, she dispersed into a whirlwind of dust, vanishing away.

When everyone managed to leave the castle and make it back to land, they were still depressed that they lost not only the powerful duelist in Duel Academy , but their friend as well. Even so, the one who felt more affective was Syrus, given that his brother sacrificed himself of him.

However, instead of falling into despair, Jaden just grew more angry and determined through Zane's defeat as she struggled to walk, but fell due to her injuries. Didn't stop the as she's feeling, though.

"What the hell...what the hell is with this?!" shouted Jaden. "Dueling has to be all about fun, right?! Then, why is Syrus suffering like this?! Why did Crowler's soul have one be taken?! And why did Zane's soul also have to be taken unfairly?! Urk!"

As she tried standing up, her injuries started affecting her, but she didn't care. "Camula...the Shadow Riders...I won't forgive any of you! Mark my words, I will defeat you and bring back all the souls lost!"

* * *

 **Hey, guys! Sorry for the long wait, but surely you guys understand due to life's hardships! Besides, I made this extra long due on two episodes altogether! Hope you enjoyed the extra scenes!**


	26. Fields of Screams Part 3

**Since you all enjoyed this so much, here's Part 2, along with bonus scenes!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

Just like the darkened clouds that transpired around the night skies, despair and fear filled the entire island with the presence of a powerful enemy that proved to be both merciless and sadistic. Underneath Duel Academy, two of the Spirit Gates unlocked by themselves as both gates felt two of the Spirit Keys being in the hands of the evil darkness.

Sheppard, who was inside his office, frowned; feeling a sudden change within the Spirit Gates. "So, the reports were true, unfortunately...Two of the Spirit Gates have already..."

Some static sounds coming from a TV near Sheppard's desk caught the Chancellor's attention. The TV screen was a little blurry and full of static until the screen was cleared up, revealing a strange shadow-like man with cords plugged into his body.

 **"Too tiring for you? Unable to handle the fact that two innocent Spirit Key holders lost their souls? Then, why don't you save me the trouble and hand over the rest of the keys?"**

Sheppard shook his head. "You and I both know that I won't give up, that much, I know. Besides, knowing you, you'd want to see the full conclusion of this 'war,' don't you?"

 **"Fufufufufu...You're right. But, can all your students survive the wrath of the vampire?"**

* * *

 _In the infirmary..._

"No...No...! Aah! Aah! Aah! N-not there! Ah! D-don't-Ah!"

 _'You know, if this was any other situation, I would have misinterpreted the situation,'_ thought Alexis sweatdropping at Jaden before reverting back to her full concern for both her and Atticus.

It's only been one day ever since they lost Zane to Camula. If it weren't for her cowardly act of taking Syrus hostage, Zane would have won the duel for sure. Syrus had spent the night before and half the day today in the infirmary due to lack of blood, and was released several hours ago with advice to get some rest. At the moment, Atticus still hasn't regained consciousness, and Jaden had somewhat of a fever, thus explaining a bit of her nightmares she's now experiencing.

"Jaden..." muttered Alexis before turning back to her brother. "Just when you saved my brother from the darkness of the terrible Shadow Games, you, too, got injured trying to save him. And now...Crowler and Zane lost their souls, and I don't know if-"

Her talking ceased when the half pendant around Atticus' neck shined, causing Atticus to wake up, though he was still weak. "A-Alexis..." spoke Atticus softly.

"Atticus! What are you trying to say?" asked Alexis, deciding to take off Atticus' oxygen mask as gently as she could.

"Camula...I need to tell you about Camula...She's...she's one of the most ruthless Shadow Riders..." said Atticus. "She uses cowardly tactics...but most importantly, a...a Shadow Charm that allows her to steal souls...But, you can stop her with another Charm..."

"Another? But, where can we find another Shadow Charm to counter Camula's?" wondered Alexis.

"I...hold the first half of a Shadow Charm...it could help deflect Camula's magic...and, I noticed that, during my duel with Jaden when I was Nightshroud...that he had...the second half...put them together, and you'd get-"

"The whole Shadow Charm!"

Nodding, Atticus pulled half of his pendant and handed it to Alexis. "Take this to Jaden...tell him to use it...please..."

"Okay, I will. Just, get some rest, okay?" Clutching half of the Shadow Charm close to her, Alexis walked towards Jaden and tried to wake her up. "Jaden? Jaden, please, wake up-"

"No, no, no!" cried out Jaden, clutching her bedsheets as sweat dripped from her forehead onto her pillow while she tossed and turned. "I don't wanna! I don't wanna! Get away from me! Ah!"

 _'She must be having a nightmare!'_ thought Alexis as she tried to shake Jaden. _'Oh no! Could she be scared of the Shadow Riders? Not that I blame her, but-'_

"Aaaah! Get away, onion ninjas! I won't let you have my ice cream paradise! Flame Wingman, burn the onion ninjas! I hate onions!"

 _'...And I was so worried about her,'_ Alexis frowned; a deadpanned expression on her face as she got up and shoved half of the Shadow Charm into her back pocket. She left the infirmary, only to return a minute later with a bucket of _ice, cold water_ with several _ice cubes._

It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened next.

* * *

 _Outside of the castle..._

Awaiting the rest of their companions, both Chazz and Bastion stood near the lake where it lead straight towards Camula's castle, which was only visible at night, yet still hidden within the fog surrounding the ocean.

Speaking of which, it appears that they're now arriving, although both Chumley and Syrus were dragging a frightened Banner, who held Pharaoh rather too tightly in his arms.

"Come on, Professor Banner! You're practically a Shadow Dueling expert!"

"Yeah, you're more experienced than we are, aren't you? After all, you are a teacher in DUELING."

"T-that's true, but teaching and dueling are two different fundamentals!"

"Feh, there's no need for you to duel, Professor," assured Chazz confidently with his hands on his hips. "The most logical thing to do is to allow-"

"-Me to handle to the dueling. Isn't that right, Chazz?" interrupted Bastion, more confident in his own dueling skills. Not only was he skilled, but he has also proved to be more intelligent than Chazz a few times such as during test times.

"Hey, I'm dealing with that-!"

"Everyone, hold on!"

Hearing the loud noises of the engine of a motorboat revving up as splashes of water occured, a motorboat pulled up towards land before Alexis climbed out and landed on the sand; her boots splashing and landing on the drenched sandy grounds.

"Her next opponent's already been decided!" declared Alexis before removing the sheet inside the motorboat.

Jaden, being mostly recovered, stood up from underneath the sheet with a huge grin on her face. "Hey, guys!"

"Jaden! That's too dangerous! You can't!" cried out Syrus.

"Yeah, besides I'm the one taking care of this!" said Chazz.

"No, I already said I will!" argued Bastion.

"Look, I know that Jaden isn't fully 100% recovered yet," spoke up Alexis. "But there's something important we have to tell you..."

Together with Jaden, Alexis revealed what Atticus told her about the Shadows Games along with Camula's secret trick. More importantly, both girls explaining about the Shadow Charms Atticus informed them and how they might counteract against Camula's dark magic.

"Even though we don't fully understand the Shadow Games, Jaden does have the power to fight back against Camula so long as she's got that Shadow Charm," persisted Alexis. "So, instead of just rushing in recklessly, wouldn't it make the grounds more even if we had a Shadow Charm of our own?"

Realizing that Alexis was right, Chazz's avenging spirit wore down as he calmed himself. "Yeah...guess so."

"Right now, we do have a bit of an advantage. We'll have to leave the duel to Jaden, who actually has a Shadow Charm."

"Yeah, no worries! I won't lose, so just leave it all to me!" promised Jaden, pounding her chest and causing the two halves of the Shadow Charm to collide once before separating and dangling mid-air.

The entire group hurried inside the castle, trying to find Camula as soon as possible. Eventually, they made their way to the main room, where the vampire mistress was awaiting for them there as her bats flocked around her.

"Camula! I've come here to duel you, and I won't take no for an answer!" demanded Jaden.

Unfazed by her threat, Camula replied, "Fine then. But, this'll be the same as the last two times. There's no way a feeble mortal like you can ever hope of defeating me!"

"Oh yeah? I dare you to prove me wrong!" Jaden shouted, climbing the stairs towards a balcony; the same level as Camula as they face-to-face with each other. "Get your game on!"

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Camula - 4000 LP**

"I'll kick things off! Draw!" said Jaden. "For toying with my friends and turning them into dolls, and even going so far as to take Syrus hostage...I won't forgive you!"

"Jaden..." muttered Syrus. Even though Camula had a slight advantage of being a bit unpredictable, he knew Jaden could win this and felt happy that Jaden tried to save him in the last duel.

"Oh? Interesting, then show me your determination! Try and beat me!" challenged Camula.

"Gladly!" said Jaden. "First off, I'm activating Polymerization and fusing Bubbleman and Necroshade from my hand! I Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Escuridao!"

With the two Monsters out of the way, the female Elemental Hero of darkness appeared to take down the evil vampire of the Shadow Riders. Fitting due to the fact that both of them uses powers of darkness, but differently.

Elemental Hero Escuridao - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2000)

"For each Elemental Hero in my Graveyard, she gains an additional 100 Attack Points for each! I have two, so she gains 200 Attack Points!"

Elemental Hero Escuridao - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2700/2000)

"Wow, what a way to start the duel!" gasped Syrus, impressed with Jaden's playthrough. "Jaden's definitely amazing!"

"It's clear that Jaden wishes to end this as soon as possible," spoke up Bastion. "Not that I blame her, considering how dangerous Camula can be the longer she's in a duel."

"Looks like Jaden's not playing around, too," agreed Chazz. "But this is the first turn, so she can't attack Camula directly. She'll have to be careful when Camula's turn comes."

"Yes, indeed," said Banner. "After all, we've seen several of Camula's tricks, especially with that Illusion Gate card. Hopefully, she never gets a chance to play it this duel."

"Considering her skill as a Shadow Rider, she's got to have more than just one strategy," said Alexis.

"I'll set a card facedown before ending my turn!" announced Jaden.

"My, trying to rush the duel here?" wondered Camula, amused. "Fine, my draw! And I play Illusion Gate!"

Upon seeing the familiar gate once again, Jaden couldn't help but gasp. "No, really?! Of all the draws, she just HAD to get that one!"

"Just in case you've forgotten, I've decided to be generous and remind you of its effects!" shouted Camula. "First off, all Monsters on the field are instantly destroyed! Then, I get to play any Monster used during this duel! And the only required payment for this powerful Spell is a soul to sell to the Sacred Beasts should I happen to lose this duel! Now, which one shall I choose?"

Having touched her choker, the power of her Shadow Charm activated, triggering the gates of Illusion Gate to burst open as a mist of darkness invaded the area. The spectators started coughing for some fresh air since the mist was dangerous to suck in and was abnormal compared to normal oxygen. The only ones unaffected were Camula and Jaden, but possibly because of their Shaodw Charms protecting them.

"Oh, but this decision is far too hard for me to choose," admitted Camula sinisterly. "I think I might as well sacrifice all your friends!"

"What?! Damnit, no!" cried out Jaden.

As if answering the pleadful cries of its wielder, the two halves of the Shadow Charm Jaden possessed clicked together in time, becoming one. Afterwards, the red gem in the center shined before releasing rays of light that shot out at the mist of darkness in several directions, forcing the mist to retreat back into the Illusion Gate right before the gates themselves closed.

"What just happened?" wondered Syrus.

"Jaden's Shadow Charm must have negated the effects of Camula's!" theorized Bastion. "Now, as long as Jaden as that Shadow Charm, nobody has to worry about their souls being taken!"

"Haha! I win this round!" bragged Jaden. "Now, how about you quit using Illusion Gate and get on with your turn?"

"No! I refuse! For the pride of the vampire race, I will not lose this duel!" declared Camula. "Illusion Gate, I offer my very own soul to the Sacred Beasts! Take my soul instead! Now, destroy Escuridao!"

Illusion Gate flipped open once more, sending in an ominous wind of darkness that swirled around Escuridao and destroyed her completely.

"No!" gasped Jaden, having witnessed her Fusion Monster easily destroyed. She definitely never expected Camula to offer her own soul instead!

"Next, through Illusion Gate's effect, I'll Special Summon Escuridao!" said Camula right before the Elemental Hero appeared on her side. "From my hand, I'll summon Zombie Werewolf in Attack Mode!"

Zombie Werewolf - (DARK/Zombie) - LV4 - (1200/1200)

Elemental Hero Escuridao - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2000)

"Jaden may survive both blows, but she'll get hit with 3700 Attack Points!" said Bastion, having calculated the total Attack Points of both Monsters. "Plus, it'll be tough to deal with a comeback with Camula having two strong Monsters!"

"Now, Elemental Hero Escuridao, attack Jaden directly!" ordered Camula.

Escuridao raised her arm, extending her claws which dripped of darkness. But, with all of her strength, she resisted, thus causing her body to tremble as she struggled against Camula's control. _**"Jaden..."**_

"Escuridao! What is wrong?"

Noticing her Monster fighting back, Jaden nodded and spread her arms. "Escuridao! Do it! Trust me!"

The Elemental Hero hesitated, not wanting to harm her mistress, but she also trusted her, and she must have a plan to counterattack against this. At last, she couldn't resist control and slashed at Jaden from afar, hitting her with projectile slashes, hoping they didn't harm her too much.

 **Jaden - 1300 LP**

 **Camula - 4000 LP**

"Hahaha! Foolish mortal! You must really wish to end things here and now, do you?" laughed Camula. 'Very well! Zombie Werewolf, att-"

However. before Camula could finish her sentence, Escuridao leapt up and somersaulted to Jaden's side, standing guard over her, leaving Camula shocked. The powerful Elemental Hero wasn't supposed to do that! She was supposed to stay on her side, not the human's!

Elemental Hero Escuridao - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2000)

Elemental Hero Escuridao - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2700/2000)

Jaden smirked, despite the fact that her body twitched in pain. "I activate the Trap card, Cross Heart! Cross Heart's a Trap card that activates after I take an attack from my opponent's Monster! Afterwards, I take control of the Monster that damaged me, so I'm taking back my Escuridao, you thief!"

"What?!" Shocked by the sudden turn of events, Camula could do nothing else to retrieve Escuridao back. "Fine...I end my turn."

Chazz smirked, impressed that Jaden was still in the game and managed to take back her Monster. "Nice...Looks like Jaden's still in this." Of course he believed in Jaden. He never worried about her! ...Only, maybe only for a few seconds, but that's that!

"My turn! Draw!" said Jaden, all pumped up. "Alright, let's do this! Elemental Hero Escuridao, attack Zombie Werewolf!"

Hell bent on taking revenge, Escuridao charged up a sphere of darkness within her palms before lunging it forward at Zombie Werewolf, blowing him up to bits.

 **Jaden - 1300 LP**

 **Camula - 2500 LP**

Despite Camula's grim situation, she still felt confident about winning. "Hopefully, you didn't forget, but whenever Zombie Werewolf is destroy, I can Special Summon another one from my deck, raising his Attack Points by 500!"

Zombie Werewolf - (DARK/Zombie) - LV4 - (1700/1200)

"Her Monster came back! And even more stronger than before!" gasped Syrus.

"It's alright!" assured Bastion. "Zombie Werewolf is still weaker than Jaden, so she still has a chance at winning!"

"I'll set a card facedown before I end my turn," Jaden said.

 _'Tch...I might have the advantage of Life Points, and I even have Zombie Werwolf out, but as long as her Fusion Monster is still in play, I can't do much from here,'_ thought Camula. "My turn, draw! I activate Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two new cards!" When she drew two useful cards, she smirked, knowing these were her keys to succession. "Excellent! I sacrifice Zombie Werewolf to summon Vampire Lord!"

Vampire Lord - (DARK/Zombie) - LV5 - (2000/1500)

"Next, by removing Vampire Lord from the game, I Special Summon Vampire Genesis!"

The terrifying behemoth that destroyed Crowler's Ancient Gear Golem rose up from the depths of hell within and into the battlefield.

Vampire Genesis - (DARK/Zombie) - LV8 - (3000/2100)

"Did you see that?! She just whipped out her most powerful Monster in seconds!" cried out Syrus.

"Damnit, her Monster's stronger than Jaden's!" cursed Chazz.

"Indeed. Not only is he powerful, but he also has a terrifying effect to boot," reminded Bastion.

"And now I activate the Continuous Spell, Genesis Crisis!" Camula said. "Once per turn, I can transfer one Zombie-Type Monster from my deck to my hand! Next, by Vampire Genesis' effect, by discarding one Zombie -Type Monster from my hand to the Graveyard, Vampire Genesis can Special Summon a Monster of the same type with a lower Level from my Graveyard! So, I discard Ryu Kokki to Special Summon Zombie Werewolf in Attack Mode!"

Zombie Werewolf - (DARK/Zombie) - LV4 - (1200/1200)

Camula chuckled to herself when she noticed Jaden had a facedown card. "Oh, and before I attack, I noticed that you have a facedown card on your field. I will wager a guess and assume it's a Trap card meant to stop my strongest Monster, correct?"

"..."

"I shall take that silence as a yes, then. Well, I've already taken countermeasures should something like this come up. Therefore, I shall activate Giant's Trunade, which will return all Spells and Traps back to each player's hand!"

A wide gust formed in the middle of the battlefield, gathering up all the Spells and Traps on the field before transferring them back to their original owners. Jaden was left with the facedown card she had set before back in her hand, and the only card returned to Camula's hand was Genesis Crisis.

"Whoa! It's almost as if she knew the right timing to do that!" gasped Syrus.

Bastion narrowed his eyes, feeling suspicious. "Yes...Camula's certainly a crafty and clever duelist. It's almost as if she knows our decks inside out, more than anyone else here. But, it would require a considerate amount of preparation and time to fully memorize our own decks. Something's wrong here..."

"Hey, I gotta ask you something," called out Jaden. "For some reason, you seemed fully prepared to take on Crowler and Zane, and you managed to win over them, yet they're not really that easy to beat! Well, except maybe Crowler."

 _ **"HEY!"**_ squeaked out the Crowler doll.

"And now, you're backing me up to a corner, and something's fishy. There's no way someone like you could have been prepared for whatever strategies we have! So fess up! There must have been a trick to all this!"

Smirking, Camula proved her by revealing her glowing red eyes. "Yes, you are quite correct. About time you noticed too. My precious bats were spying on each and every one of you, thus providing me all the information I needed to beat you mortals!"

"Gah!" Furiously scratching at her head, Jaden then pointed at the vampire. "I knew it! I knew something weird was up with you! You cheater!"

"Beg pardon? I did not cheat once during this duel. I merely had the knowledge, that's all, so forgive me that I already knew all your friends' weaknesses, including yours," said Camula smugly. "And now, Vampire Genesis, attack Elemental Hero Escuridao!"

Widening the jaws on his huge belly, Vampire Genesis' stomach unleashed a beam that blasted Escuridao entirely.

 **Jaden - 1000 LP**

 **Camula - 2500 LP**

"Crap! The only Monster that hasn't attacked yet is her Zombie Werewolf!" said Chazz.

"This is bad! If she gets hit with one more attack, it's all over!" said Syrus, scared. He already lost Zane; he didn't want to lose his best friend/crush as well!

"It's over! Zombie Werewolf, attack her directly!" shouted Camula sadistically, thinking she's won the duel.

 **SLASH!** Zombie Werewolf managed to effectively slash at her, dealing what seemed to be the finishing blow. While Camula laughed, the others gasped in horror, waiting for the moment for Jaden to transform into a doll just as Crowler and Zane did.

However, nothing happened.

"What's this?! Why haven't you become a doll yet?! You should have no Life Points left!" said Camula, demanding an explanation.

Although injured, Jaden managed to laugh amusedly. "That's because of the Trap card, Insurance! When you send this facedown card back to my hand, its effect went off, and I got 500 Life Points just in time!"

 **Jaden - 300 LP**

 **Camula - 2500 LP**

"I see...How persistent," mumbled Camula. "Still, that's not enough to stop me! I activate Genesis Crisis from my hand! I'll take one Zombie-Type Monster from my deck and end my turn!"

Jaden placed both hands on her knees, panting heavily from the damage she received from the duel and what little rest she gained. But now wasn't a good time to rest since Camula still has the home field advantage.

"Jaden's barely hanging in there, and Camula's growing more and more stronger," muttered Alexis, worried for Jaden.

"Yeah, how could we allow Jaden to duel? She might as well throw the match right now!" said Chazz angrily.

"No, there's still hope for her yet," said Bastion. "Even so, with Vampire Genesis and Genesis Crisis out, Jaden's chances of winning are quite low."

"You're pretty strong," admitted Jaden, panting. "Still, why rely on powers of darkness or the Shadow Riders anyways?"

"Hmph...You have no idea, do you? Very well, I shall tell you of my previous origins and how I came to be," replied Camula. She explained that from the Middle Ages, the Vampire race were peaceful and lived in harmony, but the humans viewed them as monsters and practically started a war with them, slaughtering all but Camula, who hid herself in a coffin and slept for a long time until one of the Shadow Riders woke her up, offering her a chance for power using the power of the Shadow Charm, which is how she acquired her own Shadow Charm in the form of a choker. With each duel she wins, she'll acquire a soul, and each soul will be ressurected as vampires to restart the vampire army and take their revenge on the human race.

"No way..So, basically, that means that not only is my soul and Spirit Key at stake, but this duel is a fight between the vampire race and humanity?" questioned Jaden.

"Exactly!" said Camula. "I won't allow anyone to stand in the way of my goal! I will ressurect my fallen brethren! You have absolutely no chance of winning!"

"Then, we're in the same boat!" shouted Jaden, more determined than before. "I'll revive my fallen friends and get back their souls! I'm not giving up! I'll risk it all on this draw! DRAW!" Having drawn her card, Jaden was slightly satisfied as a strategy was building up in her mind. "I activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw two more cards! Then, I activate E - Emergency Call! I can add one Monster from my deck to my hand so long as it's an Elemental Hero! Then, I activate the Field Spell, Fusion Gate! With the Field Spell on, I can Fusion Summon without a Polymerization card, so long as I remove the Fusion Material Monsters from play!"

"Just what are you planning?" questioned Camula.

"This! I'm fusing both Elemental Heroes Avian and Burstinatrix! I Fusion Summon Flame Wingman!"

When the two Elemental Heroes disappeared in the wicked dark clouds hovering above the battlefield, lightning crashed down with Flame Wingman appearing as a result.

Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

"Next, through Fusion Gate's effect, I remove both Flame Wingman and Sparkman from play to Fusion Summon another powerful being!"

Everyone was stunned to hear that Jaden had another Fusion Monster to play, but it was another Monster even better than Flame Wingman? Not only a double Fusion this turn, but another new Monster to boot? Whatever this new Monster is, it must be Jaden's last hope.

"I Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman!"

The dark clouds dispersed as a bright illuminating light filled the room from above while a new being hovering like an angel appeared. His wings were almost angelic, yet made of sharp steel with enough strength to pierce through the darkness; his armor coating his body, protecting him from any corruption, and the overwhelming power he possessed due to the hard efforts of a skilled duelists...all this formed the creation of Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman.

Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2100)

"Whoa! It's a new Elemental Hero we've never seen before!" gasped Syrus.

"Shining Flare Wingman?! This Monster wasn't included in the information my bats gave me!" shouted Camula. "Don't tell me...were you cheating?! Was that why my bats couldn't gather the full data?!"

"Huh? Cheating? That's all on you!" reminded Jaden. "Although...having spy bats would be cool! Hehehe! I mean, I could use it to look up on the answers for tests...and I could even prank Crowler and he wouldn't even find out about it! Haha!~'

 _ **"Too late for that, Slifer slacker,"**_ mumbled the Crowler doll.

"But seriously," continued Jaden. "It's just that since it's been getting too dark, I thought a little light wouldn't hurt. I mean, come on! 'Shining' Flare Wingman! Plus, he looks super coool!~"

 _ **"...Although I am different from Flare Wingman, I could feel his power and emotions coursing towards me,"**_ said Shining Flare Wingman to himself, clenching his fist closer to himself. _**"So, this is what it means to fully merge with another being. He seems rather happy."**_

"He's twice as cool as Flame Wingman! Maybe even better! Ooh! Maybe I'll keep using him in future duels! I can't wait to kick Chazz's ass every time I use Shining Flare Wingman!"

"Hey! I'm standing right here, you know!"

 _ **"...And suddenly, I feel dreadful and a hint of despair."**_

"Whatever!" said Camula. "Feel free to use your Fusion Monster, but it won't change a fact that my Vampire Genesis is still the strongest in the field!"

"Oh yeah? Wanna bet?" Jaden said. "For every Elemental Hero in my Graveyard, Shining Flare Wingman's Attack goes up by 300! I have 3, so that makes it a total of 900 Attack Points!"

Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (3400/2100)

"Shining Flare Wingman, attack Vampire Genesis! Go, Solar Flare! And thanks to Genesis' Crisis's effect, Zombie Werewolf's also destroyed!"

The moment Shining Flare Wingman's fist struck into Vampire Genesis' chest, all Zombie-Types on Camula's field exploded.

 **Jaden - 300 LP**

 **Camula - 2100 LP**

"Still, I have lots of Life Points left!" reminded Camula.

"I activate Shining Flare Wingman's effect!" shouted Jaden. "Whenever he destroys a Monster in battle, that Monster's Attack Points is dealted to you as damage!"

"What?!"

Appearing right in front of the female vampire, Shining Flare Wingman's full bodied armor glowed much brighter in person, causing Camula to shriek in pain due to light being one of her weaknesses. She then fell to her knees, defeated as her Life Points decreased.

 **Jaden - 300 LP**

 **Camula - 0 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

"That's game!" giggled Jaden, giving Camula her hand sign before noticing Illusion Gate popping up behind Camula.

With the gates opened, Illusion Gate's magic started to claim what was wagered during the duel; Camula's own soul. The fierce winds coming from within the gates joined together as a spiritual claw before the claw started to choke Camula, causing her to struggle frantically before her soul was taken away into the darkness of Illusion Gate. The moment the gates closed, Camula's beautiful body turned to dust as the Zane doll fell to the ground before returning back to normal, unconscious.

"Zane!" cried out Syrus before he and the others but Banner and Chazz rushed towards him to make sure he was alright.

Since Camula's magic wore off, the Crowler doll turned back into Crowler, who was clinging onto Chazz's waist. "Huh? Where am I-"

"GAAAHHH! Get off me! Gah!" screamed Chazz, trying to push Crowler off his waist. If anyone saw them in this strange position, they'd get the wrong idea!

Sweatdropping, Jaden watched Chazz and Crowler before a thought occured in her mind. Taking out her PDA, Jaden snapped a picture of the two, snickering to herself and hoping to use it for future blackmail or for something to entertain her whenever she got bored.

Afterwards, the entire castle began shaking, causing small amounts of rubble to rain down as the walls started collapsing. Sensing danger, the others hurried to get out of the castle and managed to rest once they found themselves in the safe grounds of Duel Academy.

Outside, they watched as the remainder of the castle collapsed until it vanished deep within the ocean, never to be seen or brought up again. The darkness and mist of the night cleared, revealing the morning sun shining down upon them along with the clear blue skies, as if rewarding the Spirit Key wielders for defeating Camula.

"...It almost seemed like everything was nightmare we just woke up from," muttered Alexis.

Bastion silently handed Jaden the only remainder of Camula; her Shadow Charm in the form of a choker. "It wasn't a nightmare, and we've still haven't woken up from it," said Jaden. "There's still more Shadow Riders to deal with. But, we'll get through this!"

* * *

 _Later..._

"We can't get through this!" complained an exhausted Jaden, placing the side of her head against the table. Alongside her were both Syrus and Atticus, who seemed tired as well through Zane's lectures.

Apparently, since the three of them missed work, Zane volunteered to assist them despite the fact that he too, missed homework as well. However, his grades were top notch, so naturally, he would act as their tutor and help them in their missing work. As such, he was holding a stick and pointing to a chalkboard with mathematical equations on it.

"The more you complain, the less time you'll have of having fun," reminded Zane strictly. "Now then, getting back to the topic..."

As Zane continued, Atticus grinned before whispering to both Syrus and Jaden, "Guys, check this out!" Having chewed on a wad of paper, Atticus took it out of his mouth and placed it inside a straw before blowing onto the end of the straw, causing the wet wad to splat onto the chalkboard and cease Zane's explanation.

 _'Damnit...I missed,'_ thought Atticus, pouting while Jaden giggled. _'Still, it's nice to see someone appreciating my prank.'_

Zane nearly snapped his stick in half, but kept calm and turned to his three students. "Alright...I'll give the culprit a chance to confess or...should I happen to find out the culprit, their punishment will be...very BAD."

Syrus, getting jealous of Atticus because he made Jaden laugh, thought, _'Jaden's laughter is so cute...I should be the one making her laugh! That's it, pretty boy! Two can play at this game!'_

Raising his hand, Syrus then pointed accusedly at Atticus and tattled on him. "Atticus did it!"

"Syrus! How could you betray me?!"

 _'They're acting like children,'_ thought Zane before walking forward.

 **WHACK!** Zane whipped the end of his stick down on Atticus' head, causing him to cry out and whimper like a poor puppy as Zane held the stick in his hands like a whip. Then he ruffled Syrus' head for doing such a good job.

"Aw, come on!" complained Atticus, wiping away his fake tears. "How come he gets a good job, while I-"

 **WHACK!** "And now...for your punishment, Atticus. Crowler has made an exception and allowed me to punish any of you should something bad happen...And you have no idea how long I've waited for this moment..."

Considering the fact that Atticus and Zane are best friends, and combined with all the trouble Atticus caused for him and Zane, it's clear that even the stone-hearted Zane would want some form of revenge, even if it lasts for only a brief moment.

"No...No...NOOOOOOOO!"

Meanwhile, Chazz was just walking down the hallways after class ended when he heard some strange noises coming from a nearby room, so he leaned forward towards the door.

"Zane, let's talk abou-Gah! No, not that! Anything but that!"

"This is a punishment game, Atticus. Don't you want them raised? If you don't, you won't be able to graduate."

"Syrus, what are they doing? Is Zane hurting Atticus?"

"In...a way, Jaden. But don't worry. This is perfectly fine."

"No it's not, you traitor! Can't you see that Zane's-ack! Nooo!"

"Heh...this is your punishment after all...Take it!"

 _'What the hell is going on in there?!'_ thought Chazz before peeking inside the room. Things definitely weren't to his expectations when he saw the true scene.

Jaden and Syrus were standing nearby, doing absolutely nothing but watching, while Atticus was on his back in the ground; his stomach being stacked with lots of books as Zane continuously started piling more and more onto him. By peering closely, one could see the titles of the books on their sides like Math, Dueling, or somewhat, so that indicated that they were study books. If Atticus so much as squirmed, the tower of books would collapse on top of him, and that would definitely be bad.

* * *

 **Finished at long last! Yay! Read and review!**

"..." Closing the door, Chazz ignored Atticus' screams and covered his ears before walking away. "Just keep on going, Chazz...Keep on going."


	27. The Play which everyone steps on Crowler

**ATTENTION! PLEASE READ BEFORE PROCEEDING TO THE CHAPTER BELOW!**

 **So yeah, in order to celebrate the Thanksgiving (and break that comes along with it) I decided to orchestra a play for this story as a sort of special! Obviously, there's gonna be drama and humor and whatever, but you'll find it hilarious!**

 **I got this idea from remembering a certain story I read in a Highlights magazine when I was little. Still remember it because it was still funny. It was something called "The Year the Pilgrims stepped on..." whatever it was. Anyways, it was really funny to me as a kid.**

 **That said, time for the special!**

 **Oh, and for this chapter only, let's just assume that Atticus is fully recovered, okay?**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"Ooh! Ooh! What part did I get?!"

"I bet I got the main role! Eek! I can't wait to see who my Prince Charming is!"

"I hope I didn't get the evil queen!"

"I better not be one of those stupid dwarfs!"

"Hmm? What's going on?" Jaden wondered as a crowd of people were pressing up against some sort of bulletin board which mainly consisted of a long list everyone was eagered to learn about.

"Jaden, don't you remember the auditions we had to do last week?" questioned Syrus.

"Huh? Oh yeah! Atticus wanted me to do some really neat things!"

"...What do you mean?"

"WHAAAT?!" exclaimed Chazz once he read the list. "How?! Why?!"

"What's the matter, Chazz?" Jaden wondered, walking up to him before spotting the list everyone was so intrigued about. Apparently, it contained the roles everyone auditioned for the play "Snow White," which was strangely popular for some reason this year.

"I got the stupid role of being the Magic Mirror! How?! I was aiming to be the Huntsman!"

"Huh, what a coincidence," said Bastion, walking up to the group with his arms crossed. "I also wished to be the Magic Mirror, but instead, I got the Huntsman role instead."

Whirling towards Bastion, Chazz demanded, "Hey, you and me gotta switch roles then!"

"Agreed. I say we go confront Atticus and force him to switch our roles."

"Huh? Why Atticus?" wondered Jaden, curious.

"Apparently, he's the director of the play...along with Prince Charming," added in Alexis, having just arrived and overhearing the conversation.

"Wait...so, if he's Prince Char-OH NO!" Syrus suddenly screamed before pushing his way past the horde of girls crowding up the Snow White list. "NOOOOOOOOOO!"

"What's wrong?" asked Chazz as Chumley took a pair of mini binoculars from his pocket and peered at the list, seeing as he didn't want to deal with the crowd.

"Ohhhh...Apparently, Jaden's supposed to be Snow White."

"WHAT?!" Chazz snatched the binoculars from Chumley, ignoring his complaints, before examining the list from afar to check for sure. "I don't believe it! That sneaky motherfucker!"

"Aww...I'm supposed to be stupid Snow White? That's stupid!" complained Jaden. "I wanted the part of that cute dwarf!"

"Which one? There's seven in total," reminded Alexis.

"I...kinda forgot his name, but he was supposed to be the youngest!"

Syrus then returned to the ground, looking pale and horrified. "This...this can't be happening...noo..."

"Oh, come on! Just because Jaden's the princess doesn't mean it's the end of the world," said Chazz despite the fact that he was pretty pissed off too. If he knew Jaden was going to be Snow White, he'd audition for the prince! ...Wait, what is he thinking?!

"Wait, Snow White's a princess?!" gasped Jaden. "I thought she was just some servant girl ordered around by the evil queen!"

"No...She was a princess that was forced to work in rags by her evil stepmother," recalled Alexis.

"Ah man! I don't wanna wear a dress! Being a princess sucks!"

 _'That's your reason why?'_ everyone thought, sweatdropping.

"Anyways, let's hurry up and find Atticus!" said Chazz.

"We're coming along, too!" spoke Mindy and Jasmine, running up to them.

"Why you two?"

"Because we're part of the seven dwarfs!" complained Jasmine before gesturing to her body. "I mean, what part of this is short? We do not approve, even if this was from Atticus!"

Alexis sighed. "Alright, alright! Everyone who has a complaint can come. I mean, I'm part of the dwarfs too."

"Really? I think you'd make a cute dwarf, Alexis," complimented Jaden.

The Obelisk Blue girl smiled. "Thanks, Jaden."

"But if we can switch roles, I totally want to!"

 _'...Snow White isn't such a bad thing, but I don't want to kiss just anybody. But, if Atticus is going to be Prince Charming, there's no way he'll kiss me. I mean, he'll flirt and charm any girl, but I'm pretty sure incest is way past the line,'_ thought Alexis before nodding in agreement.

"Yeah! Let's go!"

* * *

 _Later..._

"Sorry!~ No can do!~"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T?!" Everyone demanded, getting all up on Atticus' face as the poor male student sweatdropped. Currently, they were all gathered inside the auditorium, on top of the stage as Atticus had been busy putting the play together.

"Well, I'm the director, and I say so!"

"Well, if you're not going to be reasonable, then I quit!" proclaimed Chazz, crossing his arms with a confident smirk. Ha! Let Atticus get out of this pitch!

"Not so fast, Chazz! I activate my secret weapon!" declared Atticus, taking out the Snow White list along with a magnifying glass. He placed the lens of the magnifying glass near the end of the grand words **"Snow White Roles"** for everyone to see.

Right there, in minature words, listed a rule. **"Everyone in their first years must participate if they have a role in the play, otherwise, their grade will decrease by 50%."**

Immediantly, everyone started complaining about the rule until Atticus held a hand up for them to remain silent. "This was authorized by the Chancellor himself. See?"

Below the rule, in actual big writing was Chancellor Sheppard's signature. And nobody could actually forge a signature as elegant and big as Sheppard's, so they had to believe it.

"How did you get his signature in here?" questioned Alexis suspiciously.

"Oh, I have my methods..." chuckled Atticus a bit too darkly. "But, if you want to take it up to the Chancellor, I'm sure he'd be more than obliged to confirm that he did sign this."

"Okay, but can you at least allow us to switch roles?" questioned Bastion.

"Yeah! Why'd you give me the role of the Magic Mirror, anyways?" argued Chazz. "I want to be the Huntsman so I can kill Snow White!"

"What?! Bring it on, emo!" shouted Jaden, raising her fists for a fight. If she was going to get 'killed' in the play, might as well put up a fair fight.

"I'm not emo, damnit!"

"Sorry, no can do!~" sang Atticus as he shifted the magnifying glass below the previous rule, revealing another rule.

 **"The roles assigned to everyone is permanent and cannot be switched whatsoever."**

"ATTICUS!" cursed Alexis, Chazz, and Syrus altogether angrily.

"And...there's so more bad news," added in Atticus. "We're kinda in a rush, and due to some difficulties, Chancellor Sheppard said that the play would start...tommorow."

"Tommorow?! We can't memorize all the lines!" cried out Syrus as the others began to panic.

"Don't worry! It's not going to be that long of a play, anyways!"

"Atticus! Why did you make us dwarfs?!" whined Jasmine and Mindy.

"Ladies, ladies! I assure you, you won't regret it!" assured Atticus, petting both girls on top of their heads. "What if I spoiled something and said that your outfits will be...cute? And sexy? And stuff like that?"

Both girls gasped before squealing in delight. "Really?! Okay! Then, we won't mind!"

 _'They sure gave in pretty easily,'_ thought everyone, sweatdropping.

"Hey! Why'd you make Jaden Snow White?!" demanded Syrus, stomping up with Atticus.

"Because her audition was so adorable, I couldn't help myself!~" giggled Atticus.

"But I don't wanna wear a dress!" Jaden complained, stomping her foot.

"Jaden, I will feed you as much fried shrimp as you want after this."

Chazz scoffed. "As if she'll actually-"

"DEAL!"

The black-haired duelist' jaw dropped. "The hell?! Why, Jaden?! Why?!"

"It's fried shrimp! I can't help myself!"

"Well, my role is somewhat minor," sighed Bastion. "I guess I'm okay with being the Huntsman."

"I'm not!" yelled Chazz. "Why do I gotta be the stupid mirror guy? I'm bad with riddles!"

Atticus shrugged. "Just make a random one up."

"That's horrible! And give me one good reason why the mirror guy role is such a good thing?!"

"Oh, you'll find out...Nah, I'll just tell ya! That's because the queen is-"

"ATTICUS RHODES!" screamed Crowler, fuming with anger as he threw opened the entrance doors and marched onstage, causing everyone to move out of his way. He was so enraged...that...that he stomped on a kitty along the way.

"Kitty, no!" cried out Jaden dramatically.

"Jaden, you do realize that was just a prop kitty, right? As in, it's not real," spoke Bastion.

"Oh...Kitty, no!"

"WHY?!" Crowler demanded right in front of Atticus' face.

"Why what, professor?" asked Atticus, tilting his head as he gave off his innocent charming grin.

"THAT'S DOCTOR TO YOU! AND I'M ASKING WHY MY ROLE IS EVIL QUEEN! I NEVER EVEN AUDITIONED FOR THIS STUPID PLAY!"

"Oh...that was all Chancellor Sheppard's idea...He said something of this will help relieve your stress from your work," spoke Atticus with a twisted grin on his face. _'Well, I was the one who suggested it to him first...Ha! Take that, Dr. Crowler! That's what you get for all those times you treated me these past few years!'_

"Yup. He even has his signature on the list," pointing out Jaden, vouching for Atticus' word.

Crowler was chewing and tugging onto his handkerchief with a furious expression on his face. He couldn't believe that the brat before him had cornered him to a wall so easily! He supposed that even if he complained, he'd have no choice but to comply due to Sheppard's orders.

Amused with Crowler's reaction, Chazz smirked. "Alright, you win. I suppose I'll cooperate as well."

"Great! Everyone, into position!" called Atticus as he sat down in the director's chair while taking out a megaphone. **"We've got lots of work to do! Chop chop!"**

* * *

 _The next day..._

With a large amount of Duel Academy students waiting in their seats for the play to begin, there's bound to be some sort of chaos behind the curtains as everyone was preparing themselves. Everyone was mostly here to see what sort of hilarious things would occur, like Crowler being the Evil Queen.

"Wow, Atticus! You were right! Our outfits do look cute and sexy!" exclaimed Mindy as she and Jasmine were checking themselves out near a mirror. Their dwarf clothing differ in color, with Mindy's being green and Jasmine's being red, but they had miniskirts, were short-sleeved, and to add it off, they even had cute elf-like hats on. Their appearances were so somewhat revealing, some of the boys stopped working just to oogle at their appearances.

"..." Glaring at her big brother while covering her chest by crossing her arms, Alexis wore the same attire as Mindy and Jasmine, but her color was blue. Since she was more popular, she received lots of looks from the boys as they were practically drooling over her.

"Oh, don't look at me with such a sour look, sis!" said Atticus happily. "This way, you'll get a boyfriend faster!"

"No thanks! This costume is too revealing! Why do you have to make the dwarfs' costumes so revealing?!"

"Aw, come on! Everyone else is happy with it! I mean, look at Jaden's!"

"Why do dresses have to be so long?!" complained Jaden, frailing her arms around before grabbing at the bottom half of her dress and walking around, trying to walk around in the heels she was forced to wear. Her dress truly looked elegant in a red velvet color, almost appearing like she was the bride in a wedding.

"Okay, bad example," said Atticus before pointing to Bastion. "But what about him? He seems to enjoy his costume!"

Bastion wore a green Robin Hood costume meant for the Huntsman role he was playing with the hat and fake bow and arrow. He was flexing a bit of his muscles, trying to examine his looks as he smiled, satisfied with his costume.

"Wait a minute! Where's Zane in all this?" questioned Chazz as he had a bit difficulty moving around in his costume. His costume was obviously just the full bodied costume of the Magic Mirror, meaning he had no arms.

"Oh, didn't I tell you? First years only!" replied Atticus.

"Wait, you're not a first year! What's your excuse?"

"...I am the director, and I can choose what role I have!"

"That's not fair!"

"Oh, Chazz, Chazz, Chazzy, Chazz, Chazz," sighed Atticus, walking over and patting him on the shoulder. "You should know by now that life just isn't fair. Like, for example...say that you wanted to give your Pot of Greed to your girlfriend, but then your best friend stoled it from you. Don't you think that's fair?"

"W-What?" sputtered Chazz. "I-I don't-"

"Chazz. Yes or no."

"That's...that's not fair..."

"And I'm so glad we had this talk," Atticus said, patting him one more time before turning around. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go get changed. Good luck in the play!~"

"I...Alexis, your brother...is so weird!" said Chazz.

Alexis sighed, nodding. "I know. But that is like him to try and troll people. I've had to deal with him my whole life, so this is nothing compared to the amount of trouble he's been through."

"Seriously?!"

"I...I don't know about this, Atticus!" stuttered Syrus as he was handed a bunch of note cards since his role was to be the narrator. "I've never been introduced to such a large crowd before!"

"You'll do fine, little buddy!" assured Atticus. "All you have to do is read the cards and that's it! Oh, and make sure to do it loud and clear, and the rest will be up to the cast!"

"Ok..."

"Now, let's get this show on the road, people!"

A few minutes later, Sheppard walked on stage and approached the microphone, where people applauded for their respected Chancellor. Smiling to the crowd, Sheppard announced, **"Good day, students of Duel Academy! This special play was brought to you by the first years of our beloved students! We hope you enjoy the show and please show politeness and treat it well and maturely. Thank you and we hope you enjoy the play of Snow White."**

As soon as he got off the stage, the red curtains began to shift and sway a bit, but they were moved out of the way by the backstage cast. The light shined on Syrus, who was standing at the edge of the stage as everyone turned to him.

A little nervous, Syrus tried his best to not look frightened as he glanced at his note cards. **"Okay Syrus...you can do this...Yup...Nothing to fear but fear itself...Yup...I can do this...Just read the-"**

"Psst! Sy!" whispered Atticus. "You do realize that the audience just heard what you were mumbling about, right?"

Syrus glanced up and his face flustered when the crowd was just...staring absently at him. Deciding to try and ignore what he previously said, Syrus started to begin the play. **"O-Once upon a time...there lived a young princess named Snow White who, despite her harsh life, was very kind and gentle."**

That was Jaden's cue to move as she had a bit of trouble walking while trying to get on stage. Now the background just showed the castle walls along with some garden as she had to twirl around.

"Lalala!~" she hummed, trying to act the role of princess. "...This dress is stupid."

"Jaden! Fried shrimp!~" reminded Atticus quietly.

Jaden's face lit up as she remembered why she was doing this. She started getting more into the play as she began twirling and spinning around as elegantly as she could despite the fact that she nearly tripped a few times. While she was doing this, the backstage cast summoned some of their cute, harmless Winged Beast-Type Monsters to act as birds as Jaden was dancing.

 **"But her evil stepmother, the Evil Queen, was jealous of Snow White's beauty, and always forced her to become her slave,"** said Syrus.

Emerging from the window of the fake stone tower, Crowler appeared in what seemed to be the most hideous evil witch appearance ever. His own appearance looked more of a flamboyant queen than the beautiful Evil Queen portrayed in the stories.

The audience, including Jaden, burst out into laughter when they saw Crowler, causing the Obelisk Blue teacher to start yelling and throwing his fists into the air. But unfortunately, his yells were overcome by the laughter of everyone else until they finally settled down.

"Young lady! You will continue to sweep the floor!" yelled Crowler, smirking a little.

"You can't order me what to do!" argued back Jaden.

"Psst! Jaden! You actually have to listen to him!" whispered Atticus. "And, you have to say it nicely!"

As much as Jaden hated it, she had no choice as she forced a smile and bowed her head. "Yes... _Mother._ I'll obey your happy commands!" In reality, if Jaden was Snow White, she'd want to strangle her evil stepmother.

"Here, take this bucket!" shouted Crowler, throwing an empty bucket at Jaden, which whacked her on the head.

"Ow! FUCK!"

"Jaden! Snow White never swears!" reminded Atticus.

"Oh! I mean...F-Fudge Nuggets! Yeah! I love...Fudge Nuggets!"

 _'...Ew,'_ thought Crowler, not wanting to ever taste anything like...like what Jaden just said.

Although a bit disgusted himself, Syrus continued reading, **"While Snow White obeyed her stepmother's commands, the Evil Queen decided to approach her trusty Magic Mirror for answers."**

The curtains closed before the backstage crew started rearranging the scene into the very room where the Evil Queen would confront the Magic Mirror. During that time, Jaden left the stage and Crowler and Chazz got into their roles as quickly as possible before the curtains rose.

Once again, the audience laughed when they saw Crowler and Chazz's costumes, causing the two to be very ticked off at the audience. Still, they kept their cool as they began their scene.

"Mirror, Mirror, on the wall! Who's the fairest of them all?" announced Crowler loudly.

"Ow! You know, I'm standing right in front of you! You don't have to speak that loud!" hissed Chazz, wishing he could have covered his ears, except his costume doesn't have any holes for arms.

"As if I want to be here! Just hurry up and say your line!"

"Fine, fine! You're not the fairest of them all!" shouted Chazz. "...Prick."

Again, the audience laughed when they heard Chazz saying that, forgetting about the fact that the Magic Mirror was supposed to speak in rhymes. Crowler looked as if he wanted to strangle Chazz, but decided to calm down while he gasped, as it was part of the script.

"What? Then, who, dare I say is the fairest of them all?"

Before Chazz could say anything, Atticus held up a sign for Chazz only, stating, **"Speak in rhymes, you idiot!"**

After giving it much thought, Chazz spoke, "The...the fairest of them all is not you, dare I...say...However, one that is fairest of them all is one of grace and...power, must I...pray..."

It wasn't a bad rhyme, but Chazz was doing his best, so this was acceptable.

Crowler understood what he was saying and dramatically gasped. "Snow White, you say?! How dare she?! Now that I know...I have no more need of you, Magic Mirror! Begone from my sight! I shall DESTROY YOU!"

"Wait, wha-"

Before Chazz could finish, Crowler eagerly pushed him off the stage, causing Chazz to scream before crashing to the ground on his back. Luckily, the distance from the stage and the ground wasn't far and wasn't enough to cause too much damage, but it still hurt.

"Ow! Fuck! You goddamn cheap son of a bitch!" cursed Chazz, frailing his legs as he struggled to get up. One of the backstage crew members rushed out to help him as the curtains closed quickly.

A little stunned by the scene, Syrus said, **"A-and now the Evil Queen started making arrangements for the assassination of Snow White, deciding that-Oops!"**

Fumbling around with the cards, Syrus had gotten so nervous, he accidentally dropped the note cards as they scattered to the floor. Quickly gathering them up, Syrus had unknowingly mixed them up.

 **"Ahem! Anyways, the Evil Queen started making arrangements for the assassination of...Prince Charming?"**

Just as the curtains rose, there stood Crowler and Bastion, who was supposed to be the Huntsman. Both of them looked confused as that wasn't part of the script, but decided to go along with it.

"Huntsman! You shall go and...and kill Prince Charming?" wondered Crowler.

"O-Okay then..." said Bastion.

"NOO! NOT ATTICUS!" cried out a majority of his fangirls among the audience.

"And...and bring his heart in a box," said Crowler. "...Ew."

"NOO! NOT HIS HEART!"

 **"Moving on! Uh..."** Okay, Syrus knew that he screwed things up when he just noticed that the cards were mixed up, but knew the show must go on! **"The trees started pelting apples at...the woodland animals."**

The people posing as the woodland animals and the evil tree characters glanced at each other before shrugging and making their way to the stage as Crowler and Bastion left. The woodland animals started running around the stage as the tree people began throwing apples at them while chasing them down.

 **"Then, the Huntsman drew his bow and readied an arrow at...Grumpy, one of the Seven Dwarfs!"**

"Wait, what?" questioned Jasmine before being pushed onstage.

Bastion walked onto the stage and readied his fake bow and arrow at her. "Uh...I...I'm just following the script?"

 **"Prince Charming...entered the house, and seeing how it was dirty, started to clean it up out of the good nature of her heart. Oh, god."**

Before Atticus could protest, Alexis pushed him onto the stage, tossing him a broom while everyone else participating on the stage left to see his act. All of his fangirls squealed when they saw him, so, in order to keep up his reputation, Atticus pretended to sweep the floor with the broom.

 **"And then, the Seven Dwarfs started chasing...the Magic Mirror, who started speaking in rhymes, all the way up to a cliff."**

Confused as ever, Alexis, Mindy, Jasmine, along with the four other people acting as the other dwarfs, began chasing after Chazz, who tried to think up of some rhymes.

"Hat in the cat! Make a good snack!" said Chazz, running around in circles as the backstage crew tried to get the fake cliff up and running. "Whack a hat! Mat a lack?"

 **"And then Snow White...pushed the Huntsman off the cliff!"**

Jaden and Bastion stared at each other before climbing up the fake cliff. Then, Jaden pushed Bastion off the cliff right before he landed on top of Chazz, causing the two males to groan in pain.

While Syrus tried to get the correct cards back in order while quickly speaking what was on the cards, it was a complete disaster onstage as everyone tried to get into their roles and do as Syrus said. In the meantime, the audience was howling with laughter.

 **"And then...the Seven dwarfs...and Snow White...stepped foot on...the Evil Queen."**

Before Crowler could do anything, he was shoved to the ground by the seven dwarfs and Jaden as they proceeded to plant their foot onto his fallen body. At first, they were a little cautious since they didn't want to hurt him. But, recalling all the bad times they've had with him...let's just say they had a bit too much fun kicking on repeatedly stomping on him.

 **"Then, scooping up the princess in his arms, Snow White proceeded to carry...the Magic Mirror away to his kingdom. The end!"**

While the seven dwarfs continued to stomp on Crowler, Jaden left and approached Chazz before trying to carry him. However, seeing how she was more lightweighted than him and less stronger than him physically, both collapsed. Instead, Jaden had to resort to dragging him.

"Ow! Hey, watch it!"

"Sorry, but I can't carry you!"

As soon as the curtains closed for the final time, the audience was still laughing while applauding for such an amazing play, even if it did get mixed up halfway throughout the play.

The next day, the Snow White play received hundreds of positive reviews, making it the most popular and memorable play in Duel Academy history thanks to Syrus. Although, Sheppard, even though he enjoyed the play, promised to give the cast more time to practice next time there would be a play.

* * *

 **Kinda updated this a day before Thanksgiving, but whatever! Hope you all enjoy your Thanksgiving!**


	28. The Fear Factor

**Helllo! I'm back! Hey, hey, guys! Guessing from the title of the chapter, I can assume you know which episode this is, right? And if you guys know what that episode is, then you know what happened before the whole Spirit World Festival thing took place, right?**

 **Hehehe...Also, I got ideas from Persona 3 and 4!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

 _Deep in the abyss of darkness, Jaden was dueling for the lives of her and her friends against a mysterious Shadow Rider cloaked in darkness. Both Jaden and the Shadow Rider were at the endgame; exhausted and both low on Life Points and it was Jaden's turn._

 _"It's my turn! Attack him directly, Wildheart!" yelled Jaden aggressively._

 _Wildheart lunged forward and leapt to the air, slashing at the cloaked Shadow Rider, but dealing no damage as the cloak was split in half instead. The two halves of the cloak coiled and merged together to transform into a dragon of darkness. The dragon breathe out azure blue flames and destroyed Wildheart and also struck out Jaden with its flames._

 _"I...I lost..." muttered Jaden, appalled as the last of her Life Points went down the drain._

 _"JADEN!" The screams of her friends attracted Jaden's attention as she turned and saw both Syrus and Chumley being burned alive by the azure flames, screaming in pain as they reached out for her for help._

 _"I'm coming! Chumley! Syru-"_

 _Right before she could help him, her feet got tangled up by whips of darkness beneath her as they started dragging her down since she has to face the consequences of losing a Shadow Duel. Struggling to break free, Jaden tried to reach out for her friends, but couldn't even utter an apology before she was lost to darkness forever..._

* * *

"Aaah...! Aaahh...I'm...I'm sorry..! I'm sorry!" pleaded Jaden, clinging onto her bedsheets as tears rolled down her cheeks while she tossed and turned.

"Jaden! Jaden!" shouted Syrus, trying to shake her to wake her up. He couldn't help but be concern for her, seeing the state she was in. If only there was more he could do for her, but unfortunately, he couldn't. All he could do was try to wake her up and fail as he watched her endure her nightmares.

Winged Kuriboh felt sad that his friend was acting this way and wanted to help her out, but knew that Duel Spirits were limited to human interaction. But...Maybe there was another way?

* * *

 _In the Spirit World..._

 ** _"Jaden's been having nightmares for the past week?"_** questioned Avian right after Winged Kuriboh gathered up Jaden's precious Duel Spirits inside the meeting room of E-Hero HQ.

Winged Kuriboh nodded, fluttering his wings. _**"Kuri kuri! Kuri kuri kuri! Kuri kuri kuri, kuri kuri kuri kuri!"**_ ("That's right! I'm so worried for Jaden! If this keeps up, something bad might happen to her!")

 _ **"Well...it's always bad for someone's mental health if they experience nightmares too much,"** _ spoke up Burstinatrix, trying to think of a solution.

That's when the normally silent Necroshade spoke up. _**"...Tommorow is another Duel Spirit Festival, correct?"**_

 _ **"Huh? What about it?"**_ wondered Bubbleman.

 _ **"I think perhaps he's trying to suggest that Jaden should come into contact with the Spirit World tommorow. After all, we only get Duel Spirit Festival days every few times a year,"**_ suggested Tempest.

 _ **"But this is different than dreams. During Duel Spirit Festivals, a human being can physically contact with the Spirit World instead of just dreams,"**_ recalled Lady Heat.

 _ **"And it can't just be any random spot to enter. There are always separate areas which humans can enter within in these times,"**_ said Sparkman.

 _ **"How about a hot spring? There's a spa center around here in Duel Academy,"**_ said Burstinatrix. _**"Winged Kuriboh, can you convince Jaden to relax at a spa tommorow? Tell her you want to play with her or something. After all, you are one of her favorites."**_

Winged Kuriboh happily nodded. If it'll make Jaden feel better, all the more reason to do it! Plus, he loved playing with Jaden, even if she did somewhat suffocate him with her tight hugs every now and then.

* * *

 _The next day, inside the Hot Springs Center..._

"Mmm...Ah...this is the life..." sighed Jaden, relieved as she laid against a rock while the rest of her body were deep within the warm, hot spring waters meant to refresh her and keep her body all warm and smooth.

Winged Kuriboh seemed to be enjoying himself as well, bathing in the water with a towel on his head as he chirped happily. His wings fluttered and splashed around a bit while he swam around in a circle with Jaden watching him. So far, the plan of making her forget her nightmares was working!

Feeling a bit dizzy from the mist and staying in the water for a bit, Jaden took her towel off before tightening it around her chest before cradling Winged Kuriboh in her arms and stepping onto a smooth rock.

Winged Kuriboh was confused by her actions until he found himself being thrown in the air and caught in Jaden's arms. Apparently, Jaden wanted to play yet another game of catch with him, which he didn't mind.

"Hahaha! Up you go!~" giggled Jaden, continuously tossing Winged Kuriboh in the air over and over as the little furball squealed.

Meanwhile, in another section of the hot spa, Syrus and Chumley were having the time of their life as they were playing inside as well. Syrus, having ahold of a floating tube, performed a cannonball and splashed into the water, floating onto the surface in a second.

"Yahoo! This is so much fun!" laughed Syrus happily. "Chumley, get in quick!"

"Uh...Syrus? Your towel came off," pointed out Chumley.

"Eh?! Oh no!" the blue-haired boy cried out embarassingly before swimming forward to grab it. At that moment, Chumley leapt from high ground and onto the water as well; his own version of cannonball sending a bigger wave towards Syrus, who sputtered and spat out water.

"Haha! Got it!" teased Chumley, now having possession of Syrus' towel before swimming away.

"Hey! Give that back, Chumley!"

"Ha! I'd like to see you catch me then, Sy!"

"You'll be messing with me if you don't give that back! Wait u-AAAHH! COLD, COLD, COLD!"

"Stop it with all the noise, you two!" scoffed Chazz, having thrown cold water at Syrus from a wooden bucket to make him stop.

"Eh? Chazz is here?" Chumley wondered, surprised to see him here, of all places. "So, are you here to hang out?"

"Hmph! As if I want to, slackers!" Chazz said harshly, turning away as he sat perfectly on his own rocky seat...until he was hit in the face with water.

"Nyeh!" Syrus giggled, sticking his tongue out at Chazz. "That's payback!~"

"Why you-! You'll pay for that!"

"Oh!~ Whatcha gonna do about it, huh?" taunted Syrus before swimming away as fast as he could.

"Grrr...! I'm gonna Chazz you up!" The black-haired Princeton growled before diving underwater to chase after the prick who dared to splash water at him.

Chumley witnessed out of amusement the two of them going at it as Chazz attempted to strangle Syrus and push him down the water while Syrus was fighting back as well, both arguing and yelling at each other comically.

"Ha! Take that! Down! Down! Down!"

"Gah! I can't swim! Lemme go!"

"No! You deserve it!"

"Oh yeah?!"

"Aah! My towel! Give it back, you bastard!"

"Aaaah! Chumley, I got his towel! Quick, grab it!"

"Be right there!" chuckled Chumley, swimming towards them to join their 'fight.' Unknown to the three boys, the more they fought, the more noises and more louder they were producing, enough to fill the entire area.

"Huh? What's that noise?" wondered Jaden, standing up with Winged Kuriboh cradled in her arms. Winged Kuriboh had a bad feeling the more Jaden walked towards the source of the noises and shuffled more in her arms to feel more comfortable. When the Duel Spirit saw what was happening, his eyes popped wide.

Syrus, Chumley, and Chazz were in the water, but they were all holding onto towels and fighting amongst themselves, trying to grab their original towels back from each other while yelling at each other.

"HIYA GUYS!" called out Jaden; her voice loud enough to pierce through theirs.

Ceasing their current activity, the male trio turned around and were utterly shocked to learn Jaden was there. Among them.

Just her.

One girl.

Among a group of boys.

Inside a spa where everyone was naked.

Winged Kuriboh was in her arms, though only Chazz could see him.

Three Boys + One Girl + Hot Springs = **DANGER DANGER DANGER!**

"AAAAAHHHH!" All three boys screamed before turning their backs on her and quickly wrapping their towels around their waist to cover themselves, not caring whose towel had originally belonged to.

"Hey, what's wrong?" wondered Jaden, oblivious as Winged Kuriboh just laid in her arms, mortified.

 _'THIS WAS NOT PART OF THE PLAN! THIS WAS NOT PART OF THE PLAN! THIS WAS NOT PART OF THE PLAN!'_ thought Winged Kuriboh.

This was really bad for Winged Kuriboh's case. Should the others find out, he'd be crushed by most of the other male Elemental Heroes! They'll stomp on him, rip his wings out, probably plucking each feather one by one, and skin him alive! No, they'll probably deal with the boys here, and then him! Jaden's Duel Spirits tend to be a little bit too overprotective of Jaden, and if they'll willing to protect her, then they might be willing to stomp of cute puppies and kitties, and he fit in the category of cuteness!

"Jaden! Why the hell are you here?!" demanded Chazz, having fixed his towel.

"Hmm? What's wrong with that?" wondered Jaden, swimming towards them, unknown of what the problem was.

"Jaden! You do realize this isn't a co-ed hot spring, right?!" shouted Chumley as he and the boys refused to turn around.

"Co-ed?"

"It means that boys and girls can't be allowed in here at the same time!" complained Syrus; his cheeks reddening from not only the heat of the water but also from Jaden's presence. "Besides, it's the guys' time to be in here!"

"But...it's 4:00. And I just got here," said Jaden, confused.

Her previous comment caused the boys to freeze. Every single hour, the schedule for the boys and girls automatically switched each day. For example, from 12:00 to 1:00 would be the boys time, and from 5:00 to 6:00 would be girls. Today, it was the girl's turn for the spa for times 4:00 to 5:00.

 _'I didn't realize we were here for that long!'_ Syrus thought.

 _'Please don't tell me any other girl was here!'_ Chumley thought.

 _'...I'm such an idiot. I'm an idiot surrounded by idiots,'_ thought Chazz, facepalming himself.

"What's the matter? I don't get what's going on, but since we're all here, let's all play together!" Jaden cheered, throwing her arms up into the air.

Unable to take anymore of this foolishness, Chazz let out a yell before whirling around and grabbing her by the shoulders. "How naive are you?! Goddamnit, you idiot! Girls and boys can't bathe together! It's wrong and you're an stupid idiot for not seeing why! No, in fact, WHY can you not see it?"

"...What are you talking about? My Dad bathed me when I was a baby."

"THAT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT! How on earth did you even make it to this school?!"

Jaden grinned at the memory. "I beat Crowler to get in, remember?"

"I...That's true, but...uh..."

Now that Chazz realized it, he noticed that Jaden's skin was...smooth and somewhat milky since he was grabbing her shoulders so firmly. He was fighting the urge to poke her skin just to see how soft it truly was along with her cute cheeks. The way her hair was slick back made her somewhat sexy along with that alluring look in her eyes. Her towel was the only thing blocking his view of what was-

Okay, what was he thinking?!

"Ow! Chazz, you're gripping me too hard!" cried out Jaden, winching in pain as Chazz dropped his head, trying to control himself.

"Hey! Leave her alone, you bully!" shouted Syrus, clinging onto Jaden's arm and glaring at Chazz. He blushed when he was squeezing her arm and feeling her soft skin, yet his determination to protect Jaden was all on his mind at the moment.

 _'...It's just like some sort of romantic comedy with two boys fighting for a girl's heart,'_ thought Chumley, sweatdropping as he watched Chazz and Syrus arguing with each other.

 _'STRANGER DANGER! STRANGER DANGER!'_ Winged Kuriboh thought, alerted once he saw the two boys making physical contact with Jaden as he squeaked. Well, one good thing came out of this. He now had sufficient proof and a story to tell the others so that they'll focus all their rage on Syrus and Chazz instead of him.

"Chumley! Help me out! Grab Chazz's towel!" shouted Syrus.

"What?!"

"I got it! I got it!" laughed Chumley, swimming away while waving Chazz's towel in the air.

"Gah! You-! You'll pay for this, Syrus!" threatened Chazz, red-faced as he covered himself despite the fact that his bottom half was already submerged underwater. "But first things first! CHUMLEY!"

"Go, go, Chumley! I've got your back!" encouraged Syrus, swimming towards Chumley as the both of them rushed away from Chazz as he angrily persuaded them.

Winged Kuriboh sighed before noticing the spot Jaden was in and wiggled away from her arms, disappearing back into the Spirit World to begin the preparations for the Duel Spirit Festival.

Being by herself, Jaden dove underwater to ease herself as she was alone and at peace. While the water was warm and relaxed her muscles, Jaden couldn't help but think back on the previous Shadow Games so far.

Each Shadow Game always risked someone's life, even succeeding to do so when Camula took away Crowler and Zane's souls and stuffed them in dolls. Syrus was also on the verge of dying one time after his blood was sucked out and his life at stake due to the darkness of the Shadow Games.

 _'...With that's going on lately, it's no wonder I keep having those nightmares,'_ thought Jaden, pulling herself back to the surface and laying against the water to stare at the ceiling. _'Syrus and Chumley were almost victims of the Shadow Game before, too. I thought dueling was all about having fun, but now, it's all about dueling for your life. Was it...wrong for me to assume that?'_

 _ **"Kuri kuri!"**_ ("Jaden! Jaden!") called out Winged Kuriboh from not too far. Once he caught her attention, he began flying away, wishing for her to follow him for the next phase of his plan.

"Huh? Winged Kuriboh?" Jaden swam after him, wondering what was up.

Once she left, Syrus and Chumley decided that throwing around Chazz's towel was getting boring, so they returned it, and in exchange, Chazz gave them huge bumps on the head. Rubbing the back of their heads, Syrus and Chumley noticed that Jaden wasn't around.

"Jaden? Where'd she go?" wondered Chumley.

"She probably left to go get changed," said Syrus.

"Huh?" Spotting one of his favorite Monsters rushing through the water, Chumley swam after him. "Des Koala? Is that you?"

"Chumley? Where are you going?"

"Damnit...why do I have to play in the water with those guys?" mumbled Chazz, tightening his towel around his waist. "And what the hell is wrong with Jaden? Not knowing that girls can't bathe with guys..."

 _ **"Ooh! I'm late! I'm gonna be late!"**_ cried out Ojama Yellow, appearing out of nowhere before leaping onto the water.

Chazz, not knowing nor caring about Ojama Yellow's schedule, scoffed. "Yeah, yeah! Go, whatever! I don't care! Just don't come back!"

Springing back to the surface, Ojama Yellow, too happy to even comment on Chazz's rude behavior, said, _**"Alright, fine! Well, I gotta get to the Spirit Festival anyways!"**_

"Huh? Spirit Festival?"

"Winged Kuriboh? Where are you?" called Jaden as she wandered around another part of the hot springs. Suddenly, something yanked her downwards underwater, causing her to scream; only for nothing to come out but bubbles as she frantically twisted her body to break free before a light blinded her.

* * *

 _In the Spirit World..._

"Owowowowow..." muttered Jaden, having landed facedown firsthand on the ground. Sitting up, she was surprised to find herself in her Slifer Red clothes along with a duel disk strapped to her wrist.

Before she knew it, several different Duel Spirits, mostly Fairy-Types, were looking at her with curiosity. That was to be expected since it was awfully rare for a human to appear in the Spirit World.

"AAAAAAAAHHH!" Jaden screamed, surprised to see the Duel Spirits.

 _ **"AAAAHHHHH!"**_ They screamed back, hiding behind some pillars. What else should they have done? The human started it first!

"Aaaaaahhhh...Hey!" Realizing that the Duel Spirits were harmless and had no harmful intent, Jaden nervously waved back at them, trying to give them a friendly greeting. "N-Name's Jaden Yuki! Nice to meet ya! Are you...all Duel Spirits?"

 _ **"..."**_

 _ **"..."**_

 _ **"..."**_

"...Okay, then." Finding the situation to be awkward with being the only human here, Jaden scratched her cheek. "Then, maybe you can tell me-gah!"

Falling from above the water-like ceiling, Syrus, Chumley, and Chazz crashed down; all groaning in pain once they hit the ground. Surprisingly, Des Koala along with Ojama Yellow joined the fray since they happened to be Duel Spirits of their owners.

"Ow..." complained Jaden as she had unwillingly been used as a cushion for Chazz.

"Stupid Ojama...Why did I agree to follow him?" complained Chazz before his hand squeezed at something...soft.

"Aah!" shrieked Jaden, instantly sitting up and pushing him off her. "Chazz! You idiot! Idiot, idiot, idiot!"

"Gah!" Falling over, Chazz fell on his back, rubbing the back of his head. "Ow...what did I do?!"

"Hey, why are we back in our clothes?" wondered Chumley, speaking outloud the one thing that was on everyone's minds.

"My glasses! I can't see without my glasses!" cried out Syrus, getting down and frantically searching for them, careful not to move too fast in case he might break them.

While chewing on some leaves, Des Koala spotted the glasses the human boy was referring to and picked them up before handing them back to Syrus.

"Oh! Thanks, Chumley!"

"Hey, Jaden? Are we in...some kind of Spirit World?" Chumley asked, amazed by the amount of Duel Spirits gathered in one place. Well, he knew they were Duel Spirits because he recognized some of them from the trading cards.

"Wait, Chumley? If you're there, then...who's behind me?" Confused, Syrus put his glasses back on and turned his head to see the calm Des Koala eating his leaves. Blinking, Syrus rubbed his eyes before placing his glasses back on. Then, he proceeded to scream.

"Aaaaah! Des Koala?! But how?!"

"This is so weird!" commented Chazz, gazing across the area. "It's like a bunch of Duel Monsters have come back to life! Hey, ugly!"

 _ **"Hey! I am not ugly! And I happen to have a name!"**_ pouted Ojama Yellow.

"And I don't care! Anyways, this is where you said the spirits gathered, right? Some sort of...Duel Spirit Festival?"

 _ **"Uh-huh! That's right, boss!"**_

"So, this is the Spirit World, huh?" muttered Jaden, looking around. It seems to be peaceful, a little quiet, yet filled with kind-hearted and gentle Duel Spirits. Maybe Winged Kuriboh sent her to this tranquil place in order to make her feel more relaxed?

 _ **"Are you the duelists guided here by the spirits?"** _ A masked man with long hair came up to them, asking.

Ojama Yellow gasped, surprised. _**"Oh my God! It's-!"**_

"KYAAAAAAAHHHH! IT'S KAIBAMAN!" squealed Jaden loud enough for everyone except for Kaibaman to cover their ears, though Kaibman did winch.

"Jaden, what are you talking about?" wondered Chumley.

"KAIBAMAN! HOW COULD YOU NOT KNOW?!" Jaden grabbed Chumley's shoulders and started shaking him back and forth. "He's one of my favorite heroes ever! He has his own show, 'Kaibaman!' He has over 300 episodes and he even has two movies! One of them has him riding on Blue-Eyes White Dragon and slaying his archnemesis, the evil Dark Magician! I even turned over a hundred cereal coupons to get that limited edition Kaibaman keychain! HE'S SO AWESOME!"

While Jaden was squealing over Kaibaman, everyone else sweatdropped and thought, _'Just how crazy is this Kaibaman franchise, anyways?'_

Kaibaman cleared his throat, causing Jaden to straighten up and pay attention to him. _**"Are you done ranting on? Because just so we're clear...I am not the Kaibaman you know! I...am a Shadow Rider disguised as Kaibaman!"**_

Jaden gasped before angrily shouting, "How dare you! How dare you do that?! Giving me bad grades is one thing, insulting my Monsters is another, but when you're a bad guy disguised as one of my favorite heroes, you've crossed the line!"

 _'It didn't even occur to her that he might be lying?'_ Chumley, Syrus, and Chazz thought.

"So, what are you? Did you bring us here? Are you going to take us back home?!"

 _ **"You ask a lot of questions and talk too much. But I'm afraid that you won't get any answers unless you duel me right here and now,"**_ Kaibaman challenged, activating his duel disk.

Left with no other choice, Jaden also activated her duel disk after him.

 _ **"From the look of things, I'd say you accept my challenge. But I sense...I'm not so sure...I sense fear. Yes! Deep fear! Fear that you'll lose and that you and your friends will succumb to the Shadow Games' effects! But you should feel ashamed of that! Instead, you should be aiming for the top by challenging me!"**_

"What's he talking about, Jaden?" questioned Chumley.

"This is about your dream, isn't it?" said Syrus.

Seeing Jaden all tensed up and thinking Kaibaman may be onto something, Chazz spoke up, "Look, if you don't wanna duel, let me take your place."

"No! I don't wanna! He's insulting Kaibaman by disguising as him! I can never forgive him for doing that!" complained Jaden, yet deep down, feared the Kaibaman standing before her since he could be a potential Shadow Rider.

 _ **"Oh? Not backing down? Then, you can look forward to facing this card!"**_ Kaibaman informed, holding up a rare Blue-Eyes White Dragon card.

"Whoa! Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" gasped Jaden.

"How'd he get his hands on such a rare card?" wondered Chazz, having second thoughts on dueling Kaibaman.

 _ **"What's wrong? All talk but no bark for you, Jaden?"**_

"Grr...I'll still take you on, Shadow Rider!" shouted Jaden, refusing to acknowledge him as Kaibman. "So, let's give these Duel Spirits a good show!"

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Kaibaman - 4000 LP**

"I'll go first! Draw!" declared Jaden. "First, I'll summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman in Attack Mode!"

The blue caped hero with the bubble blaster showed up immediantly at her command, relieved to see his master arriving in the Spirit World safely. The phases of their plan was going smoothly.

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"Bubbleman's effect activates! If he's summoned out while I control no other cards on the field, I get to draw two more cards from my deck! And lookie here! Polymerization was one of them! I'm using it to use Avian and Burstinatrix from my hand in order to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"

Jaden's ace Monster in the hole crashed down onto the ground besides Bubbleman with his arms crossed as his demonic appearance frightened some of the Duel Spirits as they cowered behind some pillars.

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

 _ **"Yes! The plan is progressing!"**_ said Flame Wingman, turning to one of his fellow Hero allies. He glanced behind his shoulders, glad to see Jaden was alright and doing fine.

"Now I'll call it a turn!"

 _'Just how are you planning on taking the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Jaden?'_ thought Chazz, anticipating the situation as he remained silent during the duel.

 _'No doubt he's gonna use that Blue-Eyes this duel,'_ pondered Jaden, trying to think of a good strategy to counterattack. _'I was hoping that card might be at the bottom of his deck. But, if this is a Shadow Duel, then...Syrus and Chumley...they'll...'_

* * *

 _Flashback..._

 _"JADEN!" The screams of her friends attracted Jaden's attention as she turned and saw both Syrus and Chumley being burned alive by the azure flames, screaming in pain as they reached out for her for help._

 _"I'm coming! Chumley! Syru-"_

 _Right before she could help him, her feet got tangled up by whips of darkness beneath her as they started dragging her down since she has to face the consequences of losing a Shadow Duel. Struggling to break free, Jaden tried to reach out for her friends, but couldn't even utter an apology before she was lost to darkness forever..._

* * *

 _'No! I can't think like that!'_ Jaden thought, shaking her head. _'I have to win!'_

 _ **"Wishing you could back out now? Too late!"** _ taunted Kaibaman, drawing his card. _**"My move! I summon myself! Kaibaman!"**_

Kaibaman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV3 - (200/700)

"Whoa! There are 2 Kaibamans?!" gasped Syrus, astonished.

"Why summon himself if he's got a lower Attack Point?" wondered Chazz, suspecting something must be up.

Smirking, Kaibaman announced, _**"And now I activate Kaibaman's effect! By sacrificing him, I'm allowed to Special Summon a certain dragon from my hand! Allow me to show you the legendary, the one and only, BLUE-EYES WHITE DRAGON!"**_

The strong gusts surrounding the Monster, Kaibaman, blew stronger as the Monster vanished while the other Duel Monsters shrunk back in fear of the approaching threat that was about to take flight.

 _ **"Behold! And quiver in fear! Descend forth, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"**_

Blue - Eyes White Dragon - (LIGHT/Dragon) - LV8 - (3000/2500)

"Crap! It really is the big deal!" shouted Chazz as Jaden gritted her teeth.

 _ **"Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Destroy Flame Wingman!"** _ ordered Kaibaman. _**"Burst Stream of Destruction!"**_

 _ **"NOOOOOOO!"**_ screamed Flame Wingman, wishing to spend more time on the field.

Living up to being the destructive, legendary dragon that he is, Blue-Eyes White Dragon didn't hold back any power as his electrifying breath attack vaporized Flame Wingman to a crisp, revealing to all the massive power Blue-Eyes White Dragon held.

 **Jaden - 3100 LP**

 **Kaibaman - 4000 LP**

 _ **"And now I'll end my turn."**_

"Well, at least Jaden still has Bubbleman!" said Syrus, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Yeah, but Bubbleman's nowhere near Blue-Eyes' power! If Jaden's gonna win this, she's going to have to change up tactics!" said Chumley.

"My turn! Draw!" Jaden swiftly drew her card and thought of a quick countermeasure to at least defend. "From my hand, I activate Polymerization! I'll fuse Bubbleman on my field with the Clayman in my hand to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Mudballman in Defense Mode!"

Kneeling with his arms crossed over his chest, Mudballman was surprised to see himself facing against Blue-Eyes White Dragon, but even the mighty dragon couldn't penetrate against his defense.

Elemental Hero Mudballman - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (1900/3000)

"I'll end my turn from there!"

 _ **"My turn! Draw!"** _ shouted Kaibaman. _**"I'll activate Pot of Greed! This lets me draw two more cards! From my hand, I activate the Spell, Burst Stream of Destruction!"**_

"A card that's the same name as Blue-Eyes' special attack?" Jaden gasped, surprised to learn such a card existed.

"What's the deal with it being a separate card?" wondered Chazz.

"You're about to find out! First, it activates as long as there's at least one Blue-Eyes White Dragon on my field," Kaibaman informed. "And now that my dragon is out, the Spell automatically destroys all Monsters on your side of the field, Jaden!"

"What?!"

"Go! Obliterate Mudballman with Burst Stream of Destruction!"

The Spell card unleashed blue bolts of lightning that zapped through even the impenetrable defense of Mudballman, leaving no mercy for the Elemental Hero.

"Oh no! Now Jaden is completely defenceless! No Monster or anything!" cried out Syrus, panicking. "And if she gets a direct attack from Blue-Eyes, she'll get 100 Life Points left! Goodbye to her!"

"No, there's some hope," said Chazz. "On the turn Burst Stream of Destruction was used, No Blue-Eyes can attack this turn."

"Really? Whew! That's a relief!"

 _ **"It won't matter!"**_ Kaibaman said. _**"I summon Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands!"**_

The creepy-looking Monster with literally ten thousand hands appeared right in front of Kaibaman.

Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV4 - (1400/1000)

 _ **"And now he'll lend me a hand! When Manju is summoned, I can choose one Ritual Monster or one Ritual Spell card from my deck and add it to my hand! I'll add the Ritual Spell, White Dragon Ritual, to my hand! This requires at least a Level 4 or higher Monster to sacrifice for the Ritual summoning, so I sacrifice Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands to Ritual Summon Paladin of White Dragon in Attack Mode!"**_

A white knight clad in armor and holding onto the reins of a white dragon while gripping a spear in the other flew right next to Blue-Eyes White Dragon, silently greeting him.

Paladin of White Dragon - (LIGHT/Dragon) - LV4 - (1900/1200)

 _ **"Sure, Blue-Eyes White Dragon can't attack this turn, but that doesn't apply to any other Monster on my field! You're a naive fool if you thought otherwise! Paladin may not be a dragon, but he's able to tame one, and that's top notch in my book! Now, go! Paladin of White Dragon, attack Jaden directly!"**_

The paladin raised his spear before bringing it downwards, releasing a tornado-like attack that nearly blew Jaden away, but damaged her Life Points.

 **Jaden - 1200 LP**

 **Kaibaman - 4000 LP**

 _ **"And I'm not done yet! Using Paladin's effect, I now sacrifice him in order to Special Summon from my hand or deck another familiar dragon! Care to guess which?"**_

Still winching in pain from the last direct attack, Jaden muttered, "Not really..."

Kaibaman smirked before declaring, _**"Let me give you a hint, then! It has blue eyes, white scales...The Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"**_

Blue-Eyes White Dragon - (LIGHT/Dragon) - LV8 - (3000/2500)

"Uh-oh! This is bad!" cried out Jaden.

"Oh no! Not only does Jaden has to deal with one Blue-Eyes, but two?!" shouted Syrus. "Plus, Blue-Eyes is a rare card, so why does this guy have two?"

"Kaibaman's deck..." whispered Chazz to himself. "Don't tell me, is it the exact same copy as...?!"

 _ **"I end my turn,"**_ said Kaibaman; the air around him full of confidence as he had two powerful dragons at his side.

"About time! My move!" said Jaden. "First, I'll activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw two new cards! Oh, another Pot of Greed, which I'll use again! Next up, Monster Reincarnation!"

"Awesome!" Chumley praised. "That card allows her to bring a Monster back to her hand at the cost of discarding one card from her hand!"

"Now, I think I'll discard Necroshade from my hand and then add Bubbleman to my hand! Then, I activate Fusion Recovery, letting me get back Polymerization and a Monster used for Fusion Summoning! I'll add Polymerization along with Avian back to my hand and then, I'll fuse Avian, Bubbleman, and Sparkman in my hand to create Elemental Hero Tempest!"

Using a combination of Spells to retrieve the necessary Fusion Materials, Jaden's efforts paid off as she Fusion Summoned a powerful Fusion Monster.

Elemental Hero Tempest - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2800)

 _ **"Hmph. Nice Monster. Too bad he's still weaker than my two Blue-Eyes!"**_ reminded Kaibaman.

"Not for long! I activate the Field Spell, Skyscraper!"

Large buildings towered over the entire field and surrounded the two duelists and their Monsters, blocking any sort of escape as the air above turned into the night skies with the moon high above.

"Thanks to my Field Spell, when an Elemental Hero attacks, if its Attack Points are lower than the opposing Monster's Attack Points, the Field Spell increases my Elemental Hero's power by 1000!"

Elemental Hero Tempest - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (3800/2800)

"Now, attack one of his Blue-Eyes, Tempest!"

Soaring high until landing on top of a building, Tempest charged up his laser gauntlet before firing a beam and destroying a Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

 **Jaden - 1200 LP**

 **Kaibaman - 3200 LP**

"Whoa! Jaden actually did it!" Chazz commented as Chumley and Syrus were ecstatic. Maybe Jaden truly did have a chance to fight off the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon, considering she already took one down.

"I'll set a card and end my turn!" said Jaden confidently with Tempest by her side. "And to think, I was worried I'd lose! Well, not anymore! This is the Elemental Heroes' power of unity!"

 _ **"Huh...My heart's racing from all the tension and excitement."**_

"Mine too! I'm super pumped! It's been a while since I felt this way! In fact, I almost feel like you are the real Kaibaman!"

Kaibaman had to smirk at ther previous comment, considering he truly is the real Kaibaman. _**"Have you broken any doubts, Jaden Yuki?"**_

"Eh?"

 _ **"Did you really think that by defeating one Blue-Eyes, that you've won this duel? That you're cleared of any obstacles? If so, you've got a long ways to go from being a true duelist! But that's okay! A true duelist always strives for battle and accepts any wins or losses no matter what! This is the nature of dueling! A road of dueling like the one you've walked onto is still a gateway! Yet, are you still going to be naive and stop right here because of your fear?!"**_

"Like hell I will!" shouted Jaden, irritated by his truthful, yet brutal words.

 _ **"Yes! Exactly! Be that way! One presses on by believing in their own dueling and their deck! That beaten down road you're taking...if you don't give up, no matter if you win or lose 100 times...that is the path you'll be taking if you strive to be the best!"**_

Without thinking, Jaden stared in awe at Kaibaman as she had muttered, "Kaibaman..." While her mind refused to accept him as an infamous hero from her childhood, her heart already had.

 _ **"At the very least, I'll give you credit for facing head on and defeating one of my Blue-Eyes, but this is as far as you'll go! My turn! From my hand, I activate Silent Doom! With it, I'll Special Summon a Monster from my Graveyard and onto the field in Defense Mode, and I choose Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"**_

Blue-Eyes White Dragon - (LIGHT/Dragon) - LV8 - (3000/2500)

 _ **"Now I play Polymerization!"**_

"It's the same!" gasped Chazz, realizing his little theory was correct. "So, he did have another one after all!"

"What are you talking about, Chazz?" asked Syrus.

"Kaibaman's deck is the same deck as the one Seto Kaiba uses!"

"Wait, what? Which means...he has three of them?!" exclaimed Jaden, turning back to her opponent's side of the field as the third Blue-Eyes White Dragon revealed himself.

 _ **"Too late! Here we go! Now with my three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, I'll Fusion Summon the ultimate Dragon-Type Fusion creature! Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"**_

Vanishing into a hole full of illuminating light, the three legendary dragons were sucked into it, leaving no trace of them anywhere. The hole exploded with winds bursting everywhere as a fusion of the three dragons appeared much more powerful than before.

Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon - (LIGHT/Dragon/Fusion) - LV12 - (4500/3800)

 _ **"Behold! The ultimate dragon, supreme in strength and devastating of them all!"**_

Being gazed upon by the three heads of the ultimate dragon, Jaden couldn't help the tingling feeling inside of her as she grew both frightened, yet excited at the same time. "Awesome..."

 _ **"My dragon's Attack Points are 4500. Even if your Tempest gets a power boost from Skyscraper, he's still no match for my dragon! Oh, and before I attack, I activate Mystical Space Typhoon and destroy Skyscraper!"**_

Large tornadoes sprang up and crushed the tall buildings, leaving not even a scrap of rubble left.

Jaden felt some sweat falling, knowing that he was right. Her Monster didn't stand a chance now that Skyscrapper's destroyed, making Tempest's Attack Points back to his original value; 2800!

4500 - 2800 = 1700

She has only 1200 left, so this would definitely leave a fatal blow for her!

 _ **"Kuri, kuri!"**_ ("Jaden, Jaden!")

"Huh?" Turning around, Jaden saw Winged Kuriboh along with five other differently colored Kuribohs with him; all wearing pompons and mini cheerleading uniforms. If it weren't for the intense duel at the moment, she'd probably be squealing with joy along with cuddling the six cuties. Instead she smiled and nodded to them before turning back to Kaibaman. "Okay, I'm ready!"

Kaibaman nodded. _**"Go, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Ultimate Burst Stream of Destruction!"**_

Making one last struggle, no matter how much she lost, Jaden declared, "I'll activate Tempest's effect! By sending 1 other card I control to the graveyard, I target 1 Monster I control, and I target Tempest, so he can't be destroyed!"

 ** _"But you'll still take the damage! It's over! Pulverize! Die honorably! Applaud loudly! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"_**

The electrical blast large enough to wipe out a building shot past Tempest right as Jaden's set card was sent to the Graveyard. The blast may not have destroyed Tempest, but it still shot past Tempest and inflicted major damage to Jaden as she was sent flying and crashed down.

 **Jaden - 0 LP**

 **Kaibaman - 3200 LP**

 **Winner: Kaibaman**

 _ **"Kuri, kuri, kuri, kuri, kuri!"**_

"Syrus...Chumley..." Grunting, Jaden sat up and glanced down to see Winged Kuriboh and the other five Kuribohs bouncing up and down, trying to wake her up. Twisting her head to the side, Jaden could see Chazz, Chumley, and Syrus were fine and surrounded by the friendly Duel Spirits in the area.

 _ **"Defeat is nothing to be ashamed of. What matters is getting up after getting beat up,"**_ Kaibaman said, walking up to Jaden.

"Wait, are you telling me this entire duel was to teach me that?" asked Jaden, standing up before feeling her injuries course through her body. "Ow, ow, ow!"

 _ **"So, tell me, are you still afraid of losing?"**_

"Huh? Now that I think about it, no. I'm not. I actually had fun in that duel!"

 _ **"And do you know why? Because you faced it. You lost, but you're okay. Lose AND win, Jaden Yuki."**_

"Whoa...For a Shadow Rider, you sure are pretty cool!"

 _ **"...I had hoped by now that you would have figured out that I wasn't a Shadow Rider."**_

"Whoa, really?!"

"Jaden!" Seeing their friend alright, Chazz, Syrus, and Chumley separated from the group of Duel Spirits and ran up to Jaden's side. "Are you alrig-"

"EEEEEEEEKKKK! OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD! IT REALLY IS YOU, KAIBAMAN!" shrieked Jaden, holding Kaibaman's hands into hers. "I'M SO SORRY FOR DOUBTING YOU AND THINKING YOU WERE A SHADOW RIDER!"

While Jaden continued blabbling on, with Kaibaman awkwardly taking this all in, Jaden's friends remained silent and continued sweatdropping. "...I wonder if he'll accept an autograph?" wondered Chumley.

"Pfft! Please!" scoffed Chazz, crossing his arms. "You can't just go up to a Duel Spirit and say-"

"Hey, hey, Kaibaman! Can I have your autograph?" asked Jaden, handing Kaibaman her failed essay test.

 _ **"Uh...sure. Isn't this your essay, though?"** 'There are about 15 errors here, and I'm not even trying.' _

"I don't care! Crowler's a dumb butt anyways! Sign it! Sign it!"

"Even Kaibaman's falling to Jaden's mercy," sighed Chazz.

"Why does Jaden carry that inside of her pocket, anyways?" wondered Syrus.

"Why are we wearing our original clothes if we were originally naked in the first place?"

"Point taken."

After signing the essay, Kaibaman turned and started walking away into the deep mist of the area, making his appearance nearly invisible as he started fading back into the mist.

"Hey, where are you going?" asked Jaden.

 _ **"My role here is done. From here on, the future is your to decide. Also, if you wish to leave, ask your pal, Kuriboh. After all, he's the one who brought you here. Goodbye...Jaden."**_

Seeing him leave, Jaden hugged the essay paper with her hero's signature on it. She folded the paper and tucked it away in her pocket before spotting some of her own Duel Monster cards appearing, such as White Magician Pikeru or even Elemental Hero Flame Wingman.

"Hey, guys!" Running up to them, Jaden happily engaged in several conversations with them, especially with her overprotective Elemental Heroes before she dragged them over to her friends. "Oh! And there's Chazz, Chumley, and Syrus!"

At the mention of 'Chazz' and 'Syrus,' most of the male Elemental Heroes quickly glanced at them, and not in a good way either. Their auras rose the more they grew angry in sight of those...despicable boys.

 _'Why are they staring at me like that?'_ wondered both targeted boys, backing away a bit as Chumley left to go play with Des Koala and the other Fairy-Type Duel Spirits.

 _ **"Jaden...why don't you go and play with the other Duel Spirits? There's a matter...we have to do,"**_ informed Flame Wingman, cracking his knuckles from behind his back.

"Okay! Now then..." Jaden whirled around and tackled Winged Kuriboh and the five Kuriboh Brothers, snuggling and hugging them close as they squealed and played around with them, ruffling their soft, colored furs against her. White Magician Pikeru, Ebon Magician Curran, and the other children Duel Spirits joined with Jaden except for the three Hero Kids, who were forced back by the Elemental Heroes.

 _ **"Just go easy on them,"**_ sighed Burstinatrix as Flame Wingman and some of the overprotective Duel Spirits marched towards Chazz and Syrus.

 _ **"That's a hopeless wish,"**_ commented Avian.

 _ **"Well, if things get too hairy, we can always save their lives,"**_ reminded Bubbleman, watching the bloodbath about to commence.

 _ **"Chazz Princeton...Syrus Truesdale..."**_ spoke the ringleader of the group, Flame Wingman. _**"We meet at last..."**_

"W-what do you want from us?" asked Syrus, nervously.

 _ **"...We'll give you a ten second headstart. One..."**_

"W-wha-?"

"I'm outta here!" shouted Chazz, running the second he saw the Elemental Heroes charging up their signature elements.

Jaden along with the cute Duel Spirits before her were grooming each other, trying to make the other pretty and playing dress up when they heard faint noises. They saw saw Chazz and Syrus constantly being chased by some enraged, as well as sadistic, Elemental Heroes, who kept on firing and blasting their lasers, fire blasts, or just about anything to kill the two of them. The Hero Kids and Flame Wingman were especially enjoying this.

Winged Kuriboh chuckled darkly to himself before looking up to Jaden innocently. _**"Kuri, kuri, kuri! Kuri kuri kuri kuri kuri!"**_ ("Don't worry, Jaden! They're just playing tag with your friends!")

Normally, anyone could see that was an obvious lie, but seeing that it was Jaden they were dealing with, she took it in. "Oh! Okay! Cool! I'm sure they'll be fine!"

By the end of this, both a half-brunt, frozen, electrified, and charred Syrus and Chazz would be wishing that they would destroy all of her Elemental Heroes the second they dueled, starting with Flame Wingman, who made the first move.

* * *

 _Back in the spa center..._

"Aaaahhhhh...This is the life!" sighed Jaden, relaxing against the warm water.

"Hey! I should be relaxing more than you! Do you even know what your stupid Monsters did?!" shouted Chazz, rubbing his body with the water along with Syrus as they were trying to get pass the trauma they just experienced.

"They played a game of tag with you. Nothing wrong with that."

"Like hell they di-"

"Is someone there?" called out Alexis' voice as the girl herself just entered the spa.

"Hi, Al-" Before Jaden could greet Alexis, Chazz covered her mouth with his hand, pulling her close to him while gripping her wrist with the other hand.

"Chazz! What are you doing?!" hissed Syrus, jealous.

"You're gonna get us all in trouble!" whispered Chumley. "This can considered sexual harrassment!"

"Shut it! I'm thinking!" hissed back Chazz before whispering into Jaden's ear. "Okay, Jaden, here's the deal. You don't tell Alexis that we were here. You don't mention anything about any of us boys about what happened today. If you do, I'll...I'll give you mine, Syrus', and Chumley's desserts for a week!"

Jaden gasped just as Chazz lowered his hand to let her talk. "Make it 3!"

"2."

"Fine, two weeks. Plus, I get all the fried shrimp."

"Hey! What about our consent?!" complained Syrus.

"Who's there?!" shouted Alexis, being extremely cautious.

"Hey, shut it! It's our lives or giving up desserts and fried shrimp for 2 weeks!" growled Chazz. "As much as I hate to admit it, if you guys get caught now, I get caught, and I don't need another hellish experience going on, especially with Alexis!"

"Fine," said Chumley and Syrus, slumped that they were going to be forced to go through the condition.

"Okay! So, no telling Alexis about you guys? Got it!" said Jaden before swimming towards Alexis within a few minutes later. "Hey, Alexis!"

"Quick, while we still have a chance!" whispered Chazz before going through a different route to exit. Why...why did he like it when he held Jaden in that position almost like he was dominating her?

"Chazz, hurry up!" said Chumley, spotting Alexis talking with Jaden. The three of them exited the spa room and hurried on back to the males' room, never wishing to speak what occured ever again.

* * *

 **Haha! Finished! A spa scene? I couldn't resist that!**


	29. Sibiling Rivalry

**Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you all enjoy the holidays and Christmas break! Oh, and the new chapter's up! Along with some unexpected things!~**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"AAGHH! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" hollered Chazz; his frustration getting the best of him after a long time of building up. "It's already been two months since I moved in this pathetic dorm! With how cramped it is, my precious furniture, paintings, and even my own works of art...There's just no room for any of them at all! And it's all because my room is just too damn cramped!"

Like Chazz said, his own personal belongings, all stuffed in separate boxes spread across his desk and parts of the floor. Because of their size and unique design, none of them could properly stick to the walls or any single corner of the room. In fact, some of his belongings were even outside of his room because there wasn't much space left in his dorm room.

Hovering towards Chazz, Ojama Yellow took this chance to speak up. _**"Hey, boss? Wow, you do look stressed! Maybe you need a massage or some other help? Speaking of help, how about we go find my lost brothers?"**_

"Shut it! I've got nothing to do with your brothers!" snapped Chazz. "And for the record, I don't need any help, so get lost!"

 _ **"AAAAAHHHH! BOSS IS SO MEAN!"**_ sobbed Ojama Yellow as anime eyes streamed down his eyes. Irritated by his crying, Chazz continuously attempted to try and swat Ojama Yellow like he was an annoying fly needed to be dealt with.

"Gotcha!" yelled Chazz in succession when he clapped his hands together right between Ojama Yellow, causing the little Duel Spirit to disappear. "Finally, some peace and quiet..."

"What's up?~" chirped a familiar voice right in front of Chazz's room entrance. Well, the door was already taken out, thus inviting both Jaden and Syrus inside, even without Chazz's permission.

"Aaah!" screamed Chazz, surprised. Glaring at the two, he demanded, "Ever heard of knocking?!"

"Huh?" With both Slifer Red students confused, Syrus was the first to point out the reasoning behind their intrusion. "Well...we would, but the door is right next door."

"Oh..." Come to think of it, Chazz did unscrew the bolts of the door in order to make way for his boxes to exit out of his room without the door hindering in his way. Guess he forgot all about it even though he made a reminder to fix the door later.

"Still, look at this room!" said Jaden, impressed by the structure of Chazz's room despite the huge mess and lack of space. "I wouldn't think it's the same room as ours. So...LET'S BOUNCE ON THE BED!"

"Yeah!"

"Wait, what?!"

Before Chazz could try and stop the two, he was too late as the two roommates lunged forward and started bouncing on the bed, thus causing Chazz to bounce with them unwillingly.

"Ahaha! This is so much fun!~"

"Yeah! I'm having a blast!"

"Gah! Stop it!"

"Hahaha! Bouncy, bouncy!~"

"Yay!"

"Stop! My bed isn't a trampoline!"

"By the way-!"

"The Chancellor wants to-!"

"See you!"

"M-me?!"

"Yeah! An important issue! He said!"

"Ahaha! He wants you!"

"Jeez, how long are you going to keep doing this?!"

Eventually, fun times must come to an end as Syrus accidentally bounced off the bed before Jaden landed on top of Chazz, pinning her hands right against both sides of his head on the bed. Their foreheads were very close to each other, and if they grew closer...romantic things could occur.

Jaden grinned playfully, unknown of what their position could indicate. "Hi."

Chazz screamed before pushing Jaden off of him, sitting up afterwards with a burning red face. 'W-what are you doing?!"

"Owie! Chazz, you're so mean!" pouted Jaden.

"Shut up! Let's just go to the Chancellor's Office already!" shouted Chazz, getting up and marching out of his room. He motioned his arm to slam the door close...until he remembered that the door was no longer there, causing him to huff before stomping away.

Having sat up from the ground and witnessing Jaden and Chazz's "position," Syrus was overcome with jealous as his eyes flared up and he held a shaky fist. _'Chazz Princeton, you may be my greatest foe yet...'_ he thought.

* * *

 _At the Chancellor's Office..._

"I've been waiting for you, Chazz. I have some urgent news," reported Sheppard.

"What's the serious issue I've been told about?" asked Chazz.

"Don't tell me...Is it another one of those Shadow Riders coming?" guessed Jaden, fearing for the worse.

"Actually, this time, we're facing a completely different issue," said Banner, who was sitting comfortably at the couch while ruffling Pharaoh's fur.

"Okay, fine. It's not the Shadow Riders this time. But if it's not them, what is it?" Chazz asked, turning back to Sheppard.

"Well, a sudden offer to buy out our academy has come up," Sheppard announced with a depressing expression on his face. "It turns out that our fate will be settled in a duel between the buying party and two students representing us. Someone is trying to buy the academy, and they plan to shut this place down forever!"

"Shut it down?! Why?!" gasped Jaden, wondering who could do such an horrendous act.

"Without us, they can control the entire dueling world. But fortunately, our owner, Seto Kaiba, has given us a sporting chance."

"Then, let me duel against whoever's trying to buy Duel Academy!" offered Jaden. "I'll beat them easily!"

"No, I can't do that," spoke Sheppard sadly. "The other party has already chosen the duelist participating."

"Wait, so who's it going to be?" asked Jaden before Sheppard reverted his direction to Chazz. "Wait, so it's Chazz? That's the reason he was being called here?"

"For some reason, they specifically asked for Chazz," informed Banner as the video phone started ringing. He walked up and pressed the receiver button as the monitor above began to activate. "I believe this is them now. Chancellor, we've received a call."

"Patch it through, please. On screen," ordered Sheppard.

"Yes, sir."

Pressing a button, Banner wasn't the only person shocked to see Slade and Jagger's faces on the screen. It didn't rocket science to figure out that those two were the buying party and responsible for trying to buy out Duel Academy.

"What are you two up to?!" demanded Chazz.

 **"As you know, our plan is to rule the political world,"** started Slade. **"And not just that, but the financial world and the Duel Monsters world! All for complete world domination!"**

"' _Your'_ plan! I'm not longer involved!" Chazz shouted.

"Yeah, well it kinda _has_ to be a plan now!" grumbled Slade.

 **"Yeah, because you couldn't pull your weight! You couldn't conquer the world of Duel Monsters like we planned!"** accused Jagger. **"So now, we'll have you duel against us with the academy at stake!"**

"Me against you two?!"

"Yeah, but this is kinda good, right? Chazz's brothers are amateurs at dueling," Jaden pointed out. "There's no way they can win against Chazz, who's ten times more skilled than they are!"

Laughing at the tomboy's confidence, Slade explained while revealing multiple rare cards in a black suitcase, **"Of course, we'll be using a handicap! So, there are several conditions you must uphold. First, both of us will be making decks out of these cards you refused to use, Chazz. Also, as part of the handicap, you're only allowed to use Monsters with 500 or less Attack Points during the duel, Chazz!"**

"What?! But that's ridiculous!" cried out Syrus.

"Yeah, say no, Chazz!" agreed Jaden, finding the terms unfair.

 **"It's too late! Seto Kaiba already agreed to the terms!"** laughed Slade. **"Oh, but there is a small ray of hope for you, Chazz. One final condition is that since this is going to be a Tag Duel, you're allowed to select your own partner! But he or she also has to uphold the 500 or less Attack Point Monster condition!"**

 **"The duel is in three days!"** said Jagger. **"Hope you're ready by then!"**

With that, the screen went blank, leaving the entire room in a state of silence.

"Well, if that's done, guess I better head back to my dorm," said Chazz, speaking up to break the silence.

"Hold up! We'll help you out, too!" said Jaden, causing Chazz to stop and grit his teeth.

"No. This is my problem and mine alone," Chazz spoke coldly before proceeding to leave the office.

* * *

 _Later..._

"Oh, man! This is terrible!"

"Chazz! This whole mess is totally his fault!"

"Since it's his brothers behind all this, maybe he'll get the profit too!"

"Obviously! He's probably planning to throw in the towel, already!"

"We should have never let him back here!"

As Chazz roamed down the hallways, students all around have already heard about the upcoming duel to decide the fate of Duel Academy; whether it stays down or not. Several of them have already turned against Chazz, spreading and murmuring terrible rumors all around campus. It wasn't surprising to see them like this considering his brothers are about to take over Duel Academy and that Chazz was a real piece of work before he left Duel Academy.

Angered by the spreading rumors, Chazz whirled around to retaliate when Jaden beat him to the punch.

"Listen, you guys!" yelled Jaden, defending Chazz as a crowd of students gathered around. "You shouldn't talk like that, you know! Chazz is one of us! A student here at Duel Academy! If you've dueled him once, you can tell he's not that kind of guy! Even if he is a no-good, money-hogging, card loving, big egocentric, small-tempered, Ojama humping, butt-munching asshole!"

"Hey, shut it!" At first, Chazz was, deep down, touched that Jaden was defending her...and now that touch turned to annoyance when she described him as a really nasty person. "Besides, I told you that this was my problem alone!"

"This isn't the time for fighting!" called Bastion as he and Alexis walked up to them. "We heard everything."

"If there's anything we can do, please tell us," said Alexis, offering any help given.

"I don't need help!" reminded Chazz once more.

"Don't be so stubborn," Zane scolded, also wanting to help just like the others. "The root of your problem is your deck, right? How you're being forced into a handicap?"

"Huh? What do you mean, big brother?" Syrus asked.

"What I mean is that Chazz doesn't have any Monsters with less than 500 Attack Points."

"Wait, really?" wondered Jaden, surprised. "So, that means..."

"Yeah," grumbled Chazz, being forced to accept that it was the truth. "It means that all of my cards are too powerful. Because of the condition my brothers put up, my deck is practically useless! Well, there's at least one card I can use. Just this one."

Holding up Ojama Yellow's card, Ojama Yellow seemed thrilled to be the center of attention. However, the others seemed either disgusted by his card appearance or shocked that that Chazz has to duel with the unfair deck condition.

"What?! Just him?!" exclaimed Jaden. "You can't make a deck with one card!"

"There is another way," announced Banner, who was sitting on top of the stairs while holding Pharaoh. "But, given the circumstances, it may be worth investigating. Deep in the woods, there's one part around one area that may help build your deck. Inside the island's forest, there's a dried-up well that no one has gotten close to, and it was brimming with cards. But, those cards were regarded and thrown away as weak cards by other duelists. As a result, those who approached that well were cursed by the grudge of the discarded cards."

"Hmph! As if I care about some curse!" shouted Chazz, now interested. "Even if I get cursed, I have to get those cards! After all, I'm the one fighting to protect Duel Academy, after all!"

"Yeah!"

"Good luck, Chazz!"

"Get out there and show them what you've got!"

Hearing Chazz's proclaimation about defending Duel Academy, it seemed everyone was right behind Chazz and wished him the best of luck.

* * *

 _Later, in the forest..._

"Hanging out with the crowd in the school yard, yeah!~" sang Jaden, trailing behind Chazz as he wandered aimlessly around the forest with a bag over his shoulder. "Finding trouble, never-"

"You know, you didn't have to follow me!" shouted Chazz, stopping just to confront Jaden.

"Well, the fate of Duel Academy rests in your hands!" Jaden chirped. "Besides, I wanna go see the well, too! If an evil Duel Spirit comes along, I'll protect ya!"

"Hmph! I don't need any protecting! Besides, it's always the man protecting the lady, not the other way around!"

"Oh?~ Does that mean you'll protect me?" Jaden teased, clinging onto his arm.

Blushing, Chazz turned his head away and shoved Jaden to the ground. 'No!"

"Ow! You didn't have to push me! Meanie!" Sticking her tongue out, Jaden then picked up a pebble from the ground and threw it at the back of Chazz's head, irritated the black-haired boy.

Before Chazz could do anything, a ghostly-like Duel Spirit sprang up from the ground and joined its group of other ghost-like Duel Spirits in a circle, hovering above Chazz and Jaden.

"So, they are here," muttered Chazz as Jaden stood up, having overheard him.

"Oh! I just knew you could see them! You can see Duel Spirits, too!" said Jadene xcitedly.

"...We'll talk later. Here they come!" warned Chazz; his body instinctively moving in and shielding Jaden's with his own.

Two of the Duel Spirits swarmed in and flew right into their bodies, but no physical harm seemed to have come passed them as they were perfectly alright.

"Huh? Nothing happened," commented Jaden, patting her chest and stomach.

"Well, duh!" Chazz said. 'These are weak Duel Spirits! Unlike humans, they can't really hurt us! They're practically like ghosts! Kinda like the annoying roommate I had crashed at my place!"

After a while of walking further, the two of them discovered the ancient well they were searching for. Well, at first, it appeared like a normal hole on the outside, but deep within the well looked like any regular well except for any water at the bottom.

"Hey, hey! We found the well!" cheered Jaden, helping Chazz roll down the rope ladder towards the bottom of the well.

"Quiet! I can tell just by looking at it!"

Upon climbing down all the way to the bottom, the two of them found loads of cards littered all over the dirt with the sunlight from above providing as light.

"Whoa, check out these cards!" Jaden said, kneeling down to pick one up.

"It's just as Banner said," commented Chazz, glancing at some of the cards. "You could definitely build a weak deck with these.

"Still, there's some pretty interesting cards here!" Jaden picked up one and squealed at the cute appearance of the Monster card she held. "Ooh! Marshmallon! I have a cute stuffed animal of him! He's so cute!~"

"Hey, we're not here to look for cute cards!" Chazz reminded. "Although, I suppose Marshmallon could be pretty useful in the duel soon."

Two strange-looking Duel Spirits popped out of their Monster cards to greet the human intruders. _**"Hey, in case you haven't noticed, this is OUR territory! What'd ya come here for?"**_ questioned the black Duel Spirit.

 _ **"Wait, did they forget our grudge after throwing us down here?!"**_ wondered the green Duel Spirit. _**"Well?! Did ya?!"**_

"How should I know? It's not like I was the one who threw you away," replied Chazz, disgusted by their ugly appearances. "The only reason you guys were thrown out was because you're weak! And ugly!"

Both Duel Spirits burst into tears, loudly sobbing into each others' arms. In fact, from hearing Chazz's statement, all of the Duel Spirits that were regarded as weak cards started crying as well. Their sobbing proved too much for Jaden and Chazz, as they had to cover their ears to block out the noise.

"Chazz! Do something!" complained Jaden.

"Alright, alright! Jeez, I'm sorry, okay?! Just shut up already!" shouted Chazz.

 _ **"Waaahhh! It's hopeless! He's right! We're so weak, we can't even scare anyone properly!"**_ sobbed the black Duel Spirit.

 _ **"If only we had Ojama Yellow with us! The trio of us three could overcome any problem and save the day!"**_ the green Duel Spirit cried out.

 _ **"Huh? Did someone call for me?"**_ spoke up Ojama Yellow, popping up on top of Chazz's hair. **_"Oh! Ojama Black! Ojama Green!"_**

 ** _"Ojama Yellow? Our long, lost brother? Is that you?"_** Hope rose up for both Ojama Black and Ojama Green as they spotted their Ojama Yellow brother before opening their arms wide for him.

 _ **"Yay! My brothers!"**_ Leaping off Chazz's head, Ojama Yellow happily embraced his brothers just as they welcomed him back.

 _ **"Oh, I see! You guys were brothers, huh? What a nice family reunion!"**_ said Jaden, happy that the trio were reunited once again.

"Ugh...it's like a repulsive reunion from the grave," said Chazz before standing up. "Come on. We're heading back."

"We're leaving alreaedy? But what about the cards?" Jaden asked, surprised that their business would end so soon.

"What about them? They're annoying as hell."

"Hey, don't talk about that!"

 _ **"Hey, now's your chance!"**_ Ojama Yellow told his two brothers as the two humans were arguing with each other. _**"If you're polite and beg enough, Boss might let you come with us!"**_

 _ **"Really?! PLEASE TAKE US WITH YOU!"**_ Both Ojama Black and Ojama Green pleaded, getting on their knees in front of Chazz.

Soon, the other lesser Duel Spirits started getting the same idea as they were gathering all around Chazz. They did whatever they could to please or convince him by pleading, begging, crying, or even bargaining.

Even Jaden was feeling sorry for them as she turned to Chazz. "Please?" She scooped up a few of the cutest Duel Spirits into her arms, and together with them, almost as if conducting an symphony, they performed their puppy dog eyes onto Chazz, which happened to be the final straw for him.

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! I'll take you all with me! Jeez! You're not going to let me off that easily, are ya?"

The entire well echoed with laughter and cheering from the Duel Spirits, including from Jaden, who snuggled with the Duel Spirits in her arms. Step 1 of gathering the cards as complete, now all that was left was building a deck!

* * *

 _That night..._

"Yay! With your new deck, I'm sure you'll stop your brothers from taking over Duel Academy!" said Jaden, sitting on Chazz's bed after helping Chazz rearrange his deck.

"Yeah..." Even though Chazz was prepared to duel against his brothers, he still felt a bit unsure about himself. "Hey...Jaden? You think I can ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Er...you know about my brothers and those stupid conditions I have to uphold?"

"Yup, yup, yup!~"

"Well...would you...would...you um...I...want you to...Damnit, what am I doing? It's so obvious! This isn't like a date or anything!"

"Oh! You want a date?" Jaden asked.

"NO!" Chazz's face was as red as a volcano. "Just-listen! My brothers said I can choose whoever wants to be my partner because they said this'll be a Tag Duel! But that partner also has to have 500 or less Attack Points for their Monsters!"

Jaden pondered about it and came up with the answer. "Oh! You wanna ask Zane, right?"

"WHA-NO! Why would I ask him?! I'm talking about you! Be my partner, damnit!" demanded Chazz, shaking Jaden back and forth by the shoulders angrily.

"..." Jaden seemed stunned before a bright smile lit up her face. "Awwww! Really? Of course I'll be your partner, Chazzy!" Giggling, she embraced Chazz, who blushed at the close contact.

'G-get off me, idiot! I never said you could hug me!"

"No! I won't let go! Not unless you give me all the cute cards you have!"

Chazz rolled his eyes. Typical for girls to come after cute things like cute Monster cards. 'Alright, fi-"

"And, I wanna have a sleepover with you tonight! And I wanna sleep in your bed! And I want a new plushie, and-"

"Hold on, those are way too many demands! Like hell you're sleeping in my bed!"

"But Chazzy! What about my new deck? We have to work together to construct my new deck!"

'Fine, we'll do it tommorow!"

"Yay! I'll have all the cute cards and a new plushie!"

"I'm still not giving you one!"

* * *

 _3 days later..._

The entire Duel Academy students and facility gathered at the main dueling center, the Duel Arena, all seated to witness the duel that decides Duel Academy's fate. On one side were two of Chazz's older brothers, Slade and Jagger, and on the other side was Chazz and his Tag partner, Jaden.

 **"Ladies and gentlemen! Today's match determines the fate of Duel Academy! Slade and Jagger Princeton vs Chazz Princeton and Jaden Yuki! Now, are you ready to duel?!"** voiced the announcer as the audience roared wildly.

"I see you've come without chickening out at your handicap," said Slade. "I thought you'd run away."

"We'll at least praise you for your courage, Chazz," admitted Jagger. "But if you want to back out, tell us now."

"Does _this_ answer your question?" challenged Chazz, holding up his already activated duel disk. "Oh, and I have something to tell the both of you before the duel. The promise we made was that both me and my partner would have a less-than-500-Attack Point deck, but only my deck has Monsters with 0 Attack Points!"

"What?! Hey, you didn't tell me that!" Jaden accused, turning to Chazz as gasps and murmurs echoed throughout the Duel Arena. "Did you change your deck all by yourself?! Without me?!"

"Hmph. Of course I changed my deck. And why do I have to give you permission to check my deck when it was my deck to begin with?" Chazz spoke, unfazed by her reaction. "Besides, this way, I can humiliate my brothers even more by using Monsters with 0 Attack Points."

"Yeah, but still..."

"Hmph. Fine. Do whatever you like! It still won't change anything!" said Jagger. "Now, are you ready?"

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Chazz and Jaden - 8000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Slade and Jagger - 8000 LP**

"I'll go first! Draw!" shouted Chazz. "I summon Soul Tiger in Defense Mode!"

A turquoise, ghastly Monsters bent down and growled at the enemy.

Soul Tiger - (EARTH/Beast) - LV4 - (0/2100)

"If he's got nothing but Monsters with 0 Attack Points, they'll naturally be in Defense Mode!" commented Alexis.

"Still, not even Soul Tiger, who has Defense Points of 2100, can be taken down that easily," reminded Bastion.

"I'll end my turn! And remember, you can't attack unless all four of us passed our first turns!"

"Heh, don't worry. Your defenses won't last long anyways," assured Slade as he drew his card. "I'll activate the Spell card, Polymerization! I'll fuse Lord of Dragons with Divine Dragon Ragnarok!"

"This isn't good!" grunted Zane. "With those, he can Fusion Summon..."

"King Dragun!" finished Slade as his majestic dragon merged with another powerful Monster, thus basking his glory onto the spotlight.

King Dragun - (DARK/Dragon/Fusion) - LV7 - (2400/1100)

"Oh, and I'm not done! Next I activate his special ability! Once per turn, King Dragun allows me to Special Summon any Dragon-Type Monster from my hand! And now I'll Special Summon Luster Dragon #2 from my hand!"

Another powerful and beautiful dragon emerged onto the playing field, roaring alongside with its dragon ally.

Luster Dragon #2 - (WIND/Dragon) - LV6 - (2400/1400)

"Two Monsters with 2400 Attack Points?!" gasped Jaden, shocked just like everyone else in the crowd.

"Big deal!" scoffed Chazz. "That all you got?"

"You're just lucky that I can't attack right now, but next turn, I will!" promised Slade. "I end my turn!"

"Then, it's my go!" Jaden spoke, having drawn her card. "The best thing I can do right now is summon Hero Kid in Defense Mode and end my turn!"

Hero Kid - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV2 - (300/600)

"Now it's my turn!" Slade said, drawing his card. "I'll activate Card Destruction, meaning everyone has to discard all of the cards in our hand to the Graveyard. Then, we all get to draw the same number of cards we discarded. Call it a bit of a fresh start. You don't mind that, do you, bro?"

"Of course not. After all, the cards I had in my hand before were useless anyways!" said Jagger, smirking as he got a fresh hand. "So, thanks for the trouble!"

"Those guys...!" growled Jaden, having acquired her new hand. "Not only did they made me discard two cute Monsters, but they also thought their cards were useless!"

"I'm not surprised," admitted Chazz, glancing at the cards he had. "My brothers have always been like this. Trading in the weak for the strong. It's like their motto, 'The strong live, the weak die.'"

"Now, I'll activate a card similar to Polymerization, Dragon Mirror! Dragon Mirror allows me to Fusion Summon 1 Dragon-Type Fusion Monster from my Extra deck, by banishing Fusion Materials listed on that Dragon-Type from my Graveyard!" explained Slade. "And guess what? Five of the cards I discarded were all Dragon-Types, but each of them have a different Attribute! I banish Dark Horus, Frost and Flame Dragon, Chthonian Emperor Dragon, Felgrand Dragon, and Strong Wind Dragon! Behold, the ultimate Fusion Dragon!"

"It can't be!" yelled Chazz as light illuminated from Slade's Extra deck; the Fusion Dragon just waiting to burst out.

But it was, unfortunately for Chazz and Jaden, With five heads of different Attributes, FIRE, WATER,WIND, EARTH, and DARKNESS, a brand new dragon emerged on Slade's side; all five heads roaring in unison.

Five-Headed Dragon - (DARK/Dragon/Fusion) - LV12 - (5000/5000)

With the gigantic, five-headed dragon in sight, the entire arena burst with gossiping, screams, and gasps. Who would have expected such a rare and strong dragon to appear so quickly on the field? Now Jaden and Chazz's chances were slim to none!

"Heh, I'll just end my turn from there!" said Slade confidently.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck! How the hell do we beat that thing?!" cursed Chazz, panicking as he placed his hands on his head, trying to think of a good plan. It wasn't any good! No matter what, him and his Tag Team partner can't beat Five-Headed Dragon in battle! Not with the Monsters they have out on the field.

Jaden only grinned and awed in mazement at the dragon. "WHOA! SO COOL! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOOOOODDDDDD! I CAN'T BELIEVE WE'RE FIGHTING THAT THING! I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL I DESTROY IT!"

"Jaden, focus! Can't you see that thing's staring us down?!" Chazz scolded. "Wait...what did you mean by you destroying it?"

The Slifer Red tomboy simply winked and gave a thumbs-up at her partner. "Don't worry about it! I got a super, duper plan! It's bound to work!~"

Chazz scratched his head, frustrated. "...Gah! Fine! Whatever strategy you have, I hope it works! My turn, draw! And now I'll call Spirit of the Breeze in Defense Mode!'

The beautiful spirit garbed in a yellow dress kneeled down in a prayer position.

Spirit of the Breeze - (WIND/Fairy) - LV3 - (0/1800)

"And now, I'll call it a turn!"

"My move! About time, too!" said Slade. "I'll summon Luster Dragon in Attack Mode!"

Luster Dragon - (WIND/Dragon) - LV4 - (1900/1600)

"And I'll activate Dragun's ability once again to Special Summon a Dragon-Type Monster from my hand! I'll Special Summon Hyozanryu!"

Hyozanryu - (LIGHT/Dragon) - LV7 - (2100/2800)

"Jagger's got four Monsters on his side of the field!" gasped Bastion.

"Oh no! If he attacks Chazz's Monsters and wipes them out, he'll land two direct attacks!" said Syrus.

"No, you're mistaken, Syrus," Zane said. "Even if Chazz's Monsters are gone, in a Tag Duel, one opponent must wipe out the other team's Monsters first before landing a direct attack. In other words, Jagger must also destroy Jaden's Monster before he can attack directly."

"Well...that's good, right?"

"Sure, it'll lessen the damage, but combined with both Chazz and Jaden's Monsters, they have 3 in total while Jagger has 4," informed Bastion. "They won't be escaping a direct attack this turn."

"Go, Luster Dragon! Attack Spirit of the Breeze! King Dragun, your target is Chazz's Soul Tiger! Hyozanryu, finish off the other defensive Monster!" ordered Jagger. All three dragons combined both their breath attacks, annihilating Jaden and Chazz's defenses with ease.

"We're all out of Monsters!" cried out Jaden.

"And I'm not through yet! Luster Dragon #2, attack them directly!"

Unleashing a green tornado-like breath, Luster Dragon #2 blasted both Chazz and Jaden without showing a hint of mercy, causing the two to grunt and hold it together.

 **Chazz and Jaden - 5600 LP**

 **Jagger and Slade - 8000 LP**

"I'll end my turn with that!" said Jagger.

"My turn! And time for my brilliant strategy!" said Jaden, holding up the card she drew. "First, I'll just set a card, and then I'll summon my cute Winged Kuriboh in Defense Mode!~"

Winged Kuriboh - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV1 - (300/200)

A tick mark grew onto Chazz's forehead. "...That's your brilliant strategy?! You didn't even draw a decent card to help out, idiot!"

"Not true! I managed to summon my cute Winged Kuriboh!~" Jaden squealed, causing Winged Kuriboh to lovingly flutter his angel-like wings for her.

 _'Oh wait! Maybe that set card might help us out!'_ Chazz thought, eyeing Jaden's facedown. _'If it's what I think it is...it must be Transcendent Wings! Yeah, good going, Jaden!'_

"I'll end my turn!"

"My draw!" said Slade. "Heh, I'm not going to show a single ounce of mercy, one bit! So, I'll summon Hunter Dragon from my hand!"

Hunter Dragon - (DARK/Dragon) - LV3 - (1700/100)

"I won't waste my Five-Headed Dragon on a weakling like your Kuriboh! Hunter Dragon, attack Winged Kuriboh right now!"

"How dare you call my cute Winged Kuriboh a weakling!" yelled Jaden, defending her Monster. "That's it! Just for it, I'll now activate my secret strategy! Go, Mirror Force!"

"What?!"

Hunter Dragon's fire breath couldn't even scratched the barrier surrounded Jaden and Winged Kuriboh, which the breath reflected back into various different breaths of fire, hitting every single Dragon-Type on Slade and Jagger's side of the field, including Five-Headed Dragon.

"Mirror Force?!" exclaimed Chazz, surprised.

'Yup! I knew they'd try to attack with huge forces, so I made sure to be prepared!~" giggled Jaden. "That, and to protect my cute Winged Kuriboh!~ Nobody touches Winged Kuriboh except for me!~"

"Hmm...Well, I guess you did okay. I mean, you did eliminate Five-Headed Dragon, which was the biggest threat."

"Yay! I got praised by Chazzy!"

"And stop calling me by that stupid nickname!"

"You idiot! Because of your stupid attack, they managed to get the drop on us and now we're defenceless!" yelled Jagger.

"Hey, at least I managed to Fusion Summon a really powerful Monster!" argued Slade.

"One that's in the Graveyard thanks to you!"

"Hey, in case you guys haven't noticed, it's my turn!" yelled Chazz, causing the two older brothers to cease fighting.

"Hmph. Fine. It doesn't matter if we don't have any Monsters right now anyways," said Slade. "You still have weaker cards!"

"Oh, really?" questioned Chazz, drawing his card before smirking. "I activate Card Destruction, sending the cards we own to the Graveyard and then drawing the same number we just discarded. Oh, look! Another Card Destruction! We discard all of the cards in our hands and draw the same amount again!"

"What's he planning now?" wondered Bastion, confused. 'Is he trying to make Slade and Jagger run out of cards?"

"Chazzz! If you keep making me discard more of my Monsters, I won't have anymore cute ones left!" complained Jaden.

Chazz smirked. "But that's exactly what I'm aiming for, Jaden. Because in a Tag Duel, we share the same Graveyard. And in total, we have 33 Monsters in the Graveyard."

"And some of them belong to me! They were super cute!"

"Jeez, would you shut up and listen? Then, you'll thank me later why I kept using Card Destruction!" growled Chazz. "Actually, you know what? I'll explain now! But first, I'll summon Chaos Necromancer!"

Chaos Necromancer - (DARK/Fiend) - LV1 - (0/0)

"Sure, he starts off weak, but he gains 300 extra Attack Points for each Monster in my Graveyard! And because I'm sharing my Graveyard with a certain Slifer slacker-"

"Hey!"

"The total number of Monsters in our Graveyard is 33! 33 times 300 equals 9,900! How's that for weak?"

"Amazing! He came up with a strategy that not even I could predict!" gasped Bastion.

Chaos Necromancer - (DARK/Fiend) - LV1 - (9900/0)

Jaden gasped, amazed by the huge power boost Chaos Necromancer received. "Wow! His Attack Points are over 9,000!"

"...Why do I feel strange all of a sudden?" wondered Chazz before shaking his head. "Never mind! Continuing with the duel!"

"No, wait! Stop!" yelled Jagger.

"Now, Chaos Necromancer! Attack with Necro Curtain Catapult!"

The spirits of all the Duel Monsters gathered in Chazz and Jaden's Graveyard hovered above the dueling platform; their spirits in the form of small green flames as Chaos Necromancer collected them all into one huge green flare before blasting it towards the two older brothers.

"You go bye-bye!" Chazz shouted, watching the green flames of vengeance overtake his brothers; as if the flames of the spirits were exacting their revenge onto the brothers.

 **Chazz and Jaden - 5600 LP**

 **Jagger and Slade - 0 LP**

 **Winners: Chazz and Jaden**

"Chazz and Jaden did it!" cheered Alexis, amazed by the comeback Chazz managed to pull off.

"Yeah! He and Jaden saved the school!" said Syrus.

The winning team names continuously spread throughout the entire Duel Arena, mostly Chazz since he was the one who pulled off the amazing finishing blow. Some students were standing up and applauding while others simply cheered Jaden and Chazz's names.

"WAIT!" yelled Chazz, silencing everyone with a single motion of his arm. "You all know the cheer! Chazz! It!"

"UP!" finished the audience, including Jaden. "CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP!"

"Jaden it up! Jaden it up!" cheered Jaden, being the only one exclaiming her own cheer as she stepped forward and waved her arms around. At this point, she didn't care if the crowd cheered only for Chazz, but she liked her own cheer personally because it was all about her!

"Hey! Don't steal my spotlight!" Chazz said, stepping forward before thrusting his fist into the air, causing the crowd to go wild.

"Hey, you got your cheer! It's only fair that I get the spotlight!" giggled Jaden, waving her arms. Remembering something from TV that made the audience cheer more, she peck her hand before blowing away a kiss, winking at the crowd.

Immediantly, several male students were infatuated with her somewhat flirtatious attempt as they rose up and held up signs with Jaden's picture. "JADEN IT UP! JADEN IT UP!"

"I wanna kiss! Send me one too!" shouted Syrus, standing up from his own seat as Bastion and Alexis sweatdropped.

Meanwhile, Slade and Jagger walked off the dueling platform, disappointed at their own loss that they had to accept. "Don't worry, we'll get our revenge!" promised Slade.

"No, stop it, Slade," grunted Jagger, shaking his head. "Can't you see? Our little brother...has already grown much more than we thought."

As proof, both older brothers from the Princeton family turned to see their younger brother shining and basking in the spotlight as the cheers were directed towards him and his partner, which they both earned through the hard efforts of their duel.

* * *

 _That night..._

How Jaden managed to convince him to allow her to sleep over in his room, Chazz had no idea. All he knew is that Jaden is sleeping right next to him since they have to share a bed together. It seemed that the duel earlier today took a lot out of her, since after Jaden crashed onto his bed, she instantly fell asleep.

Chazz may be cold, but even he's not heartless enough to suddenly drag her body out of his bedroom and leave her out in the cold like that. Now that all of his Duel Spirits were...well, most of them were fully asleep, he could finally get some peace and quiet.

Staring down at Jaden, Chazz didn't realize he was effectively pinning down Jaden, glancing at her cute face from below. Everything she did was considered cute, even her snoring and sleeping form.

Glancing around to see if anyone was around, and luckily, nobody was, Chazz started to lean forward, wondering what it would feel like to mash her rosy lips with his...

 _ **"CHAZZ PRINCETON. UNLESS YOU WISH TO BE DECAPITATED, STEP AWAY WITH YOUR HANDS UP."**_

The hairs on the back of Chazz's neck shot up as he froze. Turning his head to the side, Chazz nearly shrieked when he saw Flame Wingman holding up three beaten up Ojama brothers.

 _ **"W-we're sorry, Boss! He made us!"**_ apologized Ojama Yellow before he and his brothers were tossed to the side.

Flame Wingman did not look too happy as he aimed his demonic arm at Chazz. _**"NOW."**_

Not wanting to be told a third time, Chazz stood up with his hands up. "Okay, okay!"

Approaching Chazz, Flame Wingman kept his demonic arm still at Chazz's head. _**"I don't like you. Ever since the day Jaden met you, I have absolutely DESPISED you. But, I do have to thank you for today. If it weren't for you, Duel Academy would be gone, and Jaden would be sent home crying. And I don't like it when my master is crying."**_

"Hey, just letting you know, I never made her cr-"

 _ **"DID I SAY I WAS FINISHED?!"**_

"No! No!"

 _ **"Then, shut your mouth. Good. And because of your actions today, I decided to spare you and give you a warning. If you ever attempt to touch Jaden like that, or even make her shed a single tear because of you...let's just say you're going to BURN IN HELL."**_

With that said, Flame Wingman vanished back to his Spirit World, causing Chazz to collapse on his own bed...until he came to a realization.

"Hey, wait a minute! Duel Spirits can't physically harm a hu-Oh, that son of a bitch!"

* * *

 **So, how was it? Okay, the duel was a bit rushed, but I did put in everyone's favorite reference there, so hopefully I'm forgiven!~ Plus, this'll be the last chapter before New Year's! Hope you're all excited!**

 **Plus, the CHAZZ X JADEN SHIPPING HERE IS STRONG!**

 **Read and review! And Happy New Year's, everyone!**


	30. Duel Distractions

**Hi, everyone! Hope you're enjoying the first month of the year 2017! So far, it hasn't been bad for me other than some dumb homework and tests and exams later coming up, but I'm still willing to continue this story!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

Bright and early in the morning, Bastion, standing on top of a cliff, gazed upon the morning sun which laid across faraway into the gleaming, sky blue sea. Feeling a bit refreshed from waking up so early to see the warmth of the sun and the morning winds, Bastion began stretching, creating a small exercise portion for himself.

 _'Ever since that duel with Camula, things have been quiet for a while. Too quiet,'_ thought Bastion, thinking about their current situation. _'When the next Shadow Rider arrives, it could be my turn to duel. Two of the Spirit Keys have already been unlocked, so there's only five of us left. I definitely won't let them take my key that easily without a fight! Good thing I'm well equipped!'_

Unbuttoning his jacket, Bastion revealed his vest full of six pockets, each containing one deck each. Taking one of his decks out, Bastion shuffled through each card, checking them carefully when he came across a rather peculiar card he himself didn't place in. That card happened to be White Magician Pikeru.

"Hmm? I don't recall putting this card in my deck," Bastion said, puzzled. Glancing around to see if anyone was around, which they weren't, Bastion then turned back to White Magician Pikeru. "Perhaps it slipped in? Eh, I'll take care of it later."

Placing the card back in his deck and slipping it back inside his deck pocket, Bastion buttoned up his Ra Yellow jacket and headed straight for the Slifer Red Dorm, intending to wake up three individuals. He knew their door was always unlocked, so it was easy for him to slip inside the room they shared, and sure enough, they were fast asleep.

Activating his duel disk, Bastion quickly summoned one of his Monsters, Barrel Dragon, into the room. With the preparations set, Bastion covered his ears, instructing his Monster, "Alright, ready? 3...2...1...FIRE!"

 **BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!** Letting out three shots from the barrels of his cannons, Barrel Dragon's shots rang out like gunshot noises, enough to wake up the trio residing in the room. Luckily, Barrel Dragon was only a hologram, otherwise there would have been three huge holes in the room by now.

"Man, you scared me!" cried out Chumley, trembling under his bed covers.

"What was that so early in the morning?!" wondered Syrus, covering his ringing ears.

"Ow...my back..." complained Jaden, who had tumbled out of bed from the explosive noises. Hearing someone's footsteps approaching, Jaden glanced up and saw Bastion upside down, or at least from her perspective. "Bastion?"

Chuckling at the state the three were, Bastion said with a bright tone, "Good morning, sleepyheads! Did I wake you all up?"

"Y-Yeah...you sure woke us up, alright," said Syrus; the ringing in his ears ceasing.

"Good! Now that that's settled, how about we settle for our Early-Morning Intensive Dueling Training at once?"

Immediantly, the trio groaned and tried to head back to bed, intent on ignoring Bastion and instead going back to sleep. THAT'S what he wanted them to get up for? They'd rather sleep in than train at dueling! Besides, why would they continue training for something they already knew?

And of course, Bastion knew something like this would happen, so he came prepared as he cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention.

"Did you know that at breakfast today, they're going to be serving something special at the Ra Yellow dorms?"

"..."

"Well, I should tell you that they'll be serving seafood for breakfast. Especially _fried shrimp_."

"...!"

"...!"

"In addition, for bread, there's some special butter for it. Any kinds of butter, like regular butter, cheddar cheese butter, jam butter, and even... _grilled cheese butter."_

"...!"

"And all you have to do to join me for breakfast today is just some training. That's all."

It took less than 3 seconds for the group to immediantly make their decision.

* * *

 _About an hour later..._

"One, two, draw! One, two, draw! One, two, draw!"

Around the rocky beach area, Bastion was training the three Slifer Reds in the art of drawing by making them draw until they held all cards in their deck in their hands. Then, they had to put them back in the deck slot of the duel disk and restart again. Bastion was the only enthusiastic one, while the other three were just plain tired.

"Man...why so early in the morning?" wondered Jaden, still groggy in the morning.

"All for the breakfast, Jaden. All for the breakfast," Syrus reminded, still drawing his cards.

Glancing at one of the cards Syrus drew, Chumley noticed a certain card Syrus had and gently grasped his wrist to take a closer look at the card. "Oh! Is that Thunder Nyan Nyan?"

"Y-yeah...I got her a while ago. I kinda got a card crush on her," admitted Syrus, blushing like crazy.

"Well, I've got a special card too," Chumley bragged, revealing the card he just drew to Syrus, which happened to be Dian Keto the Cure Master.

"Oh, so you like older women, huh? That's your type of women?"

Chumley smiled and looked at the card some more. "That's not it. It's a sort of different love. Parental love. This card reminds me of my Mom. It's like a good luck charm to me."

"Hey, Jaden? You have a card crush too, right?" asked Syrus, interested in hearing Jaden's own favorite card.

"Card crush...? I've never heard of that card before. Does that mean I want to crush cards?! No way!" exclaimed Jaden, being oblivious as ever.

"..." _'Why does she have to be so cute and dumb at the same time?'_ "Okay, Jaden. Let me rephrase that. What's your favorite card?"

"Well, all of my cards are my favorite!" Jaden replied. "But...If I had to guess which one was my absolute favorite of all...It's Flame Wingman! After all, he's the ace in my deck!"

* * *

 _In the Spirit World..._

 _ **"Yes! Fuck yeah! Yeah! Take that! I'm her favorite!"**_ cheered Flame Wingman excitedly while the rest of the Elemental Heroes sweatdropped at Flame Wingman's enthusiasm.

However, the three Hero Kids along with Winged Kuriboh, were sobbing and clinging onto each other, being defeated by the stronger member. How could they lose against such an overprotective, Jaden-obsessed, moron?! Granted, the Hero Kids were also Jaden-obsessed, but they thought that Jaden would pick them! And Winged Kuriboh thought because he was the cutest, he would be the most favorite!

Someday, the four of them were going to form an alliance to erase Flame Wingman's existence, and when they do, it'll be sweet satisfaction.

* * *

"HEY! What's with all the chatting?!" yelled Bastion, noticing the trio had ceased drawing. "Instead of chatting about card crushes and cute girls and boys, how about you use all that effort into training?! You'll never be able to defeat the Shadow Riders with the state you're in!"

"But...we're not fighting the Shadow Riders right now," pointed out Syrus.

"I'm starting to think Bastion doesn't have a card crush," Chumley mumbled to Syrus.

"A crush on a card? Of course not! That's just plain, illogical, impossible, ridiculous logic!" Bastion shouted. Despite his denial, he could help but think back on the cute White Magician Pikeru card he had in his posession before shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "Anyways, let's just get back to training, shall we?!"

"Yeah, yeah. But you gotta admit, just looking at this card really cures you out of a pinch!~" Syrus said, addressing to his Thunder Nyan Nyan card.

"ENOUGH!" hollered Bastion, startling both Chumley and Syrus to accidentally fall back onto the ground. "By clearing your mind of ridiculous thoughts, even your senses will heighten and help you through a pinch in a duel! Wipe away your bad thoughts and practice!"

Syrus wondered, "I wonder if Bastion isn't really into girls...Maybe he's gay?"

"What does 'gay' mean?" Jaden asked.

Chumley sighed, not wanting to deal with this sort of conversation with poor, innocent, Jaden. "Someday, Jaden. Someday."

With that said, the three of them resumed their training with Bastion, continuously drawing their cards with all of their efforts before joining him in the breakfast he promised them.

* * *

 _Later, in class..._

Baring a concern expression on his face, Banner continued stroking Pharaoh on his lap as he examined the classroom. "Hmm...I wonder what's going on here? There are certainly a lot of absences today, and without proper reason, either."

 _'Yes, this is indeed strange,'_ Bastion thought, noticing that only a couple of students remained while most were gone. _'It wouldn't matter if only a few were missing, but more than half of the classroom is gone. Could it be...?!'_

Just then, an attendant of Duel Academy entered, carrying a student's bag in her arms as she approached Banner. "May I help you?" Banner asked the female attendant.

Whispering something into Banner's ear, Banner's expression grew more tense and worried. He nodded and took the bag away from the attendant before she exited the room.

* * *

 _After class, in the forest..._

Having gathered some volunteers in the search for the missing students, Banner took the lead since he was the adult while the others followed behind him, also wishing to find the missing students just like back in the Abandoned Dorm.

"So, everyone ended up vanishing in this forest?" wondered Jaden. "And the only proof we've got was some student's bag being discovered around here?"

"Just as I thought...This must have something to do with the Shadow Riders!" Bastion declared, as it could be the only possible reasoning.

"I just hope everyone's alright," said Banner. The group began calling out for the students, attempting to find them as quickly as possible or at least some clues as to where they've been.

Eventually, their search led them out of the forest and into a deserted terrain, where in the middle of that, laid a large coliseum, much to everyone's surprise.

"Where did this come from?" wondered Jaden, astonished just like everyone else.

"Let's find out!" Bastion set off as soon as he said that, causing the others to follow after him inside the coliseum, where they were taken aback by the grand appearance inside the coliseum.

Good news was that they found the missing students, hard at labor and work as they were fixing up the coliseum. The group recognized some of the students, thus confirming that they were safe and sound.

"Crowler?!" exclaimed Chazz, having spotted the flamboyant teacher among the working students.

"What are you doing?" called out Syrus, catching Crowler's attention as the teacher tried to move a large block of rock using a crowbar.

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Dr. Crowler in a few days either," recalled Banner.

Suddenly, a growl erupted the air as a tiger revealed itself, pouncing from a rock and onto the ground as it confronted Jaden and the others before giving chase. Panicking, the group started making a break for it in order not to get devoured.

"Dr. Crowler?! What's going on?!" cried out Banner, still running for his life like his other students.

"Well, that tiger brought us all here and then we met this wonderful Amazon lady!" replied Crowler, obviously head over heels for the Amazon.

"An Amazon?!" By that point, the tiger was clawing at the pillars the students and Banner were clinging on to, not daring to let go in fear for their lives.

"That's right!" announced a strong muscled women, approaching as she gazed upon the coliseum with awe, being impressed with the design. "And thanks to all these wonderful men, my coliseum is now finished! I give you all my gratitude!"

"Who is that lady?" wondered Jaden. Much to her astonishment, the Amazon leapt up and somersaulted before landing perfectly on her own two feet. The tiger calmly paced towards her, now ignoring the group before the Amazon ruffled the tiger's head.

"Well done, everyone!" spoke the Amazon cheerfully, holding up a bunch of envelopes as the missing students and Crowler lined up for their reward. "Thank you for your cooperation! Thanks to you, a splendid coliseum was built! As promised, here's your payment! Some rare dueling cards and some money! You all deserved it!"

When she got to the final worker, Crowler, he asked, "And where's my payment, Miss?"

"Not you! You give me the creeps!" shouted the Amazon, having noticed the...passes he gives to her.

"Oh, come on! I worked hard, didn't I?"

As if on cue, the Amazon's pet tiger rushed forward before stopping in front of Crowler, growling at him. That was enough for Crowler to flee, being frightened of the dangerous predator.

"Hey! What's going on? Who are you anyways, lady?!" demanded Jaden as she and her companions safely climbed down the pillar, now knowing that the tiger wasn't a threat at the moment.

"My name's Tania, head and descendant of the great Amazoness tribe!" announced Tania. "Not only that, but I'm also one of the Shadow Riders, Key Keeper."

"Great...another one of them!"

"Oh no, not another Shadow Rider!" cried out Syrus, wondering what sort of tricks or mysterious powers this Shadow Rider had in store for them.

"I heard that Amazoness is just a tribe full of female warriors only," spoke up Chumley, sharing some of his knowledge.

"Now that the battlefield has been established, we'll conduct a special duel in this coliseum, with the Spirit Keys at stake!" said Tania. "Now, which one of you big, strong, handsome men should I challenge next? After all, I never duel or harm females!"

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" exclaimed Jaden and Alexis, being females themselves.

"Now then, which man should I challenge first? Step forward, all males who wish to duel me!" commanded Tania.

"Me! I'll duel!" shouted Jaden, Chazz, and Bastion, having stepped forward.

Both Chazz and Bastion glanced at Jaden. It was pretty obvious they would want to duel Tania since they're guys, but Jaden, no matter what her tomboyish appearance, was still a girl inside. But of course, Tania didn't know that.

"Jaden," spoke up Chazz. "You do realize that you're a gi-"

"GREAT GUY!" finished Jaden, interrupting Chazz, pushing a hand onto his mouth to silence him. "I'm a great guy, and I should duel Tania! Yeah!"

Slapping her hand away, Chazz twitched his eye. "Hey, what was tha-"

Quickly, Jaden grabbed his collar and pulled him forward with a determined and stern look on her face as her cheeks puffed up in anger, resembling a hamster. "I swear to God, Chazz, if you say anything, I'll smother you in your sleep! I've been waiting for an awesome duel for too long, you will never take this opportunity away from me!"

"Alright, alright! Jeez! Okay!" Chazz quickly agreed, putting up his hands as a sign of his surrender. Besides, he didn't want to spend another episode with one of her overprotective Duel Spirits, like a really hotheaded Fusion Monster.

Examining the three candidates in front of her, Tania had a bit of a hard decision to make. _'Hmm...the one in black seems kinda wimpy and weak, since he gave up so easily. But the one in red...Mmm...I love some anger inside...even I can feel the anger pulsing inside me! But, I don't like hotheaded guys so much...So, there's only one answer.'_

"You!" declared Tanya, pointing to Bastion, who stood proudly.

"NOOOOOOOO! CHAZZ, THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Jaden yelled, shaking Chazz rapidly back and forth.

"That does it!" Yanking her hands off his coat collar, Chazz tackled Jaden to the ground, thus starting an actual physical fight between them with dust clouds sporting up as the others sighed, knowing they should just let the two rivals duke it out.

"What's your name?" Tania asked as soon as she and Bastion distanced themselves for their duel.

"Bastion. Bastion Misawa!"

"Mmm..." She loved the sound of his name...Bastion Misawa. It didn't sound weak, and it was strong and firm. Just the way she liked in a man. Maybe her choice wasn't so bad after all, even if he didn't look as physically strong as her.

"Go get her, Bastion!" cheered Jaden; her arm wrapped around Chazz's neck as he was pulling on her arm and hair, trying to force her to let go before they proceeded to continue fighting some more.

"Don't let your guard down! Even if she's a girl!" encouraged Syrus.

"We'll be cheering you on!" promised Chumley.

"Right, I've been training for this day to come," assured Bastion before unbuttoning his jacket, showing off his six deck cases to Tania. "The only question is, which deck to choose?"

"Really? How interesting," said Tania, pulling out two decks of her own. "I have the same problem myself. I have two decks. One is a deck of knowledge, while the other is a deck of courage. How about you go ahead and pick which of the two I should use?"

"Fine, then! Naturally, I'll choose the deck of knowledge!"

"Very well," Tania accepted, placing her deck of knowledge into her duel disk.

"And as for me, I'll choose my Earth deck, seeing how it might fit the environment!" said Bastion, unstrapping one of his duel cases and placing the Earth deck inside his duel disk.

"Oh, I should tell you one more thing," Tania said, clasping her hands together with a lovestruck expression. "This isn't a Shadow Game, but a duel for love! I want you, big boy!~

"W-WHAT?!" Even Bastion was taken aback by this and nearly fell over out of shock.

"In other words, if I win, you'll be my groom! No, my fiancée!" squealed Tania, loving the thought of having a handsome and strong man by her side.

"Oh, wow! Bastion's gonna be her best friend! That's awesome!" said Jaden excitedly. "Go, Tanya! Beat him, and then you can duel me!"

"What the hell?! Why are you cheering for the enemy?" questioned Chazz, successfully managing to push her off him and pin her down, glaring down at her.

"Simple!~ Once, there was guy named Harrington, and he wanted Alexis to be his fiancée, and then...well, I don't remember, but we ended up dueling and I won, and now I'm Alexis' fiancée! Yay! I'm her BFF forever!"

"What? I don't understand what you're saying!"

Alexis sighed, recalling the event that happened a long time ago. "Oh boy...And here comes the truth. Chazz, Jaden doesn't know what a fiancée really means."

"How rude!" cried out Jaden, pouting. "I do know! You told me! It means we're friends!"

"..." Chazz raised his fist and whacked it against Jaden's forehead.

"Owie!"

"Hey!" shouted Syrus, wanting to run over and pretty much strangle Chazz to death for what he's done.

"How did you even get accepted in this academy?!" demanded Chazz, unable to believe his ears. He knew Jaden was stupid and oblivious, but this?! This has to cross the line!

"Easy! I beat Crowler to get in!" giggled Jaden.

"I...That...is true." In fact, Chazz had been watching from the sidelines the entire time, being a witness himself.

"Can we focus, people? I'm trying to win my duel here!" shouted Bastion, not wishing to waste anymore time.

"What duel? You haven't even started yet," pointed out Chumley.

"I was getting to that!" Turning to Tania, he asked, "And what will happen if I win?"

"Why, of course, I'll be your bride! Either way, you'll be my fiancée, and it's a win-win situation for both of us!~" giggled Tania like an obsessed fangirl.

"Wait, so if Bastion wins, he still gets to be her fiancée? In that case, go Bastion!" cheered Jaden.

"Idiot! You don't understand anything!" shouted Chazz.

"Shut it, Chazzy! This is a duel of eternal friendship! I will not let you intervene!"

"Gah! You're hopeless!"

"ANYWAYS!" yelled Bastion, hoping his voice would reach over to Tania. "I have no intention of taking you as my bride, but I do plan to win this duel! So, bring it on!"

"Let's!" agreed Tania, winking flirtatious at him as they drew their cards. Meanwhile, the others retreated to the seats of the coliseum where they could watch the duel safely.

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Tania - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Bastion - 4000 LP**

"I'll go first!" Tania said, drawing her card. "I'll summon Amazoness Swords Woman in Attack Mode!"

Amazoness Swords Woman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1500/1600)

"Next, I'll set a card before ending my turn!"

"My turn, draw!" Bastion said. "And I summon to the field Magnet Warrior Sigma Plus in Attack Mode!"

Magnet Warrior Sigma Plus - (EARTH/Rock) - LV4 - (1800/1500)

"Using my Magnet Warrior, I attack Amazoness Swords Woman!"

Twirling his rod filled with electrical energy, the warrior garbed in mechanical armor thrusted his rod forward, striking the female warrior and defeating her in the process. Unfortunately, this caused a bit of a downfall for Bastion's part as his Life Points were wounded.

 **Tania - 4000 LP**

 **Bastion - 3700 LP**

"Wait, what? Why did Bastion suddenly lose Life Points?" wondered Syrus, confused.

"That's because of Amazoness Swords Woman's ability," said Tania. "Her opponent takes all Battle Damage that was dealt to her instead of me."

"Wow, what an ability!" said Chumley, impressed.

"Yeah, but this isn't like Bastion to attack rashly," said Alexis, concerned.

Jaden shook his head. "No, I'm sure he's not that sort of type. But this is the sort of strategy to take out her Monsters, even if it means cutting down his Life Points. Luckily, it's only a little."

"Very good, but not enough!" Tania shouted. "I activate my Trap card, Pride of Tribe! This Trap activates when an Amazoness Monster I control is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. Now I can Special Summon another Amazoness Monster from my deck, which the one I chose is Amazoness Swords Woman."

Amazoness Swords Woman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1500/1600)

"It seems that I've messed up this clever little strategy of yours. Awww, but don't worry, my darling little Bastion!"

Still a bit uneased by Tania's romantic attempts, Bastion took a deep breath to relax. "I'll place a card facedown and end my turn!"

"Ooooh!~" cooed Tania, getting a bit too over excited. "That's so cool, how you ended your turn like that in a calm and cool manner!"

"I'm starting to think Tania's a fangirl. And I don't think Bastion likes the fangirl types," Syrus spoke to the others.

"That's okay! Either way, one of them will win and become best friends as fiancées! Go, Bastion!" cheered Jaden.

"Idiot, that's not how it works!" shouted Chazz.

"I see, I get your little strategy now, Tania!" said Bastion confidently. "You're trying to seduce me and get me to lower my guard, and once you do, that'll be the moment when you strike! But unfortunately for you, I'm too focused! It'll take more than your petty little tricks to beat me!"

"Oh, we'll see! My turn!" shouted Tania, sounding determined. "I summon Amazoness Blowpiper in Attack Mode!"

Amazoness Blowpiper - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV3 - (800/1500)

"And I play my facedown! Magnet Force Minus!" Bastion suddenly declared.

Upon the activation of the Trap card, rays of red lightning shot out and stunned Amazoness Blowpiper, keeping her in place.

"Thanks to Magnet Force Minus, it becomes an Equip Spell for Amazoness Blowpiper! And the card it's equipped to gains a negative magnetism, making Amazoness Blowpiper a Minus Monster! However, Minus Monsters cannot engage in battle with each other, thus negating each other's attacks! But if a Plus Monster and a Minus Monster are out, they must fight!"

"My Amazoness Blowpiper is a Minus Monster!" said Tania, now understanding the red electricity surrounding her Monster.

"And my Magnet Warrior Sigma Plus is a Plus Monster!" commented Bastion as his Monster crackled with green lightning. "And because they're opposites, they _must_ fight!"

"Oh, yes! Because opposites attract, right? So, we must also attract each other as well!" Tania moaned, loving the thought of them together.

"Oh, stop it! Get serious about this!" scolded Bastion, having enough of her lovey-dovey personality.

"But I am! I activate the Spell card, Amazoness Spellcaster from my hand! Thanks to this card, it switches the original Attack Points of one Amazoness Monster with that of one of my opponent's face-up Monsters!"

Amazoness Blowpiper - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV3 - (1800/1500)

Magnet Warrior Sigma Plus - (EARTH/Rock) - LV4 - (800/1500)

"This isn't good! Now her Monster's way stronger than Bastion's Monster!" Syrus cried out, getting up from his seat.

"Now attack, Amazoness Blowpiper!" commanded Tania.

Taking a deep breath, Amazoness Blowpiper exhaled it and aimed a sharp needle from her blowpipe which struck Magnet Warrior Sigma Plus, destroying him.

 **Tania - 4000 LP**

 **Bastion - 2700 LP**

"And now Amazoness Swords Woman attacks you directly!"

Hearing the command from her owner, Amazoness Swords Woman leapt up and slashed downwards from Bastion's left shoulder down to his right hip.

 **Tania - 4000 LP**

 **Bastion - 1200 LP**

"I end my turn!"

Regaining his composure from receiving two attacks, Bastion grunted, "Impossible...She's already outsmarted me! Twice! And I never let anyone outsmart me!"

"Uh...I outsmarted you back in our duel!" pointed out Jaden, raising her hand.

"I NEVER LET ANYONE OUTSMART ME!"

Tania chuckled. "Well, women are far more skilled and smarter than men. I guess I know where our kids are gonna get their smarts from!~"

"What?! Our kids?!" exclaimed Bastion, flustered. "What is going on with you and this fiancée that and love?! We. Are. Enemies!"

"During this duel, maybe," said Tania. "But afterwards, we'll both be fiancées! Bethroned to one another! Ah...it's as they say! Love truly conquers all!"

"Jeez..." sighed Bastion, exhausted and almost ready to give up. "Are you truly smitten by me?"

"No, of course not!"

"Whew!"

"I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU!~"

"You hardly know me!" argued Bastion. "Alright then, answer me this! Just what is it that makes you attractive towards me?"

"Your strong, yet cute-looking face!~" replied Tania.

Bastion's eye twitched. _'Oh, I see! Damn women and their constant fangirling for cool looks! She's just like them! No, keep your cool, Bastion! I'm not like one of those card fanatics like Syrus and Chumley! I have a mutual pride of my own! And why do I keep thinking of White Magician Pikeru?! STOP GETTING IN MY HEAD!'_

The others sweatdropped upon seeing Bastion holding his head with his hands as he was having a sort of internal conflict with himself. They chose not to say anything and simply watch their possibly insane friend going through love problems all caused by his opponent.

 _'I still can't believe that she likes me because of that! I'll show her that men are just as superior as women by taking her down!'_ Bastion thought before drawing. "My turn! I activate Magnet Conductor Plus from my hand! This returns a Plus Monster from my Graveyard to my hand! So, I'll add Magnet Warrior Sigma Plus to my hand! And now with him back in my hand, I'll send him along with Magnet Warrior Omega Minus back to the Graveyard in order to Special Summon Conduction Warrior Linear Magnum ±!"

With the two Plus and Minus Monsters vanishing, a brand new, stronger version of the combined Monsters formed up.

Conduction Warrior Linear Magnum ± - (EARTH/Machine) - LV7 - (2700/1300)

"And now I'll activate Warrior Linear Magnum ±'s special ability! Once per turn, when he attacks, half of the Attack of one opponent's Monster on the field gets added to Conduction Warrior Linear Magnum ±'s Attack Points so long as it's an Plus or Minus Monster and until the End Phase! And last I checked, Amazoness Blowpiper is a Minus Monster!"

Conduction Warrior Linear Magnum ± - (EARTH/Machine) - LV7 - (3100/1300)

"Whoa, 3100?! That's the strongest on the field!" said Jaden.

"Now, Conduction Warrior Linear Magnum ±! Attack Amazoness Blowpiper!" ordered Bastion.

Standing by, the strong Machine-Type laid low and charged up his beams until they were fully charged before firing them and blasting Amazoness Blowpiper away.

 **Tania - 1700 LP**

 **Bastion - 1200 LP**

"I'll set two cards facedown and end my turn!"

Conduction Warrior Linear Magnum ± - (EARTH/Machine) - LV7 - (2700/1300)

"Amazing! How incredible! What power!~" squealed Tania before growing serious. "My turn, draw! I'm sure a genius such as yourself wouldn't forget about Amazoness Swords Woman's effect, right? Even if she loses in battle, you still take the Battle Damage instead of me! I'll use my Monster to try and take out yours, and once she attacks, it's all over!"

Charging forward despite the risks, Amazoness Swords Woman prepared to engage in battle with the stronger opponent.

 _'I have to think fast! Now's my chance!'_ Bastion thought frantically, knowing he needed to move. "I play the Quick-Play Spell, Power Off! Because of its effect,I send a Plus Minus Monster from the field to the Graveyard, and the ones who Special Summoned it get to return to the field!"

As Amazoness Swords Woman was about to lunge her sword through, the attack was quickly negated as both Magnet Warrior Sigma Plus and Magnet Warrior Omega Minus appeared to take Conduction Warrior Linear Magnum ±'s place.

Magnet Warrior Sigma Plus - (EARTH/Rock) - LV4 - (1800/1500)

Magnet Warrior Omega Minus - (EARTH/Rock) - LV4 - (1900/1600)

"Fine, you may have avoided that strike, but I'll get you next time," promised Tania. "For now, I'll summon Amazoness Paladin in Attack Mode."

Amazoness Paladin - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1700/300)

"For each card with the name 'Amazoness' on the field, my Paladin gains 100 extra Attack Points! There are two, including herself, so she gains 200 extra Attack Points!"

Amazoness Paladin - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1900/300)

"Now I'll place two cards facedown and end my turn."

"A-alright, my turn!" said Bastion. _'Why am I hesitating now? What's with her? Why is she making me like this?'_

"Speaking of which, did I forget to mention how handsome and attactive you are, staring at me even though we're foes in this duel!~" cooed Tania, winking at him. "I've seen all of your parts so far! Your kind side, your smart side, your handsome and sexy side, but more importantly, your strong side! Aaahhhh...just seeing you like this makes me wonder what we're going to do after our wedding!~"

"But...weddings are for brides and groom," said Jaden.

"Yes! Thank you! You finally understand!" shouted Chazz, clapping once and raising his arms to the heavens as if blessing them.

"So, fiancées have weddings as parties? Awesome!"

"GAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

"I'm sorry if I'm distracting you, darling! I just can't help myself, so do your best!" encouraged Tania, blushing pink in the face before widening her arms as if wishing to embrace him. "My Bastion!~"

Placing a hand over his throbbing heart, Bastion's eyes widen before narrowing to gaze upon Tania with pure love in his eyes and expression. "Tania..."

"...I don't get it. I'm not that hot, so why are their faces red?" questioned Jaden.

"Jaden?"

"Yeah, Chazz?"

"Just...please. Be quiet, for like, five minutes!"

"Okay! ...So, Syrus-"

"GAAAAAHHH!"

Infatuated with his newfound love for Tania, Bastion was a bit too quick for drawing. "My turn! I summon Magnet Warrior Sigma Minus in Attack Mode!"

Magnet Warrior Sigma Minus - (EARTH/Rock) - LV4 - (1500/1800)

"Next, I activate my Trap card, 100,000 Gauss! This card can be activated as long as I have a Plus and Minus Monster on my field! It lets me target one Monster on your field and reduce its power by 800! I choose Amazoness Paladin!"

Amazoness Paladin - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1100/300)

"Alright! Besides Swords Woman's nasty effect, Bastion can endure a little more damage and then finish her off!" said Jaden excitedly.

"I activate my Trap card!" declared Tania. "Dramatic Rescue! It lets me return an Amazoness Monster on the field back to my hand and then Special Summon a different Monster onto the field! I Special Summon Amazoness Tiger after returning Paladin back to my hand!"

Amazoness Tiger - (EARTH/Beast) - LV4 - (1100/1500)

"For each Amazoness Monster on the field, Tiger gains 400 extra Attack Points! There are two, so Tiger gains 800 extra Attack Points!"

Amazoness Tiger - (EARTH/Beast) - LV4 - (1900/1500)

"Also, as long as this card's on the field, you cannot attack any other Amazoness Monster except for Tiger!"

"Wait, but then the only Monster Bastion can attack is that Tiger!" said Alexis.

Even while infatuated, Bastion's intelligent mind was still at work. _'Hmm...I have three Monsters out, but Magnet Warrior Sigma Omega Minus has the same Attack Points as her Tiger. I'll destroys it with my Omega Minus, and then use one of my other to cause a draw with her Swords Woman, then lay the finishing blow to the other available Monster! Okay! I got it!'_

"Now! I use Magnet Warrior Omega Minus to attack Amazoness Tiger!"

"Wow, charging in without a single thought of another risk? Just what I love to see in a guy! But all's for naught!" said Tania. "I activate my Trap, Amazoness Archers! Now all of your Monsters are switched into Attack Mode, their Attack Points decreased by 600 Attack Points, and they must engage battle!"

"But then, no matter what, Bastion has to attack!" cried out Syrus.

"And she has Monsters with more Attack Points!" said Jaden.

"That idiot! What was he thinking?! He should have known he was walking into a trap!" yelled Chazz.

With all of Bastion's Monsters armed for battle, they charged forward and in a futile effort, they were slashed and taken down by Amazoness Tiger.

 **Tania - 1700 LP**

 **Bastion - 0 LP**

 **Winner: Tania**

The shockwave and the dust arising caused everyone to brace themselves so they didn't get blown away. Bastion was unlucky as he not only lost a duel but was sent flying with a happy smile on his face despite his loss.

"You win...my dear...' With that done, he closed his eyes and fell unconscious. Due to his loss, his Spirit Key vanished, and thus another Spirit Gate was unlocked.

"Bastion!" Jaden leapt off the coliseum seats, trying to rush towards her fallen friend like everyone else. Unfortunately, the pet tiger Tania kept growled at them and practically chased them out of the coliseum where once they went outside, it was sealed up with bars, thus disallowing anyone to enter at all.

This caused the group no other choice but to wait for Bastion outside of the coliseum. Apparently, that meant waiting for hours even during the nighttime where they gathered around for a campfire, tired and growing impatient.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!" Bastion's shrill scream startled everyone before it surprisingly turned into...moans?

"Hey, what's going on? I wanna see! I wanna see!" giggled Jaden, getting up.

"What are you so happy for?" questioned Chazz, poking the fire with a stick. "He's probably being tortured or something."

"No, not true! I heard that sound before! I remember it like it was yesterday! I was a kid, so one night, when I went to go to the bathroom, I heard that same noise coming from my parents' bedroom!"

"..." Everyone gave each other uneased and horrified expressions.

"Jaden, would you like to hear some scary stories? Extra credit!" Banner quickly said, wanting to change the subject.

"Yay!"

* * *

 _The next morning, at sunrise..._

While successfully gaining some sleep through the night, the gang couldn't stop worrying about their friend Bastion, whose screams could still be heard at night. They stopped after a while, but that only raised their concerns even more. For now, all they could do it wait around a new campfire they cooked up as Alexis tried to keep it nice and warm using a stick.

"I wonder if Bastion's alright? I just can't stand the thought of unable of being able to help him," sighed Alexis.

"Nah, I'm sure he's fine. Tania did say she'll make Bastion her fiancée! He's such a lucky guy!" squealed Syrus, imagining himself in Tania's situation.

"Yeah! They're going to be the best of friends!~" agreed Jaden.

"Jaden-You know what? Never mind. I stopped caring," said Chazz. "And anyways, they've been dueling all night, and those screams definitely weren't screams of victory."

Getting up with a face filled with happiness, Jaden spoke up, "I'm gonna go check out what's going on! Maybe they're engaging in some friendly activites or something! They should have invited the rest of us, too!"

 _'Pass,'_ everyone thought, not wanting to spend time with the Amazon woman.

Before Jaden could attempt anything, the gates blocking the entrance and exits out of the coliseum sprang upwards, providing a new pathway for the group to enter. Of course, before they could enter, they saw a familiar silhouette leaving the coliseum.

"Bastion?" gasped Jaden before she and the group rushed forward to aid Bastion as he collapsed to his knees while staring up at the sky. "Bastion, are you okay? Bastion, speak to me!" Taking in Bastion's shoulders, she began shaking them, yet Bastion had no reaction to her actions.

It didn't appear as though Bastion was acting like his normal self. Other than staring upwards, he seemed to be dazed and not focused on the others. In addition, he had a flustered expression on his face, yet his mouth was slightly open and he didn't so much as blink.

After a short while, Bastion finally responded to his friends' pleas and looked at Jaden. "W-what? I'm fine..."

"Just what the hell happened in there?" wondered Chazz.

"It appears as though that Tania lady did something horrible to you," commented Banner.

"She did. She...she rejected me!~" sighed Bastion, smiling despite the situation he had been through. "After countless duels with her, she finally decided that I wasn't good or strong enough for her, and she proved that by winning every single duel we had together...A strong and beautiful woman like her...definitely deserves better..."

"Bastion..." Slowly, but surely, Jaden was beginning to figure out that fiancée might not be what she thought it might be after all.

* * *

 _The next day..._

Bastion was as dazed as ever, even though it's only been at least a day since his "breakup" with Tania. Ever since yesterday, he's been acting all lovesick and hasn't been paying attention to anyone, with Tania still in his mind. Right now, he was sitting in the empty Slifer Red Dorm dining hall, with a plate of food along with some spices on his table. He was still staring up at nothing as his body began unconsciously moving on its own.

Jaden, Chazz, Alexis, Syrus, and Chumley had been keeping an eye on Bastion's actions, worried that he might do something drastic like commit suicide. Instead, Bastion's been doing ridiculous things without even realizing it. Even now, he's already poured more than enough ketchup onto his omelette, and he's proceeding to drink and suck the rest of the ketchup bottle like he doesn't care.

"Okay, it's official. He's lost it," deadpanned Chazz.

"I've never seen Bastion lose his composure before! This is awful!" commented Alexis as she and the others grew more concern for Bastion along with his health.

Later on, Alexis and Jaden were spying on Bastion, who kept staring at the sky, as if wishing for his beloved angel Tania to swoop down and embrace him. He just couldn't stop thinking about their first, romantic duel together and it was greatly affecting him.

"Wow, I still can't believe he's still thinking about her," said Jaden.

"Poor Bastion...I don't know what it's like to breakup with someone, yet I feel hurt inside," admitted Alexis.

Later during the day, all of the Spirit Key wielders gathered at the Duel Arena, waiting for their other companion, Bastion, to arrive after messaging him to come. "What was the urgent message about for me to come here?" asked Bastion.

Holding up her deck, Jaden flashed a grin. "Come on, let's duel!"

Bastion shook his head, gently declining her offer. "I apologize, but I can't. I just...can't find it in me to duel right now."

"But why? What's stopping you? This isn't like you, Bastion! Where's the cool, calm, and awesome and smart Bastion that lets me copy his notes every time I sleep through one of Crowler's stupid lectures?"

"Excuse me, what?!" demanded Crowler.

"Er...What happened to you, Bastion? Why aren't you doing calculations, or doing some high-tech project, or winning duels like when you won that duel against Chazz?"

"Hey!" Chazz shouted.

"I...I just don't know. I don't feel like dueling now," said Bastion.

"Is it that Tania girl?" Chazz asked.

"N-No! It's dueling!"

"I'm really confused. Like, do you need more practice in dueling? Is that it?" wondered Jaden.

Bastion sighed, thinking now might be as good as ever to explain what was on his mind. "Look, let me explain. When me and Taiya dueled...it was a...feeling I've never felt before. A spark of hope, as you might call it. When we clashed and danced with our cards, we each put everything we had into it, and with each blow we successfully delivered, it was an overwhelming feeling of excitement and compassion!"

"Wait, that's it? But I feel that all the time in my duels! How is that different?" questioned Jaden.

"It is too different! You're too naive to understand that what I'm feeling is _love!_ "

"Love? You mean the stuff that couples do like kiss and hug and stuff like that?"

"Yes!"

 _'I'm actually really surprised that Jaden knows at least that stuff,'_ thought Chazz, Syrus, Alexis, and Chumley.

"So, you're telling us you wish to experience those feelings with Tania again?" asked Zane, having a bit more visual understanding on Bastion's situation.

Bastion nodded. "Yes, but with the poor skills I have now, Tania won't be satisfied!"

"Jeez, did that Tania woman really seduce you that much?" questioned Chazz. He was beginning to wonder whether it was just her dueling skills or her good looks that Bastion was after.

"Well, don't give up!" encouraged Jaden. "If you really want to get stronger, get stronger! I will too, of course! I wanna duel Tania one day! She seems like a strong person!"

Seeing Jaden confident in herself, Bastion couldn't help but feel a surge of hope inside. Maybe she's right, since the only one to get stronger was to improve.

* * *

 _That night, in the Slifer Red Dorm..._

"Jaden, how long are you gonna keep arranging your deck? Aren't you tired?" yawned Syrus as he and Chumley were already tucked in their beds while Jaden was sitting by the table with her cards scattered around.

"No way! After hearing about Bastion and his determination to beat Tania, how could I sleep? I'm all pumped up!" giggled Jaden as she gathered her cards all together to make the perfect deck.

Then, the door started knocking with Bastion calling out, "It's me! Bastion! Jaden, open up!"

Hurriedly, Jaden stood up from her seat and went towards the front door, opening it up for Bastion. "Hmm? What's wrong, Bastion?"

"I can feel it! Tania's fighting spirit! She wants a duel! Now!"

"What? Right now?"

* * *

 _Near the coliseum..._

"Couldn't this wait until morning?" complained Jaden as she and Bastion managed to make it towards entrance of the coliseum, though it did take them a long while to get there because the dark didn't exactly provide a clear path in the forest.

"No!" said Bastion.

"Jaden! Bastion!" After both had left, Syrus and Chumley rushed to get the others, as evident as they managed to catch up to Jaden and Bastion, arriving just in time.

"Are you really going to duel her now?" questioned Alexis before letting out a small yawn. Considering that she and the others were forced out of bed to watch anothe rmatch involving a Shadow Rider, this better be worth it.

"Well, we don't have a choice. I mean, we're already here," pointed out Jaden.

A low growl caught everyone's attention as the bushes behind them rustled back and forth, where the source of the growl came from. Everyone was on edge, preparing themselves for what's to come.

Leaping out of the lush bushes, Tania along with her pet tiger approached the group, appearing to be ready for a duel anytime. There was a slight glint of hunger in Tania's eyes, indicating her desire for a duel.

"Mmm...I see you're already here. Funny, I was just about to kidnap one of you and force you into a duel," admitted Tania. "After all, I do still need a strong groom. Unlike that yellow jacket amateur I dumped."

"Duel me! I'll take you on!" shouted Jaden.

"Wait a minute," spoke up Chazz. "Don't you remember? She doesn't take on gi-"

"LALALALALALALA! LET'S DUEL! LALALALALALALA!" yelled Jaden, covering her ears as she squeezed her eyelids shut, being as loud as she possibly could. She will NOT let Chazz ruin her dueling opportunity!

Tania smirked. "Hmph. Good-looking, but a bit foolish as well."

"Hey!" said Jaden, irritated. "Oh wait, were you talking about Chazz? Yeah, you're right! He's totally both!"

"She was talking about you, dimwit!" shouted Chazz, hitting her on the head. _'Wait a minute...did she just admit that I was pretty...good-looking?'_

"Well then, shall we get this duel going? I'll be your opponent after all," challenged Tania. "What's your name anyways?"

"Jaden Yuki! And I'm absolutely flawless!~" said Jaden, grinning. "I hate tests and homework, love cute things, but my main specialty is dueling! I'm gonna be the next King of Games, so watch out! I'm gonna rock your world!"

 _'Overconfident much?'_ everyone thought, sweatdropping.

Once the preparations were set, Jaden and Tania were face-to-face as they stood by for their duel while everyone else seated in the sidelines just like last time. The entire coliseum along with the stars and moon shining down on both duelists were the perfect setting for their duel.

Holding up two decks just as before, Tania explained, "You know the drill. If I win, I get your Spirit Key and you get to be my fiancée."

"Sorry, but I'm Alexis' fiancée! Unless you can have more than one fiancée!" Jaden turned her head and called out, "Hey, Alexis! Can you have two fi-"

"FOR GOD'S SAKE, JADEN! THAT TERM ACTUALLY MEANS MARRIAGE!" hollered Chazz, losing his temper. "IF THAT HAPPENS, THEN YOU'RE ENGAGED!"

"Huh?" Shocked at the true meaning of "fiancée," Jaden questioned, "Then, why did Alexis say we were friends before? She said that it meant-"

"I said that because you got the term mistaken! I'm not in love with you romantically, Jaden!" explained Alexis. "I-"

"Can we just get this duel going on already?" demanded Tania, growing impatient. "Now, let's get this duel going on already!"

"Right back at ya, Tania!" agreed Jaden, having forgotten all about fiancées.

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Tania - 4000 LP**

"Alright, Tania! Get your game on! My turn!" said Jaden, beginning the duel with a draw of a card. "I summon a brand new hero! Elemental Hero Shadow Mist in Defense Mode!"

Elemental Hero Shadow Mist - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1000/1500)

"I'll end my turn with that!"

"My turn! Draw!" Since it was now Tania's turn, she drew her card. "I summon Amazoness Paladin!"

Amazoness Paladin - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1700/300)

"And her special ability activates! For every Monster with the name 'Amazoness' on my field, her Attack Points increase by 100 each! She's the only one so far, so her Attack Points increase by 100!"

Amazoness Paladin - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1800/300)

"Now I activate Amazoness Charm! I select 1 Monster on your field that's in Defense Mode, and I can change that Monster's Mode into Attack Mode and it gains 200 extra Attack Points!"

Struggling due to the magic of the Spell card, Shadow Mist was forced to stand up on her own two feet, feeling a bit of power flowing into her through Amazoness Charm.

Elemental Hero Shadow Mist - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1200/1500)

"I don't get it! Why would she play a card that would increase Jaden's Monster's Attack Points?" wondered Crowler.

"That's just the sort of person Tania is. She enjoys battling no matter what," answered Bastion, still high over heels about her. "I should know, considering I spent an entire night with her."

"Yeah, we don't even want to _know_ what you guys did," said Chazz, disgusted.

"It's not just Tania's fighting style," spoke up Zane. "Look, normally players can't be inflicted damage as long as their Monsters are in Defense Mode. She must have switched Jaden's Monster into Attack Mode to inflict damage directly through battle."

"And before I attack, I have another surprise for you!" said Tania. "I activate the Field Spell, Amazoness Arena! When this card is activated, both of our Life Points automatically increase by 600!"

Afterwards, large bars emerged until it covered the entirety of the sky inside the coliseum, providing no escape for either duelists.

 **Jaden - 4600 LP**

 **Tania - 4600 LP**

"Wow, she must REALLY be desperate to have a husband," commented Chazz. "Still, you gotta admire her for restoring Life Points, but there's gotta be more to Amazoness Arena..."

"Amazoness Arena is a special field where not only do our Monsters clash, but our souls as well," replied Tania.

"Our souls? How are our souls going to fight?" wondered Jaden.

"Oh, you'll see. But for now, Amazoness Paladin! Strike down her Shadow Mist right now!"

Amazoness Paladin took a simple fighting stance before leaping upwards and slashing at the female Elemental Hero.

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **Tania - 4600 LP**

"Shadow Mist's effect activates!" said Jaden. "When she's sent to the Graveyard, I can add an Elemental Hero from my deck to my hand!"

"And now Amazoness Arena's effect will activate!" shouted Tania. "After our Monsters battle, by paying 100 of our Life Points, we can deal 100 Points of Damage to the other player!"

"Cost and Effect Damage at the same time?!" exclaimed Alexis.

"So, it's a win-win situation for both of us either way? Neat!" said Jaden, getting all excited.

"Of course. We can't have just our Monsters have all the fun. But remember, only our souls will clash. Of course, you're free to do it if you want to or not," reminded Tania, giving him a bit of a warning of the consequences.

"Well, of course I'll do it!" said Jaden, concentrating on her energy. Sure enough, a manifestation of her soul appeared along with Tania's soul, but at a small cost due to Amazoness Arena's effect.

 **Jaden - 3900 LP**

 **Tania - 4500 LP**

Charging forward, both manifested souls flew towards each other with their fists clenched. However, seeing how Tania was more experienced with dueling and actual combat, it was clear that she'd deliver the first blow, knocking Jaden back.

 **Jaden - 3800 LP**

 **Tania - 4500 LP**

"She got hit! She got hit!" cried out Syrus.

"Amazing! It's just like Tania said! Their souls will clash and fight!" said Chumley, amazed just like the others.

Not willing to lose to a fist fight, Jaden's soul threw a punch at Tania's soul, causing her soul to bounce back at its original owner. Apparently, the damage caused during their soul battle also somewhat inflicts on their real bodies, as Tania felt that punch.

"Hmm...Not too bad. A bit weak, almost like a girl punching me," muttered Tania. "I end my turn!"

"Jeez, she's complimenting her? I can see this'll end badly," stated Chazz.

Bastion sighed, staring lovingly at Tania. "That's my Tania...complimenting others even though she's on the winning end..."

"My turn, draw!" said Jaden. "If you thought that was all the power I had, you're dead wrong! I activate Polymerization and fuse together Avian and Burstinatrix to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"

With both Monsters out of the picture, the red and green hot-tempered, yet loyally devoted Fusion Monster flew down from the air with his arms crossed.

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

"Attack, Flame Wingman! Destroy Amazoness Paladin!"

Flame Wingman remained in place, raising his demonic arm and widening its jaws as he concentrated on forming a gigantic fireball. He laid his demonic arm downwards, causing the fireball to burst out and hit Amazoness Paladin.

 **Jaden - 3800 LP**

 **Tania - 4200 LP**

"And Flame Wingman's effect activates! Because he destroyed Paladin in battle, you take damage equal to her Attack Points!"

This time, Flame Wingman blasted out a smaller fireball that exploded the moment it hit Tania, causing dust clouds to spread around as she fell down.

 **Jaden - 3800 LP**

 **Tania - 2400 LP**

"Tania! Are you okay?" called out Jaden, worried for the young woman.

Tania grunted and shook her head several times before leaping to her feet, seemingly fine to everyone else's eyes even though she did take a major hit. "It's my turn! I activate Pot of Greed, which allows me to draw two more cards! I then activate Polymerization and fuse together Amazoness Queen and Amazoness Blowpiper from my hand! I Fusion Summon one of my most powerful Amazoness Monsters! Amazoness Empress!"

The ruler among all Amazonesses made her grand appearance by donning a cape over her revealing clothing as she wielded a large broadsword in her hands.

Amazoness Empress - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2400)

"Now I activate Amazoness Call! This can only be activated if I control a face-up Amazoness Monster on my field! I can then select a Fusion Monster on the field and defuse it, allowing the Fusion Material Monsters to be Special Summoned back to your field!"

Seeing how both Avian and Burstinatrix were no match for Amazoness Empress, Jaden was forced to send Flame Wingman back to her Extra Deck and Special Summon both Fusion-Materials in Defense Mode.

Elemental Hero Avian - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (1000/1000)

Elemental Hero Burstinatrix - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (800/1200)

"Now, attack Burstinatrix, Amazoness Empress!" ordered Tania. "And here's a nice fact to know! Because of Amazoness Empress's effect, if an Amazoness Monster I control attacks a Monster in Defense Mode, I can inflict piercing Battle Damage to you!"

Amazoness Empress stood her ground and raised her broadsword above her head before swinging it down, creating a crescent-like sword slash at Burstinatrix from a far distance and slicing her in half.

 **Jaden - 2200 LP**

 **Tania - 2400 LP**

"And now we'll battle using Amazoness Arena!" shouted Tania as she charged up her manifested soul.

Accepting her challenge, Jaden allowed her soul to manifest before both souls continued with Round 2 of their fighting. In a short time later, both managed to give the other a blow before retreating back to their bodies where they felt the impact of their punches.

 **Jaden - 2000 LP**

 **Tania - 2200 LP**

Breathing heavily, both female opponents couldn't help but gaze at each other with admiration and respect. This was just like turning dueling into a whole new level as long as Amazoness Arena was active. Now Jaden could fully understand the exciting and pulsing feeling Bastion experienced every time he kept dueling Tania. It felt so unreal and good at the same time!

"Wow! This is so interesting! I've never had a duel like this before!" cried out Jaden with a grin.

"I, too, am also having fun for the first time in a while!" agreed Tania, understanding what Jaden was going through. "I'll set a card and end my turn now. I'd like to see how you'll be able to overpower my Amazoness Empress!"

"Challenge accepted!" Jaden shouted, drawing her card. "I activate Fusion Sage, allowing me to add Polymerization from my deck to my hand! I'll activate it right now and fuse Elemental Hero Clayman with Elemental Hero Lady Heat! I Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Gaia!"

Armored palm bursting out from underneath the ground, Gaia forced himself out and revealed his dark, robotic armor as he stood by for battle.

Elemental Hero Gaia - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2200/2600)

"Gaia's effect activates! When he's Fusion Summoned, I can target a Monster you control, and until the End Phase, your Monster's Attack is halved, and Gaia receives the same amount of Attack Points!"

Amazoness Empress - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (1400/2400)

Elemental Hero Gaia - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (3600/2600)

"If this attack pulls through, Jaden could actually win!" cried out Alexis.

"Now, go! Gaia! Attack Amazoness Empress!" ordered Jaden.

Running slowly due to his heavily weighted armor, Gaia's movements were slow, but they should be enough to crush the weakened Amazoness Empress.

"Not so fast! As if I'll lose that quickly! I activate my facedown Trap, Amazoness Archers!" declared Tania. "This can be activated when you declare an attack while I still control an Amazoness Monster! All Monsters you have are changed to Attack Mode and lose 500 Attack Points as long as they remain faceup on the field! Also, you must attack with all your Monsters!"

Elemental Hero Gaia - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (3100/2600)

"Fine, but my Monster's still stronger and still going to destroy Amazoness Empress!" reminded Jaden.

Gaia lifted up his armored arm before bringing it down onto Amazoness Empress, who counterattacked by blocking with the blunt side of her broadsword, struggling with all of her strength as she was forced down to one knee.

"Amazoness Empress has another effect! Amazoness Monsters I control can't be destroyed by battle or card effects!" revealed Tania.

"Doesn't mean you can't avoid any Battle Damage!" said Jaden.

 **Jaden - 2000 LP**

 **Tania - 500 LP**

"It's truly fitting, isn't it? My Monster, who can't be destroyed by battle or card effects, is still standing like a true female warrior should!" spoke Tania, confident and feeling pride for her Amazoness Monster.

"Yeah, but we still battled, so that means I'm initiating the Amazoness Arena effect!" said Jaden, making her manifested soul to make its appearance.

"Bring it!" said Tania, getting all heated up for their match.

 **Jaden - 1900 LP**

 **Tania - 400 LP**

Round 3 came for them as the two female souls clashed and rumbled with each other once again and both came out as both winners and losers in their fist fight matchup.

 **Jaden - 1800 LP**

 **Tania - 300 LP**

After their Round 3 match came to a close, both were left satisfied and panting, growing more excited with the urge to win from both of them while the others watching in a bit of confusion, but mostly to cheer up Jaden from their current positions.

"I'll..." Jaden gulped down some air before starting to speak again. "I'll just end my turn. And during this time, Gaia's effect ends and his Attack Points return to normal along with Amazoness Empress."

"But because of Amazoness Archers, his Attack Points will also decrease by 500 so long as he remains faceup on the field," reminded Tania.

Elemental Hero Gaia - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2200/2600)

Elemental Hero Gaia - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (1700/2600)

Amazoness Empress - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2400)

"My turn, draw!" said Tania. "Now is the time to attack! I attack with Amazoness Empress! Destroy Gaia!"

Now recuperating and recovering her strength back, Amazoness Empress stood up straight before rushing towards the Elemental Hero and slashed past him, destroying his armored body with one swift and powerful slash.

 **Jaden - 900 LP**

 **Tania - 300 LP**

Jaden grunted in pain as she held herself together before shouting, "Let's settle this by using Amazoness Arena!"

"Both hardly have any Life Points left," said Zane calmly.

"Have they've gotten too passionate in their dueling to notice the difference between their Life Points?" wondered Chazz.

Both females charged up their spirits again to summon forth their manifested souls, which then engaged each other in battle, throwing punches and kicks here and there until they each landed one blow each.

 **Jaden - 700 LP**

 **Tania - 100 LP**

With all the strain and stress from using Amazoness Arena, it was no surprise that both duelists fell to their knees, gasping for breath and winching in pain while trying to keep it together.

"Man, what is she thinking?! If she keeps at it, she'll lose!" said Chumley.

"Not necessarily," told Zane. "Jaden has more Life Points than Tania, so if they start the Amazoness Arena again, Tania will automatically lose. But, Tania has the field advantage as her Amazoness Empress not only can inflict piercing damage, but can no longer be destroyed by any normal means. In this match, anything could happen."

"I don't know what Jaden's thinking, but this goes to show that both Jaden and my beloved Tania are putting everything they've got into this duel. Their bodies, minds, and souls," spoke Bastion.

"I'm...not done yet...! I can still keep going!" shouted Jaden, quickly getting to her feet, though it was a bit of an obstacle given her injuries slowing her down.

"Heh, that's what I like to hear!" said Tania, smirking. "I end my turn! Show me what you've got, Jaden Yuki!"

The sun started to slowly rise from the dark depths of night and towards the bright, early morning where the sunlight would shine upon the victor of the duel. This duel would determine who would be the chosen victor, as it appeared from dusk till dawn.

"Here goes! My move!" said Jaden. "I activate Fusion Recovery! I'll add Polymerization along with a Fusion Material Monster that was used for a Fusion Monster from my Graveyard and into my hand! I add Avian to my hand and next, I activate Reinforcement of the Army to add a Level 4 or lower Warrior-Type Monster from my deck to my hand! I choose Bubbleman and summon him in Attack Mode!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"And if he's out on the field all by himself, I can draw two more cards! Now all the requirements are set! I use Polymerization and fuse Avian, Sparkman, and Bubbleman from my hand! I Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Tempest!"

Merging the trio's powers together, Tempest's sharp appearance made it all the more better while his wings flapped as he landed down right in front of Jaden.

Elemental Hero Tempest - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2800)

"Now I set a card facedown and attack!"

"But why? Jaden's Monster may have the same Attack Points as Amazoness Empress, but he's still gonna get destroyed!" said Syrus. "It's pointless!"

"I activate Tempest's effect!" said Jaden. "By sending the set card I control to the Graveyard, I can target a Monster I control, and that Monster isn't destroyed by battle! Obviously, I'll pick Tempest!"

With her set card blown away and destroyed, both Tempest and Amazoness Empress attacked each other, but nothing good came out of their battle since they were both equally matched, so they retreated back to their original sides.

"Let's go, Tania!" encouraged Jaden, summoning her manifested soul one more time.

"Right!" Tania complied, having already summoned her own soul to battle.

"But why? There's no point! With this, Tania will lose!" said Alexis, confused.

"No, not exactly. While it's true that Tania will lose, she's not giving in and instead, she's fighting with all of the remaining strength she has," complimented Bastion, cheering for both duelists, though mostly to Tania. "That's the sort of amazing woman Tania is!"

Jumping off the ground, both manifested souls threw one more punch, hitting each other at the same time right as the sun shined down on them.

Both staggered back once their souls returned to their bodies, tired and exhausted from all of the fighting they strained themselves with.

"So, Bastion? Have you recovered from your little love problem now? After all, both Jaden and Tania fought with everything they had," questioned Zane.

Bastion smiled as tears whelmed up at the corner of his eyes. "Still in love, but thanks to this duel, it's helped me realize my love and passion for dueling once again."

"Man...that's game!" said Jaden, tiredly putting up her finger signature. "This feeling...it hurts, but it's a good kind of hurt, you know?"

Tania nodded. "I can relate. I joined the Shadow Riders in order to find a good mate for myself, but I realized that I'm the one not worthy to be with a much stronger duelist. But thanks for the duel anyways, even if you weren't a man."

"Tania...?" wondered Jaden. So, she did notice that Jaden was a girl, after all.

 **Jaden - 500 LP**

 **Tania - 0 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

With the duel over, the entire Amazoness Arena vanished and a purple glowing light illuminated Tania's body, transforming her into a white female tiger, shocking everyone present to watch.

Tania the female tiger glanced at Jaden, and then at Bastion, which was when her eyes softened. Sure, he's not as strong as Jaden, but she's learned her lesson from her, and knows that Bastion will continue to grow even more stronger from here on as she left her Shadow Charm on the ground so the others could retrieve it. With that task done, she followed after her white tiger as they left.

"Man, she was a fine woman, wasn't she?" chuckled Chazz, patting Bastion on the back.

Jaden yawned and rubbed her eyes. "I'm gonna sleep..." Not caring about anything else, she laid down on the ground and closed her eyes, instantly sleeping.

"Hey! You can't just sleep on the ground!" shouted Syrus.

"Jaden! At least wait until we get back to the dorm!" scolded Chumley, picking up the Shadow Charm.

 _'...Damnit, Jaden! You owe me one!'_ thought Chazz, wanting to put his plan in motion as he leapt over the stone railing and walked towards Jaden. He scooped her up in his arms; one arm wrapped around her shoulders, and one under her knees. Surprisingly, she was a lot lighter than he thought.

"Ooh! Does Chazz have a crush?" questioned Chumley, hiding his smile behind his hand as the others came over to Chazz. Syrus was twitching and formulating a plan to somehow beat Chazz up.

Panicking and not wanting his reputation ruined or for Jaden to find out, Chazz rushed over and shoved Jaden's sleeping body over to Zane. "N-No! Of course not! Idiot! I just wanted to give her to Zane! Yeah!"

 _'Damnit! I lost my chance! I should have been the one to carry her back to the dorm! If it weren't for all these witnesses, my plan would have succeeded!'_ thought Chazz, wanting to complain out loud.

Zane shuffled his arms around to make Jaden more comfortable, something that Alexis noticed. "Zane? Are you sure you want to carry her? It'll be a long while, and one of us can take turns to-"

"No, it'll be fine. This doesn't bother me one bit," said Zane, secretly wanting to get to know Jaden a bit better. "Let's go."

 _'DAMNIT! I WANTED TO CARRY HER!'_ Both Syrus and Chazz thought, seething behind Zane.

"Oh, Dr. Crowler?" called out Banner. "I hope that you will excuse these students from class today as a reward for beating another Shadow Rider!"

"Eh? And why would I do that?" questioned Crowler, turning around only to find Banner a bit too close to his face. "EEEK!" Shrieking, he backed away several inches from the cat-loving teacher.

Banner, not bothered by Crowler's behavior, simply stroked his fur. "Oh, let's see...I could always tell some students about a certain secret you and I both know...and we do know how fast rumors will spread..."

"...You are evil, Banner. EVIL."

"Thank you, Dr. Crowler."

"I WASN'T COMPLIMENTING YOU!"

And so ends another day along with another Shadow Rider defeated.

* * *

 **Whew! This took longer than expected, but I'm glad it worked out in the end! And yes, Amazoness Empress came from the anime in Arc V, and it looks like more support for the Amazoness Archetype will be in store! I recently gotten a bit of an interest to Amazoness, but not as much as Lyrical Luscinias or Wind Witches! Those Archetypes are pretty cool too!~**

 **Also, I'd like to make an apology to all transgendered folks out there! I wrote a comment that might have offended some transgendered people, even though I had no intention of hurting anyone. So, I went back to the chapter I wrote that comment from and changed it for the better. So, I apologize if I hurt any of you! I'll try to be more careful next time!**

 **Anyways, read and review!**


	31. Valentine's Day Special

**Hmm, hmm, hmmmmm! Welcome to the first annual Gender Generation Valentine's Day special! Here, our main character is...Jaden Yuki! Who will be her suitors for today? Check and find out this wonderful, special holiday episode! Now, enough talking! Let's get right to it!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

February 13...the day before Valentine's Day...The commonly known day for love and romance. A day where two lovers confess their love for one another and start their new lives together as a well made couple. A day where love blossoms and the start of a new relationship arises.

Also, a day where some Elemental Heroes have prepared themselves for.

 _ **"ATTENTION!"**_ Announced Flame Wingman, holding a whip in his hands for discipline as all of Jaden's Monsters, which mostly consisted of cute Monsters or Elemental Heroes, gathered inside the meeting room in the HQ. _**"In less than several hours later, the fateful day known as Valentine's Day will come! Operation P.J.F.E.B. will commence during the day until the end of Valentine's Day! Any questions regarding about the Operation?!"**_

 _ **"Yeah, I have a question!"**_ said Bubbleman, raising his hand. _**"What the heck does Operation P.J.F.E.B. mean?"**_

 _ **"Elemental Hero Bubbleman! We went over this already! It stands for Protect Jaden From Evil Boys! Why aren't you getting it?!"**_

 _'Because you're the only one who named the operation without consulting us,'_ everyone thought, sweatdropping.

 _ **"I don't get why we can't just go over and beat up all of the boys at Jaden's Academy?"**_ questioned one of the Hero Kids.

Burstinatrix sighed. _**"I hope you haven't forgotten that it's beyond our power to physically hurt humans unless there are certain conditions. And even if we are able to hurt them, which won't happen, we will be punished if we misuse our powers as shown from the Spirit World laws."**_

 _ **"Something I wish to tear down, time to time!"**_ commented Tempest, crossing his arms. There were times where he wanted to beat down some humans, but never got the chance or opportunity to.

 _ **"Just in case, let me review over the details of the operation!"**_ spoke Flame Wingman. _**"One team will follow Jaden throughout the day! Another team will keep a lookout for the boys! And the other team will find a way to somehow burn all of the Valentines for Jaden!"**_

 _ **"Wouldn't that hurt her feelings? Why burn them?"**_ wondered Lady Heat.

 _ **"Because that is the male human's way of trying to propose to her! If she accepts, she will become that person's boyfriend, and I will never that happen! I'd rather suffer through hell than put my Jaden through that torment! Just think of how much her 'boyfriend' could hurt her!"**_

 _ **"Well, I doubt we'll be able to burn them anyways,"**_ muttered Avian.

Still, the rest of Jaden's Duel Spirits had to agree with Flame Wingman. They were just as overprotective for Jaden, even though Flame Wingman wins first prize for being the most obsessed and overprotective. They wished for their master to be happy with someone and to have a peaceful and happy life in the future. They didn't want her to have such a terrible childhood...like when it involved...that Monsterous card.

 _ **"Well, then! Now that everyone knows what they must do, get some rest! We should be able to wake up when Jaden grabs her deck first thing tommorow and bring it with her to her classes! Now, dismissed!"**_

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in the Human World..._

"Thanks for letting me use the kitchen, Miss Dorothy!" called out Jaden, dressed in an white apron with a white handkerchief tying the back of her hair to keep it from getting dirty.

"It's fine, Jaden! I trust you won't burn down the kitchen! Clean up once you're finished! Have a good night!" Dorothy said, waving back at Jaden before leaving the cafeteria, which happened to be connected to the school store.

Apparently, tommorow was Valentine's Day, and since Jaden doesn't have much money to buy even a single box of chocolates, Dorothy offered her the chance to use the kitchen to make her chocolates. Not surprising considering how Jaden is one of her favorite customers as well as a helpful and good person, plus she trusts Jaden won't be too reckless.

"Okay! Let's see..." A few minutes after making the preparations for the ingredients, Jaden proceeded to get to work. If she was going to make chocolates for all of her friends, she was going to need a lot of time for this.

Several bowls filled with milk, eggs, and chocolate powder laid in front of her in a table, so she decided to try out new things since everyone has different flavors they like. Taking out a spoon along with other potential ingredients that could turn the chocolates into a masterpiece, she got started.

"Maybe...this should help!" Placing some iced coffee, chocolate ice cream, ice cubes, an badly sliced up apple, and some blue food coloring into one bowl, Jaden mixed them using a wooden spoon. Once finished, she took out a few heart-shaped pans and dumped all of the contents of the bowl into one of them.

Once finished with that task, she decided to take care of the other bowls. For some odd reason, she put in soy sauce, red food coloring, wasabi, a little hot sauce with salt and loads of sugar, and a single ice cube, thinking the chocolate should be salty, but sweet. In the next bowl, not only did she add in green food coloring, but mini, sliced up vegetables and fruits were placed inside as well along with some wheat powder and soy milk. The fourth bowl was brimming with a mixture of purple food coloring, eggplants, and just about any ingredient that appeared purple.

As for the rest of the bowls, it was really no surprise what sort of nasty, unidentified ingredients Jaden placed inside.

"Whew! Finished at last!" said Jaden, having placed the heart-shaped chocolate pans inside the over and recovering them from inside to let them cool down.

Several strange odors flowed from each of the...differently colored and disorted-looking chocolates, but Jaden possibly paid no heed to them or she was too oblivious to figure out that the chocolates were no good.

One almost appeared as though it was covered in a sort of ice coating. Another appeared a bit...too green, even with the original food coloring. One of them was a little too red and looked as though it was slowly heating up in a slow motion. Given enough time, it may have enough heat to surpass even a volcano's normal heat rate. The others were also a bit...too indescribable to begin with, but other than that, they do appear like normal chocolates with food coloring over them.

"Great! Just gotta wrap these up and then give them to everyone tommorow!" replied Jaden. "But maybe I should clean up first! I'll ask Alexis for some perfume to make the air smell better, while giving her her chocolate! I'm such a genius!"

Yup, tommorow sure was going to be interesting.

* * *

 _The next morning..._

"Get your game on...Game on..." sang Jaden, carrying a huge bag full of her gifted chocolates, each wrapped up individually. She ignored the stares and disgusted looks coming from the other students down the hallway as they smelled the nasty odor coming from her bag.

"Jaden! Good morni-What is that smell?" questioned Alexis, who was about to greet her before sniffing the air. She pinched her nose with a disgusted expression on her face.

"Oh, Alexis! Great timing! Do you have any perfume with you? I really need to use it!"

Without questioning it for the moment due to being unable to withstand the smell, Alexis fished out a small strawberry scented perfume from her pocket and handed it over to Jaden. Jaden dropped her bag and kneeled down, spraying large amounts of the perfume all over the chocolates until the nasty odor was replaced with a strong strawberry smell.

"Here ya go!~" said Jaden, handing back Alexis her perfume along with a small package wrapped in a messy blue ribbon. "Happy Valetine's Day!"

"Aww...Thanks, Jaden!" said Alexis, taking back the perfume and Jaden's Valetine's Day present. But, the moment she laid her hands onto the package, her hands shivered as her body heat decreased. Just...how was a box this cold?

"Well, gotta go! Gotta find the others! Bye!~" She shouted, turning around and running off with a happy grin on her face. Just the sight of her friend's happy face was more than enough to start her day with a smile.

Glancing at the cold package in her arms, Alexis started to head back to the Obelisk Blue Girls' Dorm. As she did so, she began to unwrap the package, finding a...deformed-looking chocolate that Jaden must have put a lot of effort into cooking. The surface of the chocolate was even more cold than it was on the package, like 10 times colder. It was making Alexis tremble not just out of the cold, but also in fear because of what atrocious things Jaden must have put in there.

"Alexis!" called out Jasmine and Mindy. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

Jasmine and Mindy...Alexis truly did care for them as friends, but they can get real annoying at times. Like, who were they to decide who she gets to hang out with or not? Like most Obelisk Blues, they truly despised people like Ra Yellows and Slifer Reds, and her two friends were no different. She likes them, but they keep barging in unexpectedly and rudely too.

Well, might as well get a bit of payback if this plan goes as well as she thinks it would.

"Mindy...Jasmine...Here. I...'made' this chocolate for you two to share! Eat up!~" said Alexis sweetly, hiding her sinister self from inside. She couldn't be allowed to enjoy a bit of sick pleasure from this? Just this once, she wanted her two friends to get a bit of karma back at them, if this goes well.

"Ooh! We get to share one of Alexis' chocolates!" both girls squealed before snatching the chocolate out of her hands. The moment they did, they glanced at one another, shivering just like Alexis had did before.

"Hey...Alexis? Doesn't this chocolate seem a bit...too cold?" asked Jasmine.

"Oh, don't worry about it," assured Alexis, still keeping up her sweet smile. "I just took it out of the freezer so that the chocolate didn't melt."

"In that case, we'll dig in!" said Mindy before she and Jasmine took a bite out of the chocolate.

Their minds instantly froze into a brain freezing section the second they ate and swallowed the chocolate. It was almost as if they were frozen in thin ice, except they weren't in ice. If one ate cold things too fast, that would result in a brain freeze. Compared to Jaden's super cold chocolate, the normal brain freezing section was several times worse, thus forcing Mindy and Jasmine to be...trapped in a frozen state. Most likely, this was only temporary, but it might cause them to suffer a terrible headache afterwards.

Alexis knew the chocolate would taste bad, but she never anticipated this. Carefully, she removed the chocolate from her friends' stiff, cold hands, deciding to take care of them after she disposed of the chocolate. At that time, there was a new order of trash cans, so no trash cans were available. That left only somewhere in the forest where ir could be disposed of. Still...she felt bad for Mindy and Jasmine. They were still her friends, even if she did deliver a bit of revenge towards them. They didn't deserve this.

Not too far into the forest was there a small lake. Thinking the chocolate would just simply melt from all of the water, Alexis threw it towards the lake, witnessing the chocolate splash into the lake before walking away.

* * *

 _Later, with Chumley..._

"Chumley! Where are you?" called out Jaden, eagerly waving a green-colored gifted box in one of her hands up in the air. Her next intended target was Chumley, who happened to be eating a grilled cheese sandwich in the middle of the cafeteria where some of the other students were gather. Some were pretty bummed that they didn't get any Valentine's Day gifts, while others were presenting theirs to their loved ones.

Seeing Jaden walking up to him, Chumley gulped down the remainders of his sandwich before brushing aside the crumbs on his hands and wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "Hey, Jaden! Is that for me?"

"Yup, yup, yup!~ Here you go! I cooked it myself! Hope you enjoy it!~" Jaden pushed the green present to Chumley, happy to see the look on his face when he received a gift.

"Awesome! Thanks, Jaden! Oh! I got you something, too!" Right next to Chumley's seat was a heart-shaped grilled cheese sandwich. It wasn't exactly a chocolate treat, but at least it was a heart, and it was the thought that counts.

"Ooh! A special gift! Thanks, Chum! I don't wanna eat a lot of chocolate today!" said Jaden, grinning as she took the grilled cheese sandwich. "Well, gotta go! Bye!"

As soon as she left, Chumley unwrapped his gift and felt the faint smell of strawberries, but even so, it didn't exactly explain the weird, greenish appearance of the chocolate handed to him. Chocolates were supposed to be...brown and black and stuff! Not green! Then again, Jaden must have added some food coloring, thus explaining the weird color! Yeah, that's gotta be it!

The moment Chumley took a huge bite out of his candy, he immediantly rushed outside towards the forest with the speed that surpassed that of the Flash.

Not thinking straight at the moment, all Chumley could ponder as to how Jaden managed to make a chocolate so...overwhelmingly _disgusting_? It has to be worse than garbage and weird grub combined, and that was saying something! It was taking every ounce of his remaining strength not to puke right there and then.

Upon arriving at a lake, Chumley let loose all of the vomit he had been holding back right onto the surface water, with the water clearing away the vomit. Once his insides were empty, he threw the green chocolate into the lake, feeling no need to eat it any longer.

Considering this is Jaden's handiwork, Chumley could only assume that she didn't mean to "poison" him, only make the chocolate taste good. While he did appreciate her thoughts and know that she would never purposely hurt a friend, there was no way Chumley was going to finish off the weird chocolate. Might as well keep it a secret to carry to the grave.

* * *

 _With Syrus..._

"She has to see me as a man now...I mean, before she only thought of me as a bestie...but maybe today will be different! Yes...it has to be!" muttered Syrus, pacing back and forth near some trees near the forest entrance, holding a pink-colored gift in his hands.

"Syrus?"

"There's no doubt in my mind that she'll accept my gift! After all, I handcrafted it! Plus, girls like cute guys! Yeah! Mom always says I've got the looks!"

"Syrus!"

"I mean, there's no way she'll see me as a brother, right? Though that would be nice...I mean, no! I want her to see that I'm boyfriend-material! Yeah!"

"SY!"

"Huh? Eep! Jaden?!" exclaimed Syrus, nearly dropping his gift. "How long were you here?!"

"For five minutes."

"Five minutes?! Why didn't you say anything?!"

Jaden blinked, tilting her head. "But...But I did. So many times. But you kept going back and forth and talking to yourself."

Syrus was starting to feel nervous as he twidled around with his fingers. "Uh...how much did you hear?"

"Hmm? I couldn't hear anything. Your voice was really low."

Well, at the very least, Jaden didn't hear him; that much, Syrus was relieved. "Um...Jaden? What exactly did you want to talk to me about?"

"Oh! Well, I wanted to give you a gift! Happy Valentine's Day!~" From behind her back, Jaden took out a gray colored gift and handed it over to Syrus.

"Wow! Thanks!" spoke Syrus excitedly, tearing apart the wrappings. _'My first ever Valentine's Day gift from a girl! How awesome is this?! This just goes to show how much Jaden likes me! Sweet! Maybe I do stand a chance!'_

What Syrus hadn't expected was the color of the chocolate. Normally, chocolates would have the color of brown, but this one was very...peculiar because it was the color of gray. Yes, the color of stone color, to be exact. But, appearances can be deceiving, so maybe it wouldn't be bad to take a bite.

"Well? How was it?" asked Jaden, having witnessed Syrus biting down carefully onto her chocolate.

"Wow! This is awful!"

Wait, what?

"Ehhhhhh?! How could you say that, Sy?!" exclaimed Jaden, her feelings crushed so easily.

Syrus panicked, not knowing what just phrased through his mouth. "What?! No, no, no! I didn't mean to hurt you! But I just wanted to sa-say that your cooking sucks! Hard! You should give up being a cook!"

What was going on with him?! Syrus knew he would never act so rudely towards Jaden. It was like his mouth had a mind of its own! It was like the truth was blurting out from his mouth and spilling out all of his feelings!

"You're so mean, Syrus! Waaaah! And on Valentine's Day, too!" Jaden whirled around and stomped away, having expressed a face of confusion and sorrow.

"Oh wait..." said Syrus, having realized something. "OH CRAP! I DIDN'T GIVE HER MY GIFT! HOW STUPID AM I?! GAAAAAAH!"

* * *

 _With Zane..._

"...Should I even ask what happened here?" Zane questioned, staring at two Obelisk Blue male students, all sprawled out on the ground and groaning in pain. It almost appeared as though they were run over by something.

Or rather, someone.

"Apparently...Some Slifer Red student wanted to see you, and those guys on the ground refused to let that student in," told an Obelisk Blue witness.

Zane nodded, having understood. If he was a guessing guy, he could probably deduce that Jaden was behind all this. What was it that she needed to see him for that was so urgent?

It came to no surprise to Zane that the entrance to his room was already blocked by countless of Valentine's Day gifts. He's already received these sort of gifts even before coming to Duel Academy. Just his reputation as the strongest duelist only increased his stock filled with chocolate gifts.

What was surprising was that Jaden had been waiting for him, carrying a black box and being unfazed by the amount of chocolates blocking his door.

"Zane! I've been looking all over for you!" said Jaden cheerfully, walking towards him. "Here! I got you this!" Without warning, she shoved a purple-colored box into his hands. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

Even without touching the box firsthand, Zane could already feel an ominous presence coming from the box itself, yet he still took it. "Yeah...thanks."

He almost felt a little bad for not giving Jaden her own gift, but realized the solution was right behind him. The huge pile of chocolates his fangirls handed to him. He wasn't a huge fan of sweet things, so he always gave the rest to some of his fellow Obelisk Blue classmates, so handing Jaden a few of those chocolates wouldn't be any different.

"If you want, you can take some of the chocolates over there in that huge pile."

Jaden gasped, and Zane swore he could literally see sparkles springing out of her wide eyes. "REALLY?! THANK YOU SO MUCH! I LOVE CHOCOLATE!" Running towards the pile, she scooped up as much chocolate as she could carry in her arms before sprinting off with a huge grin on her face.

Well, at least Jaden was happy. Might as well hand the rest of the chocolates to the other guys. But first, Zane decided to unwrap his chocolate gift from Jaden.

The second he saw the entire layout of the chocolate, he could immediantly tell that it was definitely not edible. It was just...purple. As in, dark purple completely covering over the dark brown color chocolate was supposed to have. It was like some purple chocolate. Plus, when he pressed his thumbs onto it, it just felt squishy and had some sort of strange bubbling sound.

Glancing around, Zane saw nobody else out in the hallway but himself. But there was no trash can to dispose the chocolate of because the old trash cans were being replaced with new ones installed later tonight.

Looks like he's going to hide this somewhere in the forest.

* * *

 _With Bastion..._

"A gift for me? Why, thank you very much," thanked Bastion, gratefully taking the chocolate from Jaden. "But, I'm afraid I did not plan any chocolate for you, Jaden. My apologies."

"Awww, it's alright! A smile's just enough for moi!~" replied Jaden cheerfully. "So, what's the chocolate like?"

Bastion chuckled. "Hold on, hold on. Let me unwrap it first and let me taste it for you." True to his word, Bastion ripped apart the wrappings and stared at the chocolate momentarily. "Um...Jaden? Where did you get this...white chocolate?"

"Oh, I made it! Pretty neat, huh? I used vingear, sugar, white powder, salt, onions, and all sort of white stuff!"

"O-Oh! I see..." Yup, Bastion knew there was a 95% chance that he was definitely and possible going to die. But, he couldn't bear to see the look of despair on Jaden's face, so he decided to try a tiny bite. The second he did...nothing happened.

"So? How is it?" asked Jaden eagerly, wanting to know the results of her cooking.

"Um...well..." Clearing his throat, Bastion took another bite before swallowing. "How...do I put this? Um...It feels like I've tasted...plain oatmeal?"

"Oatmeal's good and healthy, right?"

Bastion nodded. "Yes...it just tastes... _tasteless_. I mean, it's pretty impressive how you put so many ingredients into this and just...nothing came out. I guess...it's pretty good for now, but maybe you should improve your cooking some more?"

"Really? Awww...thanks! I'll go do that! But, I gotta do more deliveries!~" giggled Jaden before running off.

Still puzzled by the taste, Bastion decided to just finish it off and be on his way. Oh well, while the taste was still just plain, at least he received a Valentine's Day gift.

* * *

 _With Crowler..._

"Hehehehehe...There he is!~" crackled Jaden to herself sinisterly, grinning evilly while peering at Crowler, who had his back turned and was smelling some blue flowers.

Jaden had taken extra precautions onto making Crowler's chocolate. She added every bit of any evil ingredient she could find towards Crowler's chocolate and spilled all sorts of food colorings to make the taste worse. Yes...she so wanted to see the results of Crowler eating her chocolate! She could just picture it! Who knows what he'll do? Explode? Puke? Go insane? The possibilities of her fantasies are endless!

"Hmm...I wonder what my next poem for Ancient Gear Golem should be..." muttered Crowler, standing up straight. "Hmm...Perhaps a fantasy between myself and my Ancient Gear G-"

"Dr. Crowler! Dr. Crowler!" called out Jaden, rushing up to himself.

"What?!" cried out Crowler, angry at her for interrupting his thoughts. "Can't you see I'm trying to think of me and my eternal love for Ancient Gear Golem?!"

"What?"

"What?"

'What?"

"...So, what did you want from me this time, Slifer slacker?' questioned Crowler hastily, wishing she would just forget what she just heard. Damn him and his mouth!

"Well, Happy Valentine's Day!" said Jaden, handing over her chocolate with a...suspicious grin. _"It's something to die for!"_

"Hmm..." Taking the chocolate, Crowler tore apart the wrappings to unfold...a rainbow-colored chocolate heart. Carefully, he took a bite, and his eyes widen from the mere taste.

The sweet sensation of the milky white and dark chocolate danced along his tongue, and just swallowing it was like drinking it instead of eating it. The mixture of the tastes just blew his mind as a small fruity smell emerged from whence he ate it, perfecting the taste and liquidness inside!

"This is delicious!"

"E-EHH?!" exclaimed Jaden, taken aback.

"Truly marvelous! Mama mia!" praised Crowler before taking another bite and moaning out of happiness. "Tremendous! Just for today, I'll give you an A, Jaden! Ohohoho! And here, I thought you actually poisoned the chocolate! Well, goodbye, Jaden! Bye-bye!"

After he left, Jaden tched and snapped her fingers. "Man! I thought I really had him that time! I sure would have paid to see him hospitalized for at least a week! Awww!"

* * *

 _With Chazz..._

"Come on...Just say it to her, why don't you? Just knock on the door and then say it to her!" muttered Chazz, pacing back and forth in front of Jaden's dorm room door. In his hands held a small red box he had been preparing to give to Jaden as a sort of Valentine's Day gift.

"Chazz?" Jaden tapped his shoulder, having crept up behind him.

"GAH! W-w-w-what are you doing here, slacker?!" shouted Chazz, nearly jumping three feet in the air.

Jaden blinked. "Hmm? This is the way to my room."

'R-right! I knew that!" said Chazz. "A-anyways! Here!" Flustered, he shoved his box of chocolates over to Jaden. "A Valentine's Day gift! D-don't get the wrong idea! It's not like I wanted to give you this! I just had...too many chocolates! That's all!"

Having been given the chocolates, Jaden squealed and smiled, holding them close to her chest. "Awww! Thanks, Chazzy!" She reached a hand out and patted him on the head.

"H-hey!" Waving his arms around to make her stop, Chazz exclaimed, "Don't pet me like I'm some kid!"

"Sorry about that! Here you go!~" At long last, Jaden gave her Valentine's Day present to Chazz, who blinked in surprise before taking it. "Well, see ya!~"

"Wait!" Grabbing her arm, Chazz's bangs overshadowed his eyes as he hesitated to speak. "I-I know this is...going to sound strange, but...would you be my Valentine?"

"Sure!"

"Wait, really?" That seemed a bit too easy in Chazz's perspective.

"Yeah! Everyone's my Valentine!" replied Jaden happily. "Syrus, Bastion, Chumley, Alexis...They're all my Valentine!"

It took everything out of Chazz not to burst into embarrassed tears or even bang his head against the wall. Instead, he just covered his face with his hands and let out a groan. "Goddamnit...she's too pure..."

"Pure? Who's pure?" wondered Jaden, tilting her head to the side.

"...I'm just...gonna leave. Taking a walk in the forest," sighed Chazz, leaving Jaden be as he entered into the forest terrain. As he walked, he unwrapped the contents of the present before yelping and instantly dropping it.

Just what was that?! The second he tried to touch the chocolate, it burnt his fingers! Come to think of it, with some closer looking, the chocolate's temperature was rising up and up as more time came, and he was sure it was as hot as a volcano! How was that sweet treat still physical possible? It should have melted by now! Whatever trick Jaden used, it was both impressive and a bit scary.

Whatever case was, no way was he eating something so dangerous. Look, even the poor grass and weeds underneath the seething chocolate were starting to wilt away and burn into ashes. There was a lake nearby, so it may be best to dispose the chocolate in that area. In order to cast the chocolate into the deep pits of the lake, Chazz began kicking it towards the lake, flinching every now and due to the heat it radiated.

Once finished, he decided to head back, vowing to forget about his..."rejected" proposal. If he had stayed a bit longer, he would have noticed the lake reacting very strangely...

* * *

 _Late at night..._

"Today was definitely great! I got a couple of delicious chocolates!" said Jaden, munching on a chocolate bar. "Thanks for the chocolate, Sy! I forgive you!"

"Y-yeah...sure," Syrus spoke awkwardly as he and Chumley were playing cards with each other. Whispering to Chumley, he asked, "Hey, Chum? Did Jaden happen to give you any weird...candy?"

Chumley nodded; a miserable expression on his face. "Yeah...it was nauseating...It made me want to put hold on grilled cheese sandwiches."

"That bad, huh? Mine was...well, I think there was some sort of truth serum inside. For some strange reason, I kept saying the truth and one of them was really hurt Jaden's feelings. Once she left, I threw away my chocolate in some lake."

Surprised, Chumley admitted, "Hey, me too! Right...after I puked in the lake. Hey, don't give me that look! If you ate the same chocolate as me, you would have done the same!"

Yawning, Jaden looked at her two friends. "Hey...I'm getting kinda sleepy...I'll see you guys in the morning..." She staggered forward until she collapsed firsthand onto her bed, falling asleep instantly.

"Yeah, we should go to sleep too," suggested Chumley, seeing how late it is.

"You're right. Goodnight, Chum."

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in the Spirit World..._

 ** _"HOW COULD WE HAVE OVERSLEPT?!"_**

The demanding cry came straight from Flame Wingman as he thrashed around, smashing a chair to bits. Apparently, the others were just as frustrated as Flame Wingman, even though they looked pretty refreshed from their long hours rest.

 _ **"Well, we normally wake up whenever Jaden carries her deck, so maybe Jaden just didn't bring her deck with her today?"**_ suggested Hero Kid #2.

 _ **"IMPOSSIBLE!"**_

 _ **"Hey, guys! I just confirmed it! Jaden didn't move her deck a single inch today! She must have left it in her room while she was out!"**_ called out Avian, bursting into the room.

 _ **"And this just confirms it,"**_ added in Burstinatrix.

Flame Wingman still wasn't satisfied as he began sending out orders. _**"Fine! Then, starting tommorow, we'll start morning exercises! Right now, we have to go out and confirm how many chocolates Jaden got, and track down the ones who gave it to her and punish them! Then, we have to track down the people Jaden gave chocolate to and punish them as well!"**_

 _ **"At 11 in the evening?"**_ questioned Bubbleman, glancing at the time.

 _ **"Yes! We must! We mustn't let any distractions get the better of us-!"**_

 _ **"Guys! Bad news!"**_ cried out Thunder Giant. _**"I've just got word that criminal activity is high in three streets! Even that nasty gang escaped from prison! They're forming alliances!"**_

 _ **"...Right after we do our duty!"**_

* * *

 _Meanwhile, somewhere else, in a lab..._

Sitting behind a small desk, a dark figure was experimenting and dealing with a weird heart-shaped dessert using vials of differently colored liquid and pouring onto them. Once finished, he put down his tools and began to devour the chocolate, feeling a bit of aching pains, but otherwise, better than before.

"Yes...This will surely help me live a bit longer...Quite unexpected and a bit gritty, but a small price to pay in the name of alchemy..."

* * *

 _The next day..._

Several students were gathered around the area around the forests, which had become a quanrantine zone as evident from the yellow warning tape arounding the forests. Anothe obstacle blocking the students from entering were the strange people in yellow suits and gas masks.

"Hey, what's going on?" wondered Jaden as she and her friends arrived to see what the entire commotion was up.

One of the students heard her and started explaining. "Didn't you hear? Apparently, some couple who were taking a walk in the forest, found several animals dead near some weird lake that's toxic, and reported it to Chancellor Sheppard. After that, some investigation team is currently trying to find the cause of the toxic and trying to purify the lake. So far, all they got was some chocolate sensation from the lake. Weird, huh?"

Jaden's friends, who each received a chocolate from Jaden herself, froze from the report. Uh oh...It was plain obvious what they had done and the results of their actions...Yet another secret to carry to the grave.

* * *

 **Skit: Ice Perfection**

"Hmm...How do I unfreeze them?" wondered Alexis, examining both the frozen Mindy and Jasmine.

"Excuse me!" called out an Ra Yellow student wearing a beret along with carrying a paintbrush. "I was wondering if you and your friends could pose for me for a painting, please? I really need the grade but no one's willing to cooperate!"

Knowing her friends, Alexis knew her friends would rudely diss off the student and walk away. Maybe now's another good chance for payback for judging others based on their colors.

Smirking, Alexis said, "Sure! No problem! Just take all the time you need! And get all of the good parts! Be creative!"

"Oh! Thank you so much!" Setting up his small art studio, the Ra Yellow student began painting and trying to get the outline of the picture he planned to create.

Alexis posed herself, but made it so Mindy and Jasmine stood out the most. If they were in their right minds, they would immediantly reject and say something girly like they weren't posing correctly, or they wouldn't waste their time on a Ra Yellow. Which goes to show how much they underestimate people by judging them.

* * *

 **Skit: Proper Practice**

"Alright...alright...Just gotta muster up and say it to her," said Chazz, now holding a video which was based on how to confess to a girl. He inserted the DVD inside a TV and turned it on with a press on the remote control.

 **"Attention, duelists! My hair is telling me that you wish to confess to a girl you like! Well, my hair tells me to let me tell you...FORGET ABOUT IT! My hair says that you'll only be heartbroken in the head! My hair even was a witness to my one true love, Mai Valentine! My hair was in love with her! ...Until she rejected me and my hair and she and her friends snuck past me and closed the gates to Pegasus' castle on me! Oh! The horror! My hair hasn't forgotten the heartbreak I experienced!"**

"Lame!" Chazz turned off his TV and laid back against his bed. Well, that wasn't very helpful at all! What idiot published that sort of DVD anyways?! They'd have to be awfully stupid to do that! And that only made the situation worse for him! What if Jaden does reject him? Now wasn't the time to think about that! There was only one thing Chazz wanted to comment about...

"Man, that guy sure likes talking about his hair."

* * *

 **Skit: Proper Practice Part 2**

 _ **"Okay, Boss! Just take a deep breath and let it all out! You can do this! You can totally get your dream girl!"**_ encouraged Ojama Yellow as Chazz straightened his back.

"You do know what you're doing, right?"

 _ **"Of course! I did confess to a cutie once!"**_

"And how'd that go?"

 _ **"...I got shot down..."**_

"See! You don't know anything! Why should I follow your advice, out of all people?"

 _ **"Hey! At least I did confess to a girl, unlike you!"**_

 _ **"Ooh! Burn!"**_ laughed both Ojama Black and Green, crackling up.

"Oh, shut up, both of you!" growled Chazz, mashing their heads together. Ojama Black and Green groaned before collapsing to the ground. "Alright, what's the next step?

Ojama Yellow leaned forward with his ear. _**"Oh? What's the password?"**_

Chazz grabbed Ojama Yellow's ear, growling. "Don't. Push. Your. Luck."

 _ **"Ow, ow, ow! Okay! Okay!"**_ Once released, Ojama Yellow replied, _**"Now, repeat after me! I..."**_

"Okay...I..."

 ** _"Chazz Princeton..."_**

"Chazz Princeton..."

 _ **"Love Ojamas and I am an idiot!"**_

"DIE!" Roared Chazz, chasing after the yellow bastard who tried to trick him all around his room.

* * *

 **Finished with this special! Now, to work on my other stuff!**

 **And yes, I know what you're all thinking! It's the GX version of the dreadful...nauseating...disgusting...Mystery Food X! Oh, and if you're curious, look up the Persona series. But, now! Yes, Jaden has unofficially created her own version of Mystery Food X! If anyone's got an alternative name for Mystery Food X, please tell me! I don't want it to be the same name, after all.**

 **Oh, and by the way, all those chocolates Jaden handed out to each person is very different. Plus, as an interesting fact, they all feature some sort of foreshadowing. I might go into detail when the time is right! But now, it is up to you GX fans to figure out what's what! If any of you already saw the entire series, then you must have figured it out by now!**

 **And anyways, read and review and have a Happy Valentine's Day!~**


	32. The Dark Scorpions

**Love the special? Well, you'll probably love this more! Now, let's get started!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series or the OCs. She also doesn't own any Ace Attorney or Detective Conan or NicoB references.**

* * *

Dark and deep within a hidden cavern, several mysterious figures laid in hiding, as if awaiting for something extremely important. The only source of light around the area they were in was a fire inside a lantern candle holder, enough to fill the figures up with warmth and the ability to see amongst themselves.

"Is it true that the boss is coming here? If so, then the time has finally come," spoke a hammer wielding man.

A muscular man polishing his mace replied, "Yeah. I can't believe the boss is actually coming. Finally, we'll be getting some action!"

"Yeah, the pieces are finally falling into place. As usual, we'll act without murdering or injuring anyone, and without stealing anything from the poor," reminded a whip wielding woman.

"We'll uphold the Three Laws of Stealing, alright. Just as part of our plan!" agreed a glasses-wearing man; his dagger glinting from the flame's light.

Colliding their weapons altogether, the four dark companions cried out in unison, "There's no stopping the Dark Scorpions now!"

* * *

 _A few days later..._

Staring blankly at the glass windows inside Duel Academy, Atticus stood motionless and empathic, acting almost like a machine of sorts. He's managed to make a full recovery physically, but his mental state still wasn't quite there. He hasn't gone insane, but according to Alexis, he hasn't gone back to his usual attitude, which was more upbeat and outgoing. Still, if Atticus had managed to come this far while being strong, Alexis was sure that Atticus would soon return to his normal state again. After all, he's only just recovered.

"Hey, Alexis!"

"Hmm?" Whirling her head to the side, Alexis noticed Jaden along with Banner and his cat, Chazz, and another strange approaching her.

"How's Atticus doing?"

"Well..." Turning back to Atticus, Alexis explained softly, "His body is feeling all better, and he's able to walk around more, but it looks like he can't quite remember what happened to him back before he went missing."

"I see...Poor Alexis...Don't worry, though! Don't give up!" assured Jaden. "I'm sure he'll come around just fine!"

Alexis nodded, honestly believing in Jaden's words. "Yeah, thanks. Anyways, what brings you all here?"

"Oh, just a bit of a talk with a detective," answered Banner, addressing to the stranger behind them. "I...uh...hired him! Yes! To help out with some things!"

Taking off his head as a polite gesture before placing it back on his head, the stranger dressed as a detection started introducing himself. "Good afternoon, young lady! I'm Detective Zaloog! It's nice to make your acquaintance!"

Seeing a detective in an academy was a strange, but not as strange as the weird golden eyepatch Zaloog had on. Blinking, Alexis decided to be polite and nodded. "Y-yes...Nice to meet you too...So, what's going on, Professor Banner? Why hire a detective?"

"Well, as you know, three of the seven Spirit Keys have already been taken," started Banner, a bit upset. "So, me and Chancellor Sheppard talked things through and agreed to have a professional police inspector come and investigate. Maybe even keep things a bit safer."

In a way, that does seem to make much more sense. Despite Zaloog looking a bit smug about himself, he did appear like a professional detective, so it might not be bad to have some form of protection. After all, the last two cases with the two Shadow Riders weren't exactly very protective. Crowler and Zane were defeated and turned into dolls because the first enemy cheated and used Syrus as a hostage, endangering his life by practically sucking the life force out of him, and Bastion was..."tortured" all night after being defeated by the second Shadow Rider and even having his heart broken, so the next Shadow Rider might be just as dangerous as Camula and Tania.

"Hey, by the way, where's your Spirit Key, Alexis?" Jaden asked so suddenly.

"Hmm? Right here! Around my neck," replied Alexis, unbuttoning the top of her jacket.

Swiftly whirling around, Chazz's face flustered while Jaden remained confused as to why Chazz would look away. "Hey, what's the matter?" she asked, turning Chazz around by grabbing his shoulders, forcing him to look into Alexis' direction. "There's nothing wrong wi-"

 **POW!** "Y-YOU IDIOT! AS IF I WANT TO SEE 'THAT!'" yelled Chazz, hitting Jaden across the head.

"OWIE! MY HEAD!" cried out Jaden, pouting as a bump formed at the spot where he hit her. "MEANIE!"

"Shut up, slacker!" Chazz shouted before deciding to change the subject. "A-Anyways, I've got my Spirit Key all around my neck!"

"Hmph..." Ignoring Chazz, Jaden held up her own Spirit Key around her neck as well. "Mine's in the same spot, too."

"I see...I see...That's very good thinking, placing your own Spirit Keys around your necks for a much more secure place to hide them and keep them safe," replied Zaloog, analying the situation. "But, unfortunately, that's also a dead giveaway to where your precious treasures are hiding. After all, if the Shadow Riders find you, they'll find the keys as well."

"And that is why the detective has suggested that we neatly store our keys somewhere safe," said Banner.

The three students nodded to each other. Why not? The detective makes a sound argument. While Spirit Keys cannot be officially obtained unless one wins against the wielder through a duel, the keys would still be in some sort of danger, including the wearers themselves. Hiding the keys might be a safer method to keep them safe, plus the Shadow Riders wouldn't immediantly identify which person was a Spirit Key Keeper.

* * *

 _In Chazz's room..._

"There. I'll put my key right here," said Chazz, placing his Spirit Key under the sink before closing the sink door behind.

"Yes, yes...Nobody would think to look under such a dark and damp place. Just make sure to keep it a secret, Chazz," advised Zaloog before a loud noise caught everyone's attention. "What was that?!"

From outside of Chazz's dorm room, a large man dressed in a janitor's outfit was busy painting the railings of the upper Slifer Red dorm levels, smiling back at the group before resuming his work.

"Oh, that's just Mr. Gorg! He's the janitor!" assured Jaden.

* * *

 _In Jaden's room..._

"I'll put this behind my cute stuffed animals and plushies!" Jaden said, hiding the key behind her various stuffed animals and plushes; all resembling popular Duel Monsters or cute animals.

"Jaden, why do you have so many?" questioned Alexis, sweatdropping.

"Hey, I love them! I snuggle with them every night!"

"Yes, very clever," complimented Zaloog, nodding his head. "No perpetrator would even dare to go up to a sleeping person, much less imagine a key hiding behind the huge mass of dolls and stuffed toys!"

A noise outside the room alerted everyone as Jaden rushed over and swung the door open quickly. "GAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" A blond haired Slifer Red student screamed upon being astonished by Jaden's sudden entrance and her scream.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH! WHY ARE WE SCREAMING?!"

"What?! What's going on?! Who's there?" questioned Zaloog. "Is it someone suspicious?"

"Hey, Chick! Did you forget? Your room's next door," reminded Syrus as he and Chumley walked up the stairs, intending on entering their room.

"R-right! Sorry!" spoke Chick hesitantly before running off.

"Oh! Chick's a new transfer student. He kinda gets our room confused sometimes," Chumley told the detective as he and Syrus have already been informed of the situation at hand.

* * *

 _In Alexis' room..._

"I like to put all my valuables and important things here, so I'll put my key in as well," said Alexis, placing her Spirit Key inside her jewlery box.

Sitting casually on Alexis' couch, Zaloog nodded. "Yes, of course. No criminal would think to snatch the key in an obvious place!"

"O-Oh! My apologies!" apologized a woman in a white coat, holding a board in her arms. "I believe I must be in the wrong room! But seriously, males aren't allowed in the Obelisk Blue Girls' Dorm without permission!"

"Huh? Who is this?" wondered Zaloog.

Alexis smiled. "Oh, no need to worry. This is Miss Meanae, the school nurse! She's perfectly harmless!"

* * *

 _In the teacher's conference room..._

"I'll put my key inside this safe," Banner said, putting the Spirit Key inside the safe vault.

"As long as nobody figures out the combination, sure," said Chazz, closing the safe's door and locking it in place.

Hearing someone walking past the others in the hallway, they saw a security guard with his back turned as he made his way out of the hallway. "Who's that?" wondered Zaloog.

"Oh, that's Mr. Cliff, our security guard," replied Banner before yawning. "Now, I think we should all get some rest for tonight. It is getting late, after all."

Turning to the students, Zaloog announced, "Yes, we should sleep this off for tonight! After all, you all hid your keys in safe places which I doubt the thief could find so easily. You all sleep well and have a good night!"

* * *

 _A few hours later in the middle of the night..._

Chazz was clinging onto the bedsheets, rolling to the side as his mouth sprouted out mutterings of cuss words and moaning. His entire body was heating up to the point where his face was red and sweating. He must have been having a good dream as he was still fast asleep and smirking like a madman.

"Jaden...Oh God, yes...Right there...yeah...take it...take it...you little shitty...ugh!"

"Sy, he's not waking up! He keeps making these weird sounds and stuff!" whined Jaden, who had been shaking Chazz and urging him to wake up like crazy.

Syrus, whose eye was twitching as he tried to keep his anger and jealously together, wished he could plunge Chazz's face in with a knife. How dare he dream of Jaden like that?! Luckily, Jaden was still as oblivious as ever. Sure, Chazz may be cooler, stronger, and maybe even more handsome than he is, but Syrus was determined not to lose!

 _'Chazz Princeton, you may be my most challenging foe yet...Right after my big brother,'_ thought Syrus, swearing to win the competition for Jaden's heart.

Frustrated, Jaden snatched Chazz's pillow from behind his head and started hitting him with it, yelling, "WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE. UP!"

With his head suddenly falling flat on the mattress and the feeling of something soft hitting him, Chazz blinked a few times and woke up. The first sight he saw as Jaden hitting him with a pillow with Syrus sitting right next to her. Both of them seemed to be calling for him, but he couldn't hear what they were saying. Oh right, he put on earplugs to block out the snores from the other room.

Sitting up, Chazz plucked the earplugs off his ears and demanded, "Hey, I can't hear you. I had earplugs in my ears! So, what is it that was so important that you had to wake me up in the middle of the night?"

"Well, I think you had a wet dream," pointed out Syrus bluntly.

"W-what?!" Recalling his dream, Chazz shook his head and yelled, "How much did you hear?!"

"I dunno! You said my name and was saying some weird stuff...Didn't really care about that," replied Jaden. "But anyways, that's not important! We came to talk to you about something!"

"R-right...Wait, how the hell did you guys even enter?! My door was locked!"

"That's the thing! It's about the Spirit Keys! Look!" Pointing behind her, Jaden addressed to the front door which had been broken down by force.

"W-what the hell?!" Worried about his Spirit Key, Chazz rushed over to the sink cabinet and found that the small door was also smashed into wooden splinters scattered all over the floor. "How the hell did the culprit did this while I was asleep?!"

"Duh! You had earplugs!" reminded Jaden. "Are you an idiot or something!"

"Shut it, Slifer slacker! I bet you stoled it!"

"As if! Mine's stolen too! I found all of my poor stuffed plushies all over the floor! Whoever did that is gonna pay! Wait...wouldn't that mean that the other Spirit Keys are missing too?"

"Don't tell me..." gasped Chazz. "This is one of the Shadow Riders' doing?! If that's the case, then we have to get everyone together! Fast!"

* * *

 _Several minutes later, in Chazz's room..._

"So, in the end, even though we hid them pretty well, our Spirit Keys still went missing," sighed Chazz in disappointment. Himself, Jaden, Chumley, Syrus, Banner, and Alexis had all gathered and sat on top of Chazz's bed, having been informed of what's happened. Like Chazz and Jaden, the other Spirit Keys had gone missing.

"Yeah, and we could totally see how the culprit managed to accomplish one of his goals easily," spoke Jaden sarcastically. She was NOT in a good mood ever since she discovered her stuffed animals had been tossed to the floor without a care from the culprit.

"Damnit, Jaden! Even if I had earplugs, everyone else still had their Spirit Keys stolen anyways!"

"My, this has suddenly become a twisted turn, hasn't it? Well, never fear! Detective Zaloog's on the case!"

Standing in front of Chazz's room entrance was the detective himself, along with the nurse, Gorg, Officer Cliff, and Chick from earlier this afternoon. While it was understandable why Zaloog had arrived, it was quite odd for the other four to be involved.

"Detective Zaloog!" exclaimed Banner, surprised. "Oh! Why are all these people with you?"

"Oh, them? I called them up as...suspects! Yes, I decided to do a thorough interogation! I'll question them later, but for now, I'd like to ask each and every one of you all some questions! We do need to get to the bottom of this case, after all!"

Having faith in the detective, Jaden agreed and stood up. "Yeah! Alright, got nothing to hide here! Let's do what the detective says! After all, the police are the good guys, after all-"

"Wait, stop," ordered Chazz, having crossed his legs and closing his eyes in stern concentration. "Something's not right here."

"Chazz, why do you say that? What's got you so suspicious all of a sudden?" wondered Banner curiously as Jaden sat back down.

"It's not just that...but I believe this job deserves someone else worthy of the title 'Detective.' Someone...like me!" declared Chazz before pointing up in the air. "I swear, in the name of Detective Chazz Princeton, I will solve this case!"

"Ooh!~ Wow! That's kinda cool!" praised Jaden excitedly.

Chazz smirked. _'Ha! She thinks I'm cool! First step towards winning her heart, complete!'_ he thought, feeling confident in himself.

Syrus was not amused, however.

"But, in order to do that, I must collect some evidence! So, this'll take some time!" said Chazz, standing up on his own two bed. "I will require the need of an assistant! I'm gonna be Duel Academy's version of Sherlock Holmes! And I already know who I'm gonna choose! Jaden! You'll be the version of Dr. Watson!"

"Yay!" cheered Jaden, clapping her hands. "Even though I wanted to be the lead role, this works fine, too!"

"No! I object!" demanded Syrus, slamming his fist into the bed. "If she gets to be an assistant, I want to, too!" The only reason he truly wished for this was because he wanted to keep an eye on Jaden for her own protection.

"Fine, I might need a substitute anyways, so you're an extra!" said Chazz before grinning. "You'll be known as...Detective Pipsqueak!"

"I want a better name!"

"Take it or leave it, shrimp. You want to be part of my detective crew? Then accept the name!"

"Grrr...Fine!"

"Wait a minute!" called out Zaloog. "I'm the professional detective here! Why shou-"

"Tommorow night!" interrupted Chazz, turning to face him. "Tommorow night, we'll hold a trial of wits! My logic vs yours!" Narrowing his eyes sharply, Chazz continued, "And I've got this shaky feeling about you! I don't trust you one bit, detective! For all I know, you could be a fake!"

"Er..." Feeling he was getting sweaty, Zaloog defended, "O-Oh yeah? Challenge accepted! I'll teach you that little brats like you should leave these to the professionals!"

"Bring it on, old man!"

Between the two "detectives," sparks could be seen flying out from their glaring eyes as they were trying to pierce one another with their glares as everyone else just sweatdropped.

 _'Oh, boy. This is gonna be good,'_ they thought.

* * *

 _A few hours of investigating later..._

"Okay, so far, after interviewing all of the suspects we know, here's the information we got," said Chazz to his two assistants, Jaden and Syrus. "First off, you two were stupid enough to seal the hole that was made in your wall! Seriously, what the hell?! Now, we can't get any evidence from that!"

Both Jaden and Syrus were annoyed that they were being critized over fixing their bedroom wall. "It's not our fault! We didn't know at the time that it'd be involved in the case!" argued Syrus. The hole in their room was most likely an attempt for the culprit to sneak in and take away Jaden's Spirit Key.

"Next, Alexis. Apparently, there was a red broken nail in Alexis' bedroom floor, according to her testimony, but she threw it away. Just to make matters worse, Banner claimed to have seen muddy footprints near the safe vault, but he cleaned them up! Damnit, am I the only smart one in this academy?!"

"Ooh! What about those other four people?" wondered Jaden. "Like, that nurse, the police officer, the janitor, and Chuck!"

"Chick," corrected Syrus.

"What kinda guy's name is named after a hot babe or a baby bird?" questioned Chazz, crossing his arm. "But...you may have a point. We already interrogated them, though. Wait...I get it! We'll search their rooms!"

"I'm pretty sure you'll need a warrant for that, or at least some permission from an official police force," said Syrus. "Not sure they're gonna allow us to sneak in, though."

"Don't worry! I have a plan!" Chazz assured with a smirk. "Dr. Watson! Detective Pipsqueak! I demand that you bring me a mallet, a chair, a black marker, and a cookie!"

"Stop calling me that!" shouted Syrus, irritated. "And why should we get those for you?"

Jaden yawned. "Yeah...it's getting late...can we stop for now...?"

"Like hell! A true detective never gives up no matter what!" declared Chazz, determined. "Now, go on! Shoo! Shoo!"

Several minutes later after Chazz obtained the items given to him by his command, he returned to both of his assistants with a confident smirk on his face as he led them away to the teachers' conference room. In there was Zaloog, sitting in the main chair with his head drooped down. Apparently, he was unconscious, as his face had black markings all over them and a slight bump on the back of his head.

"Did you do that to him?!" exclaimed Syrus, shocked.

Munching on a cookie, Chazz nodded. "Mmm hmm...Also, we should probably hide under the table."

"Why?" asked Jaden.

"Because we've got approximately five minutes before those four other suspects come in here. I kinda lied and told them that Detective Zaloog wanted to talk to them in the conference room."

"And you're telling us this now?!" questioned Syrus before gasping. "I think I hear something!"

"Crap, they must be early! Quick, under the table! Let me handle the rest afterwards!" ordered Chazz. With no time to waste, the trio scrambled and crawled underneath the table, being close to Zaloog's feet as they saw other peoples' feet entering inside the room.

"Boss? What was it that you wanted to tell us?" wondered the janitor.

 _'Boss?'_ thought Chazz suspiciously. Did the four suspects and the detective have some sort of connection together?

Clearing his throat for a second, Chazz then proceeded to deepen his voice as much as he could. "Well, you see, there's a bit of a favor I wish to ask of-"

"Wait, why's your voice like that?" asked the nurse.

"And why isn't your mouth moving?" questioned Chick.

"I'm...I'm practicing ventriloquism!" lied Chazz, hoping that could provide as a good excuse.

"But...I don't see the poin-"

"ANYWAYS! You know that Chazz guy? You know, the handsome, awesome, sexy guy known as Detective Chazz Princeton?" gloated Chazz, trying to imitate Zaloog's voice as best as he could. He couldn't help but brag proudly of himself.

Syrus rolled his eyes, knowing Chazz was full of himself. "Chazz! Focus!" He hissed.

"Right...Anyways, I need you four to allow him access to your rooms."

"But boss!" complained Officer Cliff.

"No, buts! Get to it! When he asks to look in your room, you do what he says!"

"Yes, boss!" The four of them nodded before proceeding to take their leave. Now that the coast was clear, Chazz knew that their job would be a lot more considerably easier now. It was all thanks to his brilliant plan that allowed them to win this round.

"Ugh..." Zaloog blinked, trying to wake up from his "nap."

Panicking, Chazz grabbed the mallet he had his on his back pocket and smacked Zaloog on the back of his head, knocking him out once more.

"Chazz!"

"Sorry! I panicked! He won't remember anyways! Let's get outta here before he wakes up again!"

* * *

 _The next night, outside the Slifer Red Dorms..._

Loud murmurings could be heard from the jury section, which only consisted of a few people; Jaden, Zane, Bastion, Chumley, Syrus, Crowler, Banner, Alexis, along with the nurse, Gorg, Chick, and Officer Cliff.

As for the judge of the court, it just so happens to be Chancellor Sheppard. How anyone was able to organize the entire courtroom outside the Slifer Red Dorms, or, at least the important parts, including arranging a black suit and a gavel for the Chancellor was beyond anyone's idea.

Sheppard banged his gavel down repeatedly until the murmuring came to a halt. "Order! Order in the court! Court is now in session for the trial of...uh...what exactly are we doing?"

Chazz, who was on the defense attorney's side of the area, replied, "Well, we came to discuss about the mysterious culprit who stole all the Spirit Keys!"

"What?! The Spirit Keys have been stolen? Why hasn't anyone informed me of this?!" demanded Sheppard.

"Chancellor, that's what we're trying to figure out-"

"I mean, I even had security cameras installed in case something like this happened!"

"Well, looks like this case is gonna be more wrapped up sooner than I thought," commented Zane, finding it ridiculous to host a court case over something like this.

Zaloog cleared his throat. "Your Honor, if I may? I did indeed thought of the chance for any security cameras, so I asked Officer Cliff to escort me to the Security Room, but unfortunately, someone else had erased all the footage the night the keys were stolen. What a shame."

"Hey! Hey!" called out Syrus, raising his hand. "In times like these, aren't there supposed to be opening statements or whatever?"

"Oh! You're right!" said Sheppard. "Alright, uh...Detective Zaloog? Would you mind presenting your opening statement?"

"Yes, Your Honor," agreed Zaloog, glancing at his papers. "Let's see...Late last night, the first to discover that one's Spirit Key was missing was a certain Jaden Yuki. After she and her friend, Syrus Truesdale woke u-"

"OBJECTION!" yelled Chazz, causing heads to turn to his direction. He slammed his hands on the table and continued, "The prosecution is currently wasting our time with useless information!"

"What? Is that true, Detective Zaloog?"

Sweatdropping, Zaloog replied, "No! How is this useless? I'm getting to the point of the whole case here! Now, let me continue! Anyways, Jaden Yuki and Syrus Truesdale woke up and discovered that the Spirit Key had gone missing from their room, and they rushed to wake up their friend, Chazz Princeton, whose door was broken down, indicating that the culprit must have broken it down."

"But how did Chazz not hear the noise?" wondered Sheppard.

"Simple, Your Honor. He was wearing earplugs."

When everyone turned to Chazz for an explanation, the black-haired student flustered. "H-hey! You try being in my shoes and having to endure nights of endless snoring! I just did what any rational person would do!"

Jaden looked away and coughed. "*Cough* Serves you right *Cough*."

Slamming his palms down on the table once again, Chazz angrily yelled, "Graaaaahhh! I will frickin' murder you, Jaden!"

"Order! Order in the court!" shouted Sheppard, who secretly loved hitting the gavel. Perhaps he should try this method whenever he wished to silence a crowd. "Please continue, Detective Zaloog."

"Right, so after Chazz and his friends woke up, they decided to check on up Alexis Rhodes and Professor Banner because they too, possessed Spirit Keys. Shockingly enough, their Spirit Keys had mysterious vanished as well! This culprit must have been a talented one, as he was able to hide his tracks and erase any evidence against him."

"Hmm...I see..." said Sheppard, understanding the situation. "This is really terrible! We must find the Spirit Keys at once!"

"And that's where I come in, Your Honor!" said Chazz. "Whoever stole the Spirit Keys must have been someone who was with me and everyone else who went to see where we would keep the Spirit Keys hidden!"

"Oh? Does that mean you're accusing someone? Then, bring it on!" challenged Zaloog, smirking. "But surely, you must have evidence, no?"

Now it was Chazz's turn to chuckle and smirk. "Oh, don't worry! I've got plenty of that! In fact, I even know the true culprits!" Reverting towards the jury, he started pointing fingers, accusing who was involved. "You! You! You! And you!"

"Us?!" exclaimed Gorg, Officer Cliff, the nurse, and Chick.

"Hey, Chancellor!"

"Chazz, I'm the judge right now, remember?"

"Alright, fine! Judge Sheppard! I call those four people to the stand!"

"Chazz, you can only call one person up to the stand," reminded Alexis. "That's kinda how the system works."

"But this is really important!" argued Chazz.

"Just go with it, Alexis," said Bastion. "The faster we do this, the better."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

Begrudgingly, the four of them were forced before the stand, all not amused. "What is this?!" demanded the nurse. "We're innocent, we tell you! Innocent!"

"That's what they all say!" Chazz retorted. "Now, back to the case! Alexis, you told me that you found a broken red fingernail in your bedroom floor, right? Well, I searched through the trash and found this!" From his pocket, he pulled out the missing fingernail, much to everyone's shock.

"Uh...the court accepts this as evidence!" announced Sheppard.

"Now, let's compare the fingernail to everyone's hands! Starting with you!" Chazz pointed to the nurse, walking towards her and forcibly grabbing her hand. Her fingernails were all painted red, with one being clear. "Aha! Caught ya red-handed!"

"That doesn't prove anything!" shouted the nurse, pulling her hand back. "That fingernail could have belonged to any girl's! It didn't have to be mine!"

"Come to think of it, there was a certain popular nail polish nowadays," commented Zaloog.

Alexis nodded. "Yeah, it's called Crimson Pearl. The same color as the fingernail you have, Chazz. A lot of girls in my dorm have it."

 _'Crap! I know what your game is, Detective Zaloog!'_ thought Chazz, growling. Zaloog was defending one of the suspects, and he had a pretty good idea why. "Fine! Well, I found muddy shoes in your closet, Officer Cliff!"

"W-what?!" shouted Zaloog, shocked. "Wait, how did you even know that? Did you trespass in this kind officer's room?!"

"S-sir, you gave him permission to enter our rooms, remember?" reminded Cliff nervously.

"I did no such thing!"

"Nope! Nope! The suspects claimed you gave me permission, so it has to be true!" said Chazz, grinning evilly. _'Ha! Take that, detective! Let's see you make a comeback out of that!'_

"Gr...Fine!" Zaloog didn't seem quite happy, as he didn't remember giving that order to his allies.

"Back to the case!" reminded Chazz. "Professor Banner claimed there were muddy footprints all over the teacher conference room! And Officer Cliff, you had muddy shoes! Coincidence? I think not!"

"Any thief could have used muddy shoes! Not me!" argued Cliff.

"The shoes may have dried a bit, but anyone could tell they're fresh!" said Chazz, revealing a picture he took of the muddy shoes. "And your usual patrol is down the hallways! If you claim to be walking outdoors, you were neglecting your duties! Unless you had a valid reason to be outdoors?"

"Grrrrr...!"

"Oh, and I'm not done yet!" This time was Chick's turn as Chazz turned to him. "I found tools that were dusty and full of cardboard dust and paper dust! It seems they're for drilling and digging for something! That matches up with the hole Jaden and Syrus stupidly sealed up! Just what were you using those? Huh? Or are you going to tell me there's a wooden workshop in Duel Academy?"

"Chazz, there are a number of clubs in Duel Academy," informed Bastion. "Including a wooden workshop."

"Oh..."

"Excuse me, but why am I here?" wondered Gorg, raising his hand. "I hardly think I'm suspicious."

"Oh, hush! You were totally there when I hid my key, so you must have seen it!"

"But he wasn't there when we hid our other keys," reminded Jaden.

"I was getting to that!" said Chazz. "These other three were near the keys' hiding spots when we tried to hide them, making them more suspicious! Plus, I already presented evidence that they could be accomplices!"

"Objection!" yelled Zaloog. "You may have skill as a detective, I'm impressed. But, it's still all a coincidence. Does your evidence link to the current suspects? No. Besides, you heard the judge before. There were security cameras, so the thief must have found out anyways! Besides, those four suspects were with me all last night! We were in my room, playing cards to pass the time!"

"Oh, so you're saying these four were you?" questioned Chazz, growing increasingly frustrated. "And you didn't bring this up because...?"

"Well, I was waiting for a chance to! Pardon me for not mentioning it while you were making baseless accusations!"

 _'Damnit! Well, he's right about one thing! I have to link the evidence to those four, or I'll lose!'_ Chazz thought. "OBJECTION! You were hiding extremely vital evidence! That's pretty bad since you're not allowed to do that!"

"OBJECTION!" Now it was Zaloog's turn to object. "How was I supposed to know this was important?! I simply brought it up right now because it was for the right moment and timing!"

"OBJECTION! Timing isn't everything! You should have brought this up!"

"OBJECTION! It doesn't matter because now, those four suspects have an alibi with me! And you can't do anything to people with alibis!"

"OBJECTION! ...You suck!"

"OBJECTION! That's not even a proper insult, you emo brat!"

"OBJECTION! I'M NOT EMO, DAMNIT!"

"OBJECTION! Have you seen yourself?! Look in a mirror, dumbass!"

"OBJECTION! I'm not the dumbass here! You are!"

"OBJECTION! No, you!"

"OBJECTION! No, you!"

"OBJECTION! You!"

"ORDER, ORDER, ORDER!" yelled Sheppard. "Would you all stop arguing?! And can someone fetch me a turkey sandwich?! Why do I suddenly have the urge to eat turkey sandwiches?!"

Just then, Atticus arrived, stepping onto the "courtroom" with a puzzled expression on his face. "Hey, guys? Have you seen Alexis? I need to-Oh, is that Zaloog? Along with the other Dark Scorpions?"

What.

"Atticus...mind explaining?" asked Chazz, smirking.

Atticus nodded. "Yeah. Zaloog and those four over there? They're part of the Shadow Riders. Well, Zaloog is, at least."

Immediantly, loud murmuring from the jury burst out as Sheppard banged his gavel over and over, trying to silence everyone while Zaloog and the four suspects were sweating and not looking too well themselves.

"Ahahaha! I finally understand everything!" laughed Chazz confidently. "Here's how it went! All four suspects were informed of the hiding spots and went to steal them! While they were doing that, Zaloog here must have been the one to erase all footage and help erase evidence as well! That means Zaloog is none other than the ringleader of all this! We even have a witness, too! Cough it up, Zaloog!"

Zaloog gritted his teeth before smirking. "Heh...Cat's outta the bag now. And we would have gotten away with it if it weren't for that weird emo brat!"

"I am NOT emo!"

"Well, gotta say, very impressive for one that's not really a detective!"

"Wait, he's right?!" Everyone from the jury cried out, still a bit confused. After all, they just now learned that Zaloog was one of the Shadow Riders, so it was still a little shocking for them.

Tossing aside their costumes, Zaloog along with the four suspects got into position, posing as they shouted in unison, "We are the Dark Scorpions!"

"Wait, what? The Dark Scorpions?" Everyone in the jury, Chazz, and Shepard spoke, even more curious.

"Yes, many years ago, the Dark Scorpions have agreed to a request to steal the seven Spirit Keys! So, we've been lying in wait, waiting for our chance to strike!" explained Zaloog.

"Wow, for a bunch of thieves, you guys pretty much suck at your job," admitted Chazz, referring to the fact that they were tricked easily themselves. "I mean, you left evidence in your own rooms, for crying out loud. How you survived this long is a mystery even to me."

"Hey! Don't insult the Dark Scorpions!" The band of thieves yelled together.

"Hehe! These guys are pretty funny, aren't they, Sy?" giggled Jaden, whispering to the blue-haired individual next to her.

"Huh? I guess so..."

"Heh, well you idiots should have done your research better!" Chazz taunted. "The keys won't work unless you beat us in a duel!"

"Wait...that's why the keys won't work?" asked Zaloog, surprised. "Who made these rules anyways?"

"Yeah...best not to question these kinds of things. It'll only be a waste of time. Anyways, time to duel me!"

"Wait, wait!" called out Jaden, raising her hand. "Why you? Why can't I duel them?"

"Yeah, I wanna duel them. I'm here too, you know," pointed out Alexis.

"Or, maybe Professor Banner could," Syrus suggested.

"Uh...I'm fine, thank you very much!" replied Banner, scooching away in order to avoid dueling.

Jumping off from the jury seats, Jaden made her way towards Chazz, declaring, "I should be the one to duel them! After all, we all learned that everyone gets beaten except for me, so it's only natural tha-"

"Grrr! Shut up, Jaden! Stop trying to steal my thunder!" growled Chazz.

"Order! Order in the court!" hollered Sheppard, smashing his gavel down countless times until he was sure he received everyone's attention. "It has come to a conclusion...Chazz and Zaloog will both participate in a duel since Chazz did sorta solve the case."

"I'm still confused what's going on," admitted Atticus until Alexis gently pulled him away to explain things in a different manner.

"Yes! Bring it on, old man!" Chazz yelled at Zaloog as both of them put on their duel disks, thus activating them. They faced towards each others as the jury, the remaining Dark Scorpions, and Sheppard, who was eating a turkey sandwich, began witnessing the duel before them.

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Zaloog - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Chazz - 4000 LP**

"Heh, this duel will be quick! Draw!" said Zaloog, quickly making the first move. "First, I'll summon Golem Sentry in Defense Mode!"

Golem Sentry - (EARTH/Rock) - LV4 - (800/1800)

"Next, I'll set a card and end my turn!"

"My turn, draw!" Chazz said. "I play the Spell card, Fiend Sanctuary! This Spells allows me to Special Summon a Metal Token onto my side of the field!"

Metal Fiend Token - (DARK/Fiend) - LV1 - (0/0)

"Now, I sacrifice my Token to Tribute Summon Armed Dragon LV5!"

Armed Dragon LV5 - (WIND/Dragon) - LV5 - (2400/1700)

"Armed Dragon, destroy his Monster! Spiral Buster!"

Whirling his spike-like arms in a rotational direction, Armed Dragon destroyed Golem Sentry with ease, leaving Zaloog with no defense at all.

"Next, I'll set two cards facedown and activated Armed Dragon LV5's ability! On the turn that he destroyed a Monster in battle, I can send him to the Graveyard and Special Summon his evolved form! Armed Dragon LV7! I'll end my turn after that!"

Armed Dragon LV7 - (WIND/Dragon) - LV7 - (2800/1000)

"Whoa...to think that Chazz could conjure up such a powerful Monster in just one turn...maybe I underestimated him a bit?" wondered Jaden, amazed.

"Hey...what's that supposed to mean?" questioned Chazz, irritated.

"Hmph...Nice Monster! But I'm afraid it won't last long!" said Zaloog. "My turn, draw! I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw two more cards! Oh! And now I'll summon myself! Don Zaloog!"

Surprised, everyone started paying more attention. There was a card named after Zaloog? And the card greatly resembled Zaloog by a lot!

Stepping onto the dueling field, Zaloog announced proudly, "Yes, that's right! I, myself, am the real Don Zaloog!"

Don Zaloog - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1400/1500)

"Now I activate a Spell card, Musterings of the Dark Scorpions! When Don Zaloog, also known as me, is on the field, I can Special Summon as many Dark Scorpions from my hand onto the field! Now, roll call!"

The first member of the Dark Scorpions was the former janitor, but a heavy axe wielder and physically strong. "I am Gorg the Strong!"

Dark Scorpion - Gorg the Strong - (DARK/Warrior) - LV5 - (1800/1500)

Brushing her hair to the side and holding her whip, the only female member of the Dark Scorpions introduced herself gracefully, "I'm Meanae the Thorn!"

Dark Scorpion - Meanae the Thorn - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1000/1800)

"And I'm Cliff the Trap Remover!" spoke the Duel Spirit who had been disguised before as a guard as he branded a sharp dagger in his hands.

Dark Scorpion - Cliff the Trap Remover - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (1200/1000)

"Finally, I'm Chick the Yellow! I may be the youngest, but I can run fast!" bragged Chick, bouncing up and down.

Dark Scorpion - Chick the Yellow - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (1000/1000)

"And together, we're the Dark Scorpions!" All five assembled members cried out in unison.

 _'...Dorks,'_ Chazz thought. Seriously, Dark Scorpions? Couldn't they come up with a much better name? Like the Blitzers or Revolting Reigners?

"I activate a Trap!" announced Don Zaloog, revealing the facedown card as Chick moved aside so the others could see. "Dark Scorpion Combination! You see, on the first turn that the Dark Scorpions are out on the field, we get to attack you directly! But for each attack, you lose 400 Life Points! There's 5 of us, so you lose 2000 Life Points! Let him have it, gang!"

Releasing out war cries, all five of the Dark Scorpions charged towards Chazz, pulling out merciless blows onto Chazz as they attacked all at the same time before backing away. Chazz yelled in pain from the five strikes as his Life Points took the hit.

 **Zaloog - 4000 LP**

 **Chazz - 2000 LP**

"Heheheh...Oh, and if you think that's over with, just wait until you hear our special abilities!" chuckled Don Zaloog.

"My special ability is that if I deal Battle Damage to you, then one Monster on your field must return to the top of your deck," explained Gorg as Armed Dragon LV7 disappeared.

"Mine makes it so one card on your side of the field returns to your hand!" said Chick, pointing to the left facedown card Chazz had.

"We're not done yet! Next, due to my special ability, the top two cards on your deck go to the Graveyard!" Cliff said.

Grunting, Chazz did what the effect forced him to do; discard his two top cards into the Graveyard. "And now one card in your hand is destroyed!" said Don Zaloog before Chazz discarded a random card in his hand.

"And finally, we can add a card with Dark Scorpion in its name from the Graveyard and into our hand," explained Meanae as Don Zaloog returned Dark Scorpion Combination, the same Trap that dramatically decreased Chazz's Life Points, back to his hand.

"That's really bad! If they begin that combo again, it'll spell the end for Chazz!" muttered Banner.

"I wonder if Chazz can come up with something quick..." Syrus said, worried.

"Don't give up, Chazz! If you can handle being beat by someone as tough as me, you can definitely handle these guys!" encouraged Jaden.

"Hey, are you trying to encourage me or insult me?!" Chazz shouted, irritated before returning to the duel. "And anyways, no way am I getting done in by that lousy combo! I activate my Trap, Level Modulation! First, it lets you draw two cards, but in exchange, it also lets me Special Summon 1 Level Monster from my Graveyard, ignoring any Summoning conditions! And I choose Armed Dragon LV7! Rise!"

Armed Dragon LV7 - (WIND/Dragon) - LV7 - (2800/1000)

"Damnit, another problem we have to deal with!" tched Zaloog, drawing two cards. "I'll just place two cards facedown and end my turn!"

"I'm still a bit worried...after all, Chazz's opponent still has all his Life Points," admitted Syrus.

"Don't worry about it, Sy!" assured Jaden, having faith in Chazz. "With the way things are now, I'm sure Chazz will win!"

"It's my turn! Draw!" shouted Chazz. "First off, I'm activating Armed Dragon LV7's ability! By discarding a Monster card from my hand to the Graveyard, all Monsters on your side with less than or equal Attack Points as the same Attack Points of the discarded Monster will be destroyed! The Monster I'll be discarding is Despair From The Dark! And he has 2800! So, that's much more than any of your puny Attack Points!"

"Hold it! I activate a Trap!" said Zaloog. "Retreat of the Dark Scorpions! All Dark Scorpions on my side of the field are returned to my hand!" With that said, all Dark Scorpions, including Zaloog himself, made a comical retreat which left some dust trails along with Chazz sweatdropping.

"...Fine, then! I'll attack directly!" Chazz said. "Sonic Punisher!"

A sphere full of electrical energy pulsed within Armed Dragon's claws before he flung it towards Zaloog, critically hurting him.

 **Zaloog - 1200 LP**

 **Chazz - 2000 LP**

"Oh no! Boss!" cried out the other four members of the Dark Scorpions.

"Boss activated that Trap to shield us from that blast! And now he's hurt thanks to that brat!" shouted Cliff.

"That brat will pay, that's for sure!" said Meanae angrily.

"I place a card facedown and end my turn!" Chazz concluded.

"Hmph! You just got lucky, that's all, but now your luck is about to run out! My turn! Draw! Now, I summon myself again, Don Zaloog!" Zaloog said.

Don Zaloog - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1400/1500)

"Then, I'll activate the Spell card, Musterings of the Dark Scorpions! Come on back to the playing field, team!"

"YEAH!" All Dark Scorpion members cheered, ready for action once more and to finish this duel.

"Not so fast! I'm activating Ojama Trio!" countered Chazz.

Just as the four Dark Scorpions approached towards the dueling field, Ojama Black, Green, and Yellow were all casually sitting on three of the opponent's Monster Zones, thus disallowing three of the Dark Scorpions to appear.

Ojama Token - (LIGHT/Beast) - LV2 - (0/1000) X3

"What the?! Why are they on our side?!" wondered Zaloog.

"Thanks to Ojama Trio, it Special Summons three Ojama Tokens onto your field, and when an Ojama Token is destroyed, you take 300 Points of Damage!"

"Damn! Thanks to them, not all of us can come out!" complained Chick.

"No! It's not over yet!" yelled Meanae, getting into position. "Boss, do what you must! Use me!"

"Meanae..." Touched by what's to come of her, Zaloog had no choice but to agree. "I won't forget your sacrifice! I play the Spell card, Dark Scorpion - Tragedy of Love! When Don Zaloog and Meanae the Thorn are on the field, I can send Meanae to the Graveyard and destroy all the Monsters you have!"

Thrusting herself forward into danger, Meanae lashed out her whip with all her might, wrapping it around Armed Dragon LV7's neck as lightning crackled from the whip before a huge explosion took out not only Armed Dragon LV7, but Meanae as well.

"This is the best I can do! Forgive me!" cried out Meanae before vanishing.

Gritting his teeth, Zaloog turned to Chazz with anger in his eyes. "Don't worry! I'll avenge you, Meanae! I promise! I attack you directly! Double Blaster!" Pulling out two pistols from his holsters, Zaloog fired two shots at Chazz, who endured the two attacks.

 **Zaloog - 1200 LP**

 **Chazz - 600 LP**

"Since I attacked you directly, my special ability activates! One card is randomly discarded from your hand!"

Glancing at the only card left in his hand, Chazz smirked. "Heh, just my luck. I'll happily discard it! You know why? Because the card I'm discarding is Ojamagic! And when this baby's sent to the Graveyard, it adds Ojama Yellow, Black, and Green from my deck and into my hand!"

"Yeah, whatever! Play all the weaklings you want, because it won't matter! The Dark Scorpions are as strong as ever, especially since Meanae's sacrifice deprived you of that powerful Monster!" replied Zaloog confidently. "I end my turn!"

Chazz merely smirked. "Yeah, yeah. The last guy who called my cards weaklings ended up losing anyways. Anyways, my turn! I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw two cards! Next, I play Polymerization, and fuse Ojama Black, Yellow, and Green from my hand! Ojama King, I Fusion Summon you!"

The three Ojama brothers sprung out of their selected cards and flew up in the air, bumping each others' heads once colliding with one another as everyone watched the trio brothers merging. In their place, a gigantic, white bodied entity wearing a crown over some red underwear on his head appeared, giving the peace sign with his fingers as the Ojama Tokens cheered for the uprising of Ojama King.

Ojama King - (LIGHT/Beast/Fusion) - LV6 - (0/3000)

"Now, I play the Spell card, Ojamuscle!"

Groaning, Ojama King pumped his muscles, and all of a sudden, his muscles increased in strength, revealing his abs and tremendous amount of strength. Opening his mouth, Ojama King's tongue extended and engulfed in all the Ojama Tokens on Zaloog's field and into his mouth as Zaloog was both freaked out and disgusted by the process.

"Thanks to Ojamuscle, all Ojama Monsters are destroyed, and for each one destroyed, Ojama King's Attack Points increase by 1000! And since the Ojama Tokens were destroyed, you lose 900 Life Points!"

 **Zaloog - 300 LP**

 **Chazz - 600 LP**

Ojama King - (LIGHT/Beast/Fusion) - LV6 - (3000/3000)

"Go, Ojama King! Attack!"

Leaping upwards in the air, Ojama King looked as though he was flying...until he came plummeting down on top of Zaloog.

 **Zaloog - 0 LP**

 **Chazz - 600 LP**

 **Winner: Chazz**

"Ugh...I failed...I'm so sorry..." apologized Zaloog, who was planted on the ground and motionless. His golden eyepatch, which so happens to be a Shadow Charm, lit up brightly as the Dark Scorpions tried to rush to his aid, only to vanish afterwards back to the Spirit World, leaving only their cards and the missing Spirit Keys behind.

"Well, that's the end of that, I suppose," said Chazz, picking up the Shadow Charm and Don Zaloog's card.

"I have to admit, they did seem a bit cool," said Chumley.

Looking at one of the cards, Syrus said, "Yeah, but stealing's still bad, no matter what!"

"Yes, and now we can all relax now that we have our Spirit Keys back," reminded Banner, having picked up his from the ground. Alexis and Jaden weren't completely reassured yet, as they were concerned as to what happened to the Dark Scorpions.

While everyone else retrieved their Spirit Keys, Chazz took the opportunity to slip the Dark Scorpions' cards into his back pocket for safe keeping.

* * *

 **Skit: Interrogation Part 1**

"WHERE WERE YOU ON THE NIGHT OF THE 29TH?!" demanded Chazz, slamming his palms on the table in front of his tied up suspect; an Obelisk Blue.

The Obelisk Blue student, who was already scared out of his wits, panicked. "W-what are you even talking about?! I don't even know what's going on!"

Sweatdropping, Syrus and Jaden were standing nearby, acting as "good cops." "Chazz, I doubt he's involved in the case-"

"Shut it, Detective Pipsqueak! You think you can do better than me?" Chazz questioned, now pointing at Syrus.

Annoyed, Syrus defended, "I DO know that I don't go around, randomly grabbing people and interrogating them!"

"Gaaaah! I can't take it anymore! Okay! I admit it! I did it! I blew up the lab! I was only trying to test something and something went wrong and then a huge mess was made and I'm sorry! And if you don't believe me, my lab partner has photographic evidence and I suck!" sobbed the Obelisk Blue student.

"..."

"..."

"...Wow, that was just...wow," said Chazz.

* * *

 **Skit: Interrogation Part 2**

"Hmm...So, you admit that you were the one who killed Colonel Yellow!"

"..."

"Oh, giving me the silent treatment, are ya? No, seriously, TELL ME! Did you use the knife to kill him in the living room?"

"..."

"Damnit, woman! Answer me, or I'll-!"

"Chazz, what are you doing?"

"Not now, Jad-I mean, Now now, Dr. Watson! I'm busy trying to interrogate this woman!"

"Yeah...But, did you have to use a CLUE board game to practice interrogation? Even I'm not that stupid!"

"...Screw it, you're right. Fine, I'll download some game online involving more detective things! Starts something with 'Ace' in it."

"I doubt the training is the problem..."

* * *

 **Hahaha! Funny chapter, huh? Been waiting for something like this! It's not often we get Detective Princeton episodes, so this one's a special! Read and review!**


	33. A Lying Legend

**Just a bit longer until we get to one of my favorite episodes! This episode's good, but not one of my favorites!~ You'll see!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"As you all know, Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba are dueling legends in our generation," explained Banner, presenting sketched pictures of them on a visual screen on the chalkboard. "Not only are they famous, but highly skilled duelists as well."

"And totally hot, too!"

"Yeah! I'd definitely like to get my own 'Pot of Greed' from them!"

"Man, why aren't there any famous female duelists?"

"There's Mai Valentine, isn't there?"

"Oh yeah, I'd definitely like her to be my Valentine sometime!"

Mutterings ran across the entire classroom as the students engaged themselves in interest of Yugi and Kaiba, given that they were both attractive and powerful duelists. On the other hand, there were loads of sexual innuendos running about as well.

"Another nice fact to learn about is that there were other great duelists before Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba, like around Ancient Egypt!" Banner said.

"How far ahead are we talking about?" Jaden wondered. "I mean, Duel Monsters only been around for about 10 years or so. Can't beliebe they had duels that long time ago."

Turning to Jaden, Syrus answered, "Well, I heard that in Ancient Egypt, those sort of duelists used stone tablets instead of cards because the cards weren't invented back then."

Banner nodded in acknowledgement of the information. "Yes, one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful back in Ancienrt Egypt was a young pharaoh named Abidos the Third! Abidos was said to be undefeated, as in he's never had a losing streak even during practice duels!"

That got Jaden's attention. "Whoa, undefeated?! He must have really been strong then! I'm storng too, so I can take him on!"

Chazz smirked at Jaden's supposed overconfidence. "Yeah, but I'm sure the great pharaoh would OTK anyone on his first turn! No weaklings would stand up to him! I, on the other hand, am different!"

Whirling her head to face Chazz with an identical smirk, Jaden said, "Wow, really? Well, if you're ever defeated, then no need to worry! I'd avenge you! And if I won, that means I'm stronger than you! Yay!"

Eye twitching, Chazz resisted the very urge to attempt to strangle Jaden. "Y-You idiot! I meant you! There's no way in hell you'd be able to beat that king!"

"Why not? I did beat you before in the school duel after all!~"

"Grrrr! That does it! You're dead! I'm gonna kill you before you ever face that king!" growled Chazz, his temper reaching the limits as he wrapped his arms around Jaden's neck and noogied her on the head with one fist while Jaden laughed playfully.

"Guys! We'll get in trouble! Remember, we're still in class!" hissed Syrus, yet he was unable to contain his giggling.

"Owowowowowowowow! My ears!" cried out Jaden as Chazz was tugging on them.

"That's what you get for assuming I'm weak, slacker!"

"Ahaha! Guys, we should really be quiet!"

"Yes, that's right!" said Banner cheerfully. "And you can continue talking all you want...right after school while you clean the detention rooms! Good luck!~"

Syrus' face fell. "Awww...Not me, too!"

* * *

 _That night..._

Alexis remained standing near the lighthouse when she saw Zane walking towards her in their usual meeting spot. Now that Atticus was back, everything should be alright, but he still wasn't his usual self, worrying the two of them.

For a few moments, none of them spoke to each other, but the glances they gave to one another indicated it was alright for them to stay silent for awhile until they felt comfortable talking. That's how it's always been between the two close friends.

"...I'm sorry to trouble you like this, calling you out here in the middle of the night," apologized Alexis. "I just...needed someone to talk to."

Zane didn't seem bothered by any of this. "It's alright. I'm here to talk if you need to."

Nodding Alexis said, "Thanks. It's just...Atticus. I'm happy that he's finally back safe and sound, but he barely ever talks anymore. The best I can do is watch over him and maintain his health as best as I can. Still, I feel that isn't enough. I know that I shouldn't pressure him and that I should let him talk when he feels like it, but it still...hurts. He's an idiotic, goofy guy, but he's my idiotic, goofy brother..."

"I know how you feel," admitted Zane. "I, too, wish that he were back, but we need to give him some time and space. He's an idiot, but he's my idiot friend, too. I'm sure the thought of you being safe would make him feel more better, so let's not worry too much, okay?"

"Yeah...you're right. So, how about you and Jaden?"

"Hmm?"

Smirking, Alexis nudged Zane by the shoulder. "Come on, I know you've been at least a bit interested in her for a while."

Glancing back at the tides rising in and out, Zane sighed. "Well, I guess you get your perceptive from your brother. I guess I have been interested in Jaden, but we obviously can't be together."

"Why? Sure, you're a little older than her, but that's not so much trouble, right?"

"It's not the age I'm worried about. It's the years. She's a first year, and I'm a third year. Eventually, I'm going to have to graduate sometime soon, and I know long distance relationships never last long. Besides, I highly doubt Jaden holds feelings for me. You already seen how...clueless she can get."

Alexis sweatdropped, laughing nervously about Jaden's childish antics. "Yeah...She didn't even know what a fiancée meant. I doubt she's been given the lecture on the birds and the bees, either."

"If that's the case, she probably deserves a better guy than me. Someone who relates to her, maybe, but is kind to her."

"Even if she doesn't accept your feelings, you should at least tell her," Alexis urged. "If you don't, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

Now it's Zane time to smirk. "You got that from one of your romantic novels and movies, didn't you?"

"I...Well, yeah. But hey, I'm at the age where a girl can get a girlfriend!"

"Kinda ironic considering that you're not interested in having a boyfriend at the moment."

"Hey!"

Despite their friendly conversations, this one had to be interrupted the moment mummies dug out from underground and wandered slowly towards them. Gritting his teeth, Zane stepped in front of Alexis, shielding her with his body as they were wondering how mummies could appear out of nowhere?

Meanwhile, Chazz, Jaden, and Syrus exited out of the Duel Academy building, intending on heading back to their dorm to relax and rest. Who knew that the detention rooms were filthy and stinks as bad as a skunk? The trio weren't truly satisfied as they smelt like fish, so they hurried in order to get a shower and call it a day.

"I never knew we'd be in there for so long!" complained Syrus. "I'm so tired, too!"

"It's all Chazz's fault!" pouted Jaden. "He was the one who kept talking in class!"

Irritated, Chazz attempted to strangle Jaden by wrapping his arms around her neck once again. "That's it! You're dead! Dead, I tell you! Dead!"

"Gaaah! Urk! Stop! Gah! I give! I give! I GIVE!"

A scream brought an end to their childish behavior as it brought the trio's attention. Sensing that whoever screamed could be in serious danger, they looked around for any signs of anyone around until they glared downwards from their current position. Near the lighthouse were Zane and Alexis, surrounded by mummies.

"Zane! Alexis! You alright?!" hollered Syrus, hoping they might hear them.

Syrus' luck pulled through before Zane and Alexis glanced up, though they didn't look too happy. "Go! Run away from here! We'll be fine!" yelled Zane.

As if the trio were actually going to abandon both of their friends. But as they were trying to run down the cliffs to reach them, they were stopped by a blockade of mummies that popped out from the ground. Thinking they might go into a physical fight, both Syrus and Chazz drew close to Jaden, hoping to protect her with their lives.

"The...Spirit Keys...Give them here...Now!" murmured one of the mummies.

"What?! Are they with the Shadow Riders?!" wondered Chazz.

To make matters worse, the clouds above the night sky disperse from the brilliant light emitting from a golden flying ship that was almost as glorious as the sun itself. The light only grew brighter, engulfing the entire area with light.

It wasn't sure how long they've been out, but Jaden was the last to wake up. She was groggy for a few seconds before she recalled all about the mummies before she blacked out. When she sat up, she saw the others along with Banner sitting by her. From the looks of things, they seem to be on top of the flying golden ship.

"Jaden! Are you alright?" Zane asked. It appeared that the others were just as puzzled as she was.

"H-huh...? Professor Banner's here, too?" wondered Jaden, surprised to see him since he wasn't amongst the group when they were attacked by the mummies.

"It was horrible! I was in the middle of eating dinner when those mummies captured me! I suppose they must have been after my Spirit Key because they kept saying they wanted it!" complained Banner as his stomach grumbled a bit.

Zane thought to himself for a moment before speaking up, "These mummies must have some sort of ability to track down the Spirit Keys. Otherwise, they wouldn't have tried to find and capture us. They must have been after the Spirit Keys!"

A gong loudly rang out, catching everyone's attention. The first to spring into action was Jaden, as she rushed around to check out what was happening, only to discover several guards along with someone royalty sitting on a throne.

The person in royalty appeared to be wearing a mask and due to his appearance, it was without a doubt that he was a prince. The prince, who was seemingly bored, noticed the small party, causing Banner to freak out and faint.

"Professor Banner!" cried out Syrus.

"Eh, leave him alone. He's freaking out over nothing," said Chazz, watching as Pharaoh was fanning his owner with his paw.

Jaden, being oblivious of the dangerous situation at hand, was brave enough to approach forward, worrying her friends. The prince saw this act of bravery as the duelist in front of him showed no signs of fear whatsoever, interesting him as he stood up from his throne.

"Hey! You! Weird guy! What's going on?!" she demanded.

Walking forward, the prince announced, "That is not how you should address a great Egyptian pharaoh such as myself. I am Abidos the Third, one of the Shadow Riders!"

"Abidos?! The same guy Banner mentioned in class today!" exclaimed Chazz. "That pharaoh who never loses!"

"That one undefeated pharaoh?" wondered Alexis.

Turning to Alexis, Abidos smoothly replied, "You would make a nice palace girl, my beautiful dove!~"

"The name's Alexis, you masked creep! What do you want anyways?"

"Why, the Spirit Keys, of course! Kindly hand them over, why don't you?"

"Figures he'd want them," muttered Zane. "And we can't even make an escape route with all these guards around."

"Yeah, and even if we did, that Abidos guy would just send the mummies after us again," reminded Chazz.

"That's right, so just leave your keys here and walk away. Trust me, you really don't want to duel me," warned Abidos.

Excited, Jaden raised her hand, waving it as she jumped up and down. "Ooh! Ooh! I do! I do! Me! Me! Pick me! I wanna duel! I WANNA DUEL!"

"Keep your voice down, commoner! I can already hear you, you know!" scolded Abidos.

"Jaden! You realize this is a Shadow Game, right?" called out Zane, reminding her of the consequences should she ever lose a Shadow Game.

Alexis nodded, clutching her arm in worry. "That's right! Your soul's on the line, and this is the undefeated pharaoh we're talking about here!"

Instead of being scared or worried like the rest of her friends, all Jaden did was grin happily. "I know!~ But if I win, I get to take the title from him! I can be the best, like no one ever was! Hehe!~ How exciting!~" Looking back at Abidos, she exclaimed, "Hey! Abi! Get your game on!"

Not fully understanding the phrase, Abidos simply replied, "My game is always on! And for the record, it's Abidos, not that silly name you gave me! Still, I do have to admit, you are pretty brave to stand up against the great Abidos, young man!"

"I'm no man! I'm Jaden Yuki! Also, I'm a girl!"

"What?! Do my eyes truly deceive me?!"

"No, no. She really is a girl," All of her friends spoke monotonously. They were pretty much used to correcting someone about Jaden's gender that it became a common thing to do so. It's clear that anyone would be mistaken by Jaden's gender, given she mostly acts like a boy at times.

Digging his hands inside Syrus' backpack, Chazz then fished out a duel disk and yelled, "Hey, Jaden! Catch!" He threw the duel disk at Jaden, who easily caught it.

Noticing the flap of his backpack open, along with his backpack being lighter, Syrus shouted, "Hey! That was my own duel disk!"

"Thanks, Chazzy! And I'll return the duel disk back to ya later, Sy!" thanked Jaden, happily equipping the duel disk to her arm. "Alright, time to throw down!"

"It's Chazz, damnit!"

The entire dueling field was devoid of any sound except for the sounds of the duel disks activating with the two duelists placing their decks in place. The entire air was filled with anxiety coming from Jaden's friends, while Jaden and Abidos both had an air of confidence around them.

 _'Just how are you going to beat the undefeated, Jaden?'_ thought Zane, examining the duel closely. _'If you can survive this, you'll become even more stronger than before, I assure you.'_

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Abidos - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"It is my turn! I draw!" spoke Abidos; his tone firm and full of that of someone with high experience in dueling. "From my hand, I summon Pharaonic Protector in Defense Mode!"

Pharaonic Protector - (EARTH/Zombie) - LV2 - (900/0)

"Wait, he summoned a Monster with 0 defense?!" exclaimed Syrus, surprised. He sorta expected that a great pharaoh such as Abidos would play a Monster with high Attack Points or high Defense Points.

"Then, I set a card and end my turn."

"Fine, my turn! Draw!" said Jaden.

"I activate my Trap, The First Sarcophagus!" Abidos said. "At the End Phase of each of your turns, I must place a card from my hand or deck in this order; The Second Sacrophagus and The Third Sarcophagus! And trust me, if all three are in place, you'll experience despair and darkness like none other than before!"

Just the threat of his words were enough to worry the others. If what Abidos spoke of was true, then Jaden would be deep in it now should all three cards be assembled. This meant that Jaden had to finish this duel in a hurry or else something terrible would happen.

But, knowing Jaden, she would be curious as to what effects all three Sacrophagus cards had, as evidence from her happy expression. "Really?! That's so cool! So, can I continue my turn now?"

"...Fine."

"Yay! Alright, first off, I'm summoning Elemental Hero Avian in Attack Mode!"

Elemental Hero Avian - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (1000/1000)

"Next up, a new Hero Spell card you guys haven't seen before! H- Heated Heart! One Monster on my side of the field gains 500 extra Attack Points! An additional effect is that the Monster affected by H-Heated Heart can obtain piercing damage! Attack Avian, with Quill Cascade!"

Elemental Hero Avian - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (1500/1000)

Extending his arm forward, Avian flapped his wings rapidly, causing the feathers on his wings to aim directly at Pharaonic Protector like arrows. The arrows were so overwhelming, they managed to pierce at Abidos as well.

 **Abidos - 2500 LP**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"Yay! Jaden managed to get a critical hit!" cheered Syrus.

Stunned, Chazz spoke, "She managed to draw the first blood, first?"

"Oh, yeah! I'm loving this! I end my turn!" declared Jaden.

Shaking his head, Abidos soon snapped out of it as he regained himself and focused on the duel before him. "Due to the effect of The First Sarcophagus, I activate The Second Sarcophagus! Be weary, because once the final sarcophagus is in play, your soul is mine and your fate will be sealed!"

The reminder of the mysterious effects of the three sarcophagus cards frightened the students, including Banner, who had recently woken up. Even Jaden was sweating a little from the pressure, as she was in a conflict herself. One part of her was urging her to hurry and win the duel, and the other part wished for her to see what the third effect was.

"My turn!" said Abidos. "I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw two more cards from my deck! I play the Spell, Tribute to the Doomed! All I have to do is discard a card from my hand, and your Avian is destroyed!"

Mummy hands emerged from a twisted quicksand that formulated underneath Avian's feet, pulling him in before Avian could even attempt to resist.

"And next, I'll summon Pharaoh's Servant in Attack Mode!"

Pharaoh's Servant - (DARK/Zombie) - LV2 - (900/0)

"Attack her directly, Pharaoh's Servant!"

Obedient to his pharaoh, Pharaoh's Servant slashed with his weapon before jumping back for distance. Jaden grimanced in pain due to the effects of the Shadow Games as her friends gasped, now witnessing some of Abidos' true skills at hand.

"I end my turn!"

"My move then!" said Jaden. "Now, I activate E - Emergency Call! I can add an Elemental Hero from my deck to my hand! I add Sparkman to my hand and summon him in Attack Mode!

Elemental Hero Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1400)

"Next up, I'm activating another Spell known as R - Righteous Justice! For every Elemental Hero on my field, it can destroy up to that many Spells or Traps on the field! And I definitely know what to choose! You said you have to get all three of those weird card thingies to seal my fate, right? Then, it's pretty obvious I'm gonna destroy The First Sarcophagus!"

"Not so fast! I discard a card to activate the Trap, Magic Jammer! Now your Spell's effect is negated and destroyed!" shouted Abidos.

A purple, hazy fog sprung out and shot towards R - Righteous Justice, poisoning it before it was destroyed, thus rendering Jaden's Spell useless.

Jaden flinched and winched from the destruction of her Spell card before grinning at Abidos. "Wow, wicked counter! Nice move, Abidos! Looks like it's not gonna be easy destroying that sarcophagus of yours!"

"Aww! And she was so close too!" complained Syrus, finding it a bit unfair.

"Still, at least Jaden got rid of one facedown Abidos had planned," said Alexis.

"Well, even if you got rid of R - Righteous Justice, I still got Sparkman!" Jaden said, grinning. "Sparkman, zap him directly! Pow! Pow! Pow!"

Gliding up in the air, once he got into position, Sparkman widened his palm and shot out lightning from above, zapping Pharaoh's Servant. The electrical currents from the blast affected Abidos as well as he screamed in pain before collapsing.

 **Abidos - 1800 LP**

 **Jaden - 3100 LP**

"How...dare you...? How dare you attack me? You aren't supposed to do that!" accused Abidos. "That means you're scheming something!"

"Dude, I'm allowed to attack you, remember? It's my Battle Phase? Battle?" said Jaden. "And besides, if I lower your Life Points to 0, I won't have to worry about those weird sacro-somethings!"

"My three sacrophagus?"

"Yeah! That! It's only natural for someone to get rid of a threat before it actually does something!"

"I...I suppose so," Abidos said, having to agree on that statement. "But I'm Abidos! The greatest pharaoh duelist ever!"

Jaden didn't seem quite convinced of that anymore. Before, she was trembling with excitement over dueling with a pharaoh with a great reputation, but now, she was a bit plain bored. "Uh...Hate to break it to ya, but you don't really seem that great. I kinda half expected some...rare cards or really wicked Monsters, but nothing came up. You're...actually really weak, aren't you? It's okay! I won't laugh!"

"Huh, so Abidos' deck is kinda like a starter deck!" stated Syrus. "Well, at least Jaden won't have any trouble beating this guy now."

Chazz scoffed, crossing his arms. "Great, and I was ready to go next in line in case Jaden lost. Guess she doesn't need to worry about this guy."

Thanks to Jaden not holding anything back on Abidos, Abidos started to think he was beginning to feel weak, but then he thought back on memories of his previous duels with the other guards and soldiers back in his previous life as pharaoh. At first, it was truly exciting and proudful for him to be winning his duels, but the more he won, the more he felt..unsatisfied. He thought that he had grown too strong but he knew the truth now.

"Wait...could it be that my men...weren't even dueling me seriously? That they were holding back?" gasped Abidos.

"Wow, what a ripoff!" complained Chazz, annoyed. Now that it was confirmed that Abidos only won due to him being the pharaoh, he held no more desire of facing Abidos.

"I feel bad for him," admitted Alexis, pitying Abidos. "I mean, he spent his entire life believing he was the greatest when he really wasn't. Poor guy."

Even Jaden felt sorry for Abidos, but decided to cheer him up. "Come on! Turn that frown upside down! Uh...Well, I can't really see your face with the mask on, but you know what I'm saying! Dueling's fun when you really go all out, right? Then, get your game on! Again!"

Finding wisdom and courage in Jaden's words, Abidos couldn't help but admire Jaden as he stood back up on his feet. "You...You really mean it? You'll duel me seriously?"

"Obviously! I've been doing that from the start! No way was I going to hold back against an almighty pharaoh!"

Abidos shook his head. "No, I do not deserve that title. Not until I have proven myself! For real, this time!" With that declaration said and done, he took off his mask, revealing the handsome face of a prince.

Jaden grinned. "Hey, you're not so bad-looking yourself!"

"Oh? Really? Well, I am refined as one of the most handsome men back in the lands."

"Awesome! Now, I'll just throw down a facedown and end my turn! Show me what you've got, Abidos!"

"Very well!" shouted Abidos. "From my deck, I activate The Third Sarcophagus!"

"Oh, no! He's got all three Sarcophagus cards out!" cried out Alexis.

"Nice plan, Jaden. Telling your _enemy_ to win!" said Chazz sarcastically. "Just what the hell's gonna happen now?"

With a confident smile, Abidos proclaimed, "Now that the preparations are complete, I can finally sacrifice all three Sarcophagus cards to Special Summon Spirit of the Pharaoh in Attack Mode!"

Once all three Sarcophagus cards vanished, a golden tomb took place and unsealed itself until the entire golden cover was unraveled. A big hand clasped one of the sides of the opened tomb until a mummy-like pharaoh emerged and stood up from his slumber.

Spirit of the Pharaoh - (LIGHT/Zombie) - LV6 - (2500/2000)

"Whoa! He looks pretty cool!" gasped Jaden. "But...even though he looks cool, I expected more than just 2500 Attack Points."

"Fear not, dear! I'm not done yet!" replied Abidos. "When Spirit of the Pharaoh is Special Summoned successfully, I can Special Summon up to 4 Level 2 or lower Zombie-Type Normal Monsters from my Graveyard!"

Pharaonic Protector - (EARTH/Zombie) - LV2 - (900/0) X2

Pharaoh's Servant - (DARK/Zombie) - LV2 - (900/0) X2

"Now, it's my draw!" shouted Abidos, drawing his card.

"I activate the Trap card, Invincible Hero!" countered Jaden. "With this card, you can't destroyed Sparkman this turn, so I'm safe!"

Abidos smirked. "Oh, really? Don't count yourself out just yet. I activate the Spell, Thousand Energy! Now, all Level 2 Monsters gain 1000 Attack Points this turn!"

Pharaonic Protector - (EARTH/Zombie) - LV2 - (1900/0) X2

Pharaoh's Servant - (DARK/Zombie) - LV2 - (1900/0) X2

The first two combatants to try their luck against Sparkman were the two Pharaoh's Servants, who stabbed Sparkman in various places, causing Jaden to feel the pain straight through Sparkman. Then, the two Pharaonic Protectors lashed out as well, making Jaden experience more pain.

"While Sparkman is safe this turn, Jaden will still receive an extra 300 Points of Damage for each Level 2 Monster," commented Alexis.

 **Abidos - 1800 LP**

 **Jaden - 1900 LP**

"Not yet! I still have Spirit of the Pharaoh's attack!" reminded Abidos. "Attack! Don't hold back!"

Spirit of the Pharaoh rushed over and slammed his fist downwards on Sparkman's head, which Jaden felt the impact of, causing her to cry out more in pain. She glared up, not willing to submit to Abidos' newfound power.

 **Abidos - 1800 LP**

 **Jaden - 1000 LP**

"I sacrifice one of my Pharaonic Protectors to activate a Spell known as Soul Guide," continued Abidos. "It lets me restore Life Points equal to the amount of Attack Points my sacrificed Monster had.

 **Abidos - 3700 LP**

 **Jaden - 1000 LP**

"Next, it lets me add a card to my hand; the same one I used as a sacrifice! Now, at my End Phase, due to the effect of Thousand Energy, those affected by it are now destroyed!"

One by one, Abidos' Monsters exploded into nothing until there was only one left; one that wasn't affected by Thousand Energy. Spirit of the Pharaoh; Abidos' trump card.

"Jaden!" cried out Syrus. How did such an advantageous situation turn the tides against Jaden and grant Abidos more favor on his side so quickly?!

"Calm down, Syrus," ordered Zane, still not giving up on Jaden. "Look at Jaden. See how composed she is? And that happy look on her face is obvious that she's still in this."

"Why are you so happy? You're about to lose the duel!" said Abidos.

Shaking her head, Jaden simply grinned. "Simple! I'm not really worried! Because I know I'm gonna win this! My turn! I summon Elemental Hero Clayman in Attack Mode!"

Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

"Next up, I'm activating a sweet Spell card known as O - Oversoul! This card lets me Special Summon a Normal Monster with Elemental Hero in its name from the Graveyard! And I'm Special Summoning Avian back to the field!"

Elemental Hero Avian - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (1000/1000)

"Hmph! You may overwhelm me with numbers, but when it comes to Attack Points, my Spirit of the Pharaoh supremes over all! You can't beat him!" reminded Abidos.

"I know that! I'm not that dumb!" said Jaden. "Your three card combo was pretty sweet, but I've got a four card combo! The H in H - Heated Heart, E in E- Emergency Call, R in R - Righteous Justice, and O in O - Oversoul! I remove all of them from my Graveyard in order to activate Hero Flash!"

"And what, pray tell, does this card do?"

As the four Hero cards that were previously used flew up in the field for all to see, Jaden explained, "Well first, I get to Special Summon Elemental Hero Burstinatrix in Attack Mode from my deck!"

Elemental Hero Burstinatrix - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (1200/1000)

Jaden grinned and stuck her tongue out at Abidos, winking at him. "How's that, huh? My sweet four card combo! Of course, it's not fully complete yet, but it will soon! You gotta admit, it's pretty cool!"

"Oh hush! Even if you gathered four Monsters, they're still weaker than my Monster!" cried out Abidos.

"And that's why I'm telling you, a winner isn't determined until the end of a duel! That's why you're an idiot, idiot!"

"What?! You insolent runt! How dare you call me an idiot?!"

"Even if you're a king or whatever, an idiot is still an idiot!~"

"Idiot! If you're calling me an idiot, then you're an idiot for calling me an idiot, idiot!"

"No, you're the idiot because you're the one admitting you're an idiot by calling me an idiot, idiot!"

As the two duelists bickered, the audience sweatdropped. It was like the two focused less on the duel and more on their arguing. Honestly, it was like the two were acting like kids. For the adults and more matured teenagers, it was almost embarrassing.

"Alright, then I'll finish this off with Hero Flash! final effect! All of my Elemental Heroes get to attack you directly! And that's game!"

All four of her Elemental Heroes formed into four differently colored streams of light that bypassed Spirit of the Pharaoh and attacked Abidos head on, causing Abidos to collapse to his knees as his Life Points went down to 0.

 **Abidos - 0 LP**

 **Jaden - 1000 LP**

"In the end, they put up a good fight, both of them," admitted Alexis, amused.

"Hmph! Big deal! Her Hero Flash! is too much like Ojama Delta Hurricane!" scoffed Chazz.

"Still, that's Jaden's style, so it might suit her. I wonder how Abidos is holding up?" wondered Syrus.

Thinking the great pharaoh might be hurt, Jaden rushed to his side. "Hey, you alright?"

Looking up at the female duelist, Abidos nodded; a bright new light shining in his eyes. "Yes, I am more than alright. I realize now that I must continue to prosper and grow stronger." Standing up, Abidos walked over and bent one knee in front of her, clasping her hand into his. "Jaden, I may go back to the heavens soon, but I wished to ask this when I have grown more of a man, but I cannot hold it anymore. Jaden, will you come back to the heavens with me as my wife?"

"EEHHHH?!" Everyone screamed, shocked and astonished by Abidos' proposal. A romantic proposal was bad enough, but joining in the heavens as well?! That meant Jaden had to die as well!

"Yes, won't you come with me to the heavens? If you become my bride, you could be showered with riches and fame and glory, as well as basking in my love! During the duel, I realize just how beautiful you are of a woman, both inside and out! Never before have I ever encountered such a strong and beautiful and kind girl such as yourself! It would make me envious to think any man would want you! So, will you marry me in the heavens?"

"No, no, no! Don't do it! Jadddeeennn!" cried out Syrus.

"Yeah, you can't do that!" agreed Chazz. "I won't allow it! You're my rival, damnit! You can't go when I haven't even beat you!"

"...Jaden, you can't go. I still need to speak to you," spoke Zane calmly.

Alexis could immediantly tell that deep inside, all three loved, or at least had a crush on Jaden and weren't willing to release her towards some handsome pharaoh that they just met. It was without a doubt that each of the three could take on Abidos and win, especially since they've seen his tricks.

"Um..." Jaden could feel her face heating up from the proposal, as she's never been proposed before. Clasping her hand on her hot cheek, Jaden smiled, then shook her head. "Sorry, Abidos. I...I'm kinda not interested in marriage. Maybe, in the afterlife, we can duel as much as you want, okay?"

"The afterlife?" Abidos smiled, though he was a bit sadden. "I understand. Yes, it is immature of me to propose to you when you haven't fully experienced all of life's pleasures. I'm sure one day, a man will take you; a man much more better than me. But I will be looking forward to dueling you in the afterlife. But before that.." He pressed his lips against Jaden's soft palm. "A gift from me to you."

"Gaaaaaahhh! I'm gonna kill him!" yelled Syrus and Chazz, enraged before they were being held back by Zane and Alexis.

Abidos landed his flying golden ship on the ground, safely transporting Jaden and her friends down on land before flying off. The others spoke their goodbyes to one another before the flying golden ship vanished into the light back to the ancient heavens.

As they were heading back to their dorms, the group broke into a conversation to pass the time. "Abidos wasn't that bad of a guy! Look what he gave me as his second gift!~" Jaden giggled, twirling the Shadow Charm in her fingers.

"Why do you get to collect all the Shadow Charms?" questioned Chazz, still irritated that someone proposed to Jaden and managed to make her blush. That was supposed to be his job!

"Because I'm awesome!~"

"That's not a direct answer!"

"Hey, maybe since I beat the legend, I can beat you anytime, Chazzy!~"

"No way! That was a foul play! He was practically a beginner! And stop calling me Chazzy!"

"Whatever, Chazzy!~"

"Gaaaaaahhh!"

Hidden in the shadows of the forest, Banner watched Jaden and her friends as they had successfully protected their Spirit Keys from yet another Shadow Rider. "Get stronger, all of you...Because with the more duels, the more life lessons you'll face, and eventually, your duels will lead you to the greatest challenge of your lives..."

* * *

 **Skit: Wrong Correction**

"Jaden!" demanded Chazz, stomping up to Jaden.

"Yeah?"

"I have...a warning to tell you! If you ever meet a guy for the first time and he proposes to you, kick him between the legs! I don't care if it's a teacher or your Dad or whatever! Just kick him there and run away!"

Jaden was confused for a moment before grinning. "Okay! You know, nowadays, you're acting more nice to me, Chazz! I think I have an idea why!"

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about!" denied Chazz, glaring away from her. _'Wait, could she have figured it out? That...my feelings...could she...?'_

"You're a tsunami!"

"What the heck that's supposed to mean?! I'm not some raging tidal wave!"

"Oh! I got that wrong then. Laters!"

Watching Jaden leave, Chazz grew puzzled by her word phrasing. "Tsunami...Tsunami...why would she call me th-HEY! I AM NOT A TSUNDERE!"

"Oh! So that's what it was! Thanks, Chazzy! You're a tsundere!"

"Stop calling me that! Get back here!"

* * *

 **Skit: Stronger**

Syrus decided that since the Shadow Riders were strong, he must also become stronger to protect Jaden and the rest of his friends. After all, he wouldn't want anything bad happening to any of them. With that set in mind, he decided to invest himself into a physical training program.

Having properly prepared his training grounds inside his dorm room, he laid down on his back and grasped the handles of a pole before attempting to lift it up with all his might.

Thoughts of his desire to help Jaden after all she's gone filled him with vigor and determination. The weight of the weight he was trying to lift up was too much for his muscles, yet he struggled to continue lifting it even if his muscles were frail. No matter what, he wouldn't give up, since Jaden never once gave up on a duel or her friends either! So, naturally he should do the same!

"Jaden, are those two stuffed animals tapped to the ends of that pole Syrus is trying to lift?" questioned Chumley, having witnessed Syrus' special training.

Jaden nodded. "Yup! He said it was important, so I gave him two of my favorite stuffed animals!"

"But those are like, the biggest stuffed animals you have. In fact, how did you manage to put all many stuffed animals in your bed?"

"Girl secret!"

Chumely shrugged and turned back to Syrus. Poor Syrus...if this is all he could amount to, then he'll have a hard time with the real deal weights. Well, at the very least, he was always trying his best.

* * *

 **Skit: False Alarm**

 _ **"How dare that pharaoh propose and touch our cute Jaden?!'**_ questioned Flame Wingman.

Burstinatrix sighed; having to listen to another one of Flame Wingman's rants about his sweet Jaden. _**"I don't get what the deal is anymore. The pharaoh is already in the afterlife. He can't affect Jaden if he's dead."**_

 _ **"Yes, but think about what he might do if it's her turn to die!"**_

 _ **"All he wants is a duel from her. Besides, he's already acknowledged that he's not the type of man for her."**_

 _ **"That's even worse! Now Jaden might actually try and find a man suited for her! First, it'll be marriage, and then babies! The babies I don't mind, but the marriage is a no go!"**_

 _ **"Flame Wingman, you're being overdramatic again."**_

 _ **"Even so, I will never hand Jaden over! Besides, that 'day' is coming up, and that may be our only chance of checking up on Jaden and even delivering righteous justice to those who have hurt her!"**_

 _ **"Oh boy, this will be good."**_

* * *

 **Whew! Read and review!~**


	34. A Reason To Win

**Now I'm all fired up for this chapter! Even though I wanna skip ahead to the next episode after this, I have to do this since it involves the Shadow Riders! Awww!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

Lightning continuously flashed from outside of Duel Academy as rain poured down in an immense pace, showing no signs of stopping whatsoever as strong winds joined in the clash of rain and lightning. There predicted a heavy thunderstorm tonight, so it was natural it would be windy and extremely loud, yet the storm noises didn't scared Alexis as she was fixated on her big brother.

Sitting in the chair in the dark infirmary where her brother was sleeping, Alexis clasped Atticus' hand in hers as she prayed for his safety and safe recovery. It was good that he was back with her and the rest of his friends, but he still wasn't quite mentally stabled, which was expected since he did seem mind controlled by the Shadow Riders to become an evil being called Nightshroud.

Staring at her brother, Alexis pondered in thought. _'There's only 2 Shadow Riders left, and this whole battle between the Key Keepers and the Shadow Riders will finally be over. I just hope my brother will finally be his true self again once this is all over.'_

Closing her eyes, Alexis reminisced back when she and Atticus were still kids. It was thanks to him that she didn't turn into some duelist who grew obsessed with getting strong cards. Due to his advice and kind words for her, Alexis was able to build a powerful deck that she favored, and even though it wasn't too powerful in terms of strength, there were other uses she had for her cards, and as a result, they've always helped her out in tight spots. She'd rather be the sort of duelist to enjoy playing the game with her favorite cards by her side.

 **"It's clear you miss your big brother. How about an offer for you to gain the chance for him to get his memories back?"**

The ominous voice snapped Alexis out of her thoughts as she glanced at the mysterious sphere emitting a dark presence. "Who's there?!"

 **"My identity will be clear to you soon enough. If you can defeat me in a duel, you'll get your brother's memories back. Is that clear? We shall duel at the Abandoned Dorm!"**

The dark sphere started mumbling some ancient words that Alexis couldn't even understand, and soon enough, her eyes grew soulless as they lost their light, indicating Alexis was in sort of a trance controlled by the enemy. The sphere revealed an image of the Abandoned Dorm for a brief moment before Titan, the masked man sent by Crowler long before, grasped the soulless Alexis and dragged her into the sphere, where it served as a teleportation sphere.

Sensing the darkness, Atticus recognized the presence and his eyes snapped wide. Sitting up, he weakly reached his arm out for Alexis, but it was too late. Both the intruder and Alexis had vanished, leaving Atticus in silent shock.

* * *

 _At the Slifer Red Dorm..._

Despite the storm crashing and booming outside, Jaden and her friends were still deep in sleep, yet groaned every time they kept hearing the constant knocking sounds at their door. It was even worse for Jaden as Winged Kuriboh kept poking her and trying to wake her up.

Finally fed up, Chumley decided to try and open the door to see who really wanted this at this late hour. "Jeez! Alright! Who is it?"

His question was answered with the face of a ghoulish-looking Chazz standing right in front of the door.

Just the sight of his face was enough to rouse Chumley out of his slumber, causing the boy to scream in terror. His scream startled Jaden and Syrus to wake up at once before they too, were disgusted by Chazz's face.

"Eeeekkk! A zombie!" cried out Syrus, suddenly clinging onto Jaden.

Chazz shook his head frantically to wake himself up before yawning. If he wasn't so tired, he'd probably go over there and wring his neck for touching his Jaden. Now wasn't the time, though. "Look, I gotta tell you something really important!"

"What? What is it?" asked Jaden, sensing something seriously bad was wrong.

* * *

 _Later..._

With the guidance of their Duel Spirits, Jaden, Syrus, Chumley, and Chazz rushed around the hallways of Duel Academy, searching for Alexis since they were informed that she mysterious vanished. Along their way, they spotted Crowler and Zane, who were about to enter the infirmary themselves.

"What's going on?!" panted Jaden.

"Alexis didn't show up at the lighthouse like she was supposed to, so I wanted to check up on her and see if she was alright," explained Zane.

"Since I'm an Obelisk Blue dorm teacher, I got informed by Miss Fontaine that one of her students was missing and hasn't returned to bed. Honestly, we all know Alexis would spend time with her brother, so why worry?" questioned Crowler, being a bit irritated that he had to wake up so late at night for this.

Without saying anything, it was already decided that the group would enter the infirmary to check up on Alexis, but to their shock, they found an injured Atticus laying on the ground instead of the bed. No signs of Alexis were everywhere even when they turned on the lights.

They rushed towards Atticus, gathering around him and trying to get him in a more comfortable position. "What happened?! Atticus, who did this to you?" questioned Zane. "And where's Alexis?"

Although weakened, Atticus managed to pry his eyes open as he muttered one word with all of his remaining strength. "T-Titan..." With that, he went limp and unconscious.

"Wait, who was Titan?" wondered Jaden.

Even though he hasn't heard that name in a long while, Crowler recognized it and immediantly began sweating like crazy. _'Titan?! That duelist who I hired long ago to scare off Jaden?! Oh no! He must have grown impatient since I didn't pay him and he's kidnapped Alexis as a hostage! Dear me! If things were gonna turn out like this, I should have paid him before he dueled Jaden! If anyone finds out, I'll be fired!'_

* * *

 _With Alexis..._

When Alexis regained her senses, she found herself deep within a familiar place; the insides of the Abandoned Dorm. She recognized it there because she was captured by Titan, the very same one standing before her, when she wanted to search for more clues for her missing brother. She never anticipated that she'd be back at the very same place where Titan was defeated by Jaden. Guess it was time for the hunted to become the hunter.

"Alright, we'll duel! If I win, you restore my brother's memories back! That's the deal, right?" shouted Alexis.

Titan nodded. "Of course, that's if you win. But if _I_ win, I get some prizes as well. Your Spirit Key and your soul when I return to the Shadow Realm! And you shall be a new Shadow Rider, whether you like it or not! You see, when the shadows accepted me as a Shadow Rider, I gained new powers unlike anything before, so I'm quite stronger than I was last time I fought your friend!"

Alexis merely stayed calm and silent, when Titan tossed her a duel disk. Luckily for her, she had her deck in her pocket, so with one attachment with her deck into the duel disk, she was well set for dueling.

"Hey, I see them!" cried out Syrus as he and the others rushed into the sacred area where Alexis and Titan where. Carrying Atticus by his arms around their necks, Chumley and Jaden hoisted him up as they had to drag him towards the Abandoned Dorm since he insisted on going along.

"Alexis!" Seeing that the duel was about to begin and that there was no stopping it, the least Jaden and the others could do was give her their full support. "We're rooting for you! Go and beat that Shadow Rider!"

Realization flashed into Crowler's mind. "Ah! So, this isn't about collecting his debt, after all!"

"What are you talking about?" Chazz wondered.

"O-Oh! Nothing!"

Just before they were about to begin, Alexis glanced at the audience, primarily towards Atticus. She was glad he's managed to recover some of his emotions back, but he was still in critical condition. To herself, Alexis promises that she would win this duel and regain his memories back.

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Titan - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Alexis - 4000 LP**

"I'll go first! My draw!" started off Titan. "I summon Picador Fiend in Attack Mode!"

Picador Fiend - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1200)

"Then, I'll put a card facedown and end my turn!"

"I draw a card!" announced Alexis, since it was her turn to shine. "I summon Cyber Tutu in Attack Mode!"

Cyber Tutu - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV3 - (1000/800)

"Oh? And just what do you plan to do with a Monster with lesser Attack Points?" questioned Titan.

"Simple!" answered Alexis. "Her special ability makes it so she can attack you directly if your Monster has more Attack Points than hers!"

"I see, so that's why you brought her out! Clever! So why don't you go ahead and attack me?" complimented Titan, baiting her to attack. _'Of course, the second she does, I'll not only destroy her Monster, but her Life Points will dwindle down to 0 as well!'_

Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, Alexis thought, _'Why encourage me to attack him? Of course! His facedown card!'_ "From my hand, I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Allegro Toile! When I Normal Summon a Monster this turn, I can activate it, thus allowing me to destroy one Spell or Trap card on the field!"

As soon as her ballerina shoes glowed pink, Cyber Tutu started twirling around, lifting up one foot to aim and shoot out a dagger-like weapon with wings that stabbed the facedown card Titan had planted.

"No!"

With no more threat standing in her way, Alexis declared, "Now, with Cyber Tutu's effect, I attack you directly!"

Cyber Tutu bypassed Picador Fiend and twirled around once more, successfully kicking Titan right around the chin area and send him prawling on the ground.

 **Titan - 3000 LP**

 **Alexis - 4000 LP**

"Next, I place my own facedown on my field before ending my turn!"

"Alexis is in the lead now!" cheered Syrus happily.

Zane nodded, finding no problem with Alexis' part so far. "Yes, her determination and strong feelings for Atticus has proven to overwhelm the darkness Titan possesses so far."

Even though Alexis has a clear winning, Atticus stayed silent, unsure of what's to come. It's true that Alexis was in the lead, but the duel has just started so there's no telling what might happen.

Trying not to allow his frustration to show, Titan hastily drew his card. "I attack with Picador Fiend! Destroy Cyber Tutu!"

Alexis waited for the moment for Picador Fiend to fire a green beam. "Now, I activate my Trap card, Doble Passé! Instead of Cyber Tutu being attacked, I get a direct attack instead! Agh!"

 **Titan - 3000 LP**

 **Alexis - 2400 LP**

Everyone gasped as Alexis stumbled back, clutching her stomach with one arm before fiercely glaring at Titan, griting her teeth in pain. "In exchange for that attack, Cyber Tutu can now wage a direct attack on you as well!"

"What?!" exclaimed Titan before he was confronted by another kick from Cyber Tutu, stammering back as his Life Points suffered from his pain.

 **Titan - 2000 LP**

 **Alexis - 2400 LP**

"Alright! Alexis is winning! Even though she lost a few Points, that's a small loss! Titan's done for, for sure!" cheered Jaden. "Right, Atticus?"

"..." Atticus remained silent, sternly looking at the duel with a stressed and worried expression still planted on his face.

"H-Hey...What's wrong?"

Zane shook his head. "The problem is that if Alexis isn't too careful, then she might make a bad mistake and lose. See, even Atticus is feeling something's wrong with this duel."

"Yeah, best you can do is not to cheer for her and distract her," said Chazz, crossing her arms. "This is a Shadow Game after all, and I wouldn't want to lose my cool from distractions."

"I'm distracting Alexis? Huh, didn't know," admitted Jaden, turning back to the duel.

 _'My combo attacks should be dealing Titan a lot of damage,'_ thought Alexis, wondering about her next strategy. _'Now, what to do next? Depending on his next move, I may have to change strategies.'_

Titan chuckled darkly. "What's wrong, my dear? You seemed worried, as well as a bit scared. That's to be expected, given our first encounter. But, I'm not the same man who I used to be."

Alexis replied, "All I want is my brother to be safe as well as return his memories. Right now, I don't care about anything else other than that!"

"Oh, don't worry. I'm completely aware of that. But as soon as I win this duel, you'll share the same experiences as your precious brother and become the Shadow Rider's new servant! So, just wait and watch as your demise arrives! I now activate the Ritual Spell card, Ritual of the Matador! I tribute my Level 6 Summoned Skull to Ritual Summon Matador Fiend!"

Emerging from a goo of lava which melted down from his body, a fiendish Ritual Monster growled as he took his stance.

Matador Fiend - (DARK/Warrior/Ritual) - LV6 - (0/0)

"A Monster with 0 Attack and Defense Points...If he sacrificed a strong Monster for a creature like that, something must be up!" muttered Alexis suspiciously.

Overhearing Alexis, Titan merely laughed. "Ahaha! Why don't you come and find out? I activate the Field Spell, Dark Arena!"

A fog of darkness overwhelmed the entire dueling field, transporting the two into a different area that appeared to be somewhat of the insides of a dark cave that led to nowhere even if one were to try and run away. From Alexis' point of view, Titan and his Monsters were engulfed by the darkness, making it further hard to see where her targets were.

"I now end my turn! Ahahaha!"

"What just happened?" questioned Zane as he and the others were staring at the huge dark barrier the engulfed the two duelists inside. Whatever was happening inside, the two of them must still be commencing their duel.

"I can't see anything beyond there! It's all dark and shadowy!" cried out Syrus as he and Chumley trembled in fear, not wishing to enter. In fact nobody would dare to, not just because of fear, but also what negative effects entering such an area would have on their bodies.

"Hey, Jaden!" called out Chazz, turning to her. "You fought that Titan guy, yeah? You know any way to getting out of that weird barrier he's set up?"

Jaden shook her head; her Shadow Charm pendant glowing immensely as if sensing the presence of something powerful. "Sorry, no good. He never used this sort before. He was actually a magician, but he did use some sort of evil illusion, or something."

"Oh, why did I bother hire him in the first place if it was just going to end up like this?" groaned Crowler, causing heads to turn to his direction in confusion. "Oh! Nothing! Just talking to myself!"

"Anyways, I think this is the real deal," stated Jaden, reverting back to the duel, though they couldn't see anymore of it. "I doubt this is any illusion. I think this is part of the Shadow Game!"

Alexis was having a hard time deciding what move to make, as she had already drawn her card and trying to strategy a new plan for this dire situation. _'Thanks to Dark Arena, I can't see a single thing, especially the Monsters he has! What now?'_

Titan's dark laughter surprised Alexis momentarily before he explained, "Allow me to shed some light on the situation! Here in the Dark Arena, all Monsters in Attack Mode must wage an attack! On top of that, you cannot choose the Monster targeted by the attack! Only I can decide which Monsters you can attack! Just what will you do now?"

"I'll tell you what I'm going to do, alright!" shouted Alexis. "First, I activate Polymerization and fuse Etoile Cyber and Blade Skater from my hand to create Cyber Blader!"

Sacrificing two Monsters instead of one on her field, Alexis watched the creation of her Fusion Monster take place and up against Titan.

Cyber Blader - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV7 - (2100/800)

"Cyber Blader has different effects depending on the number of Monsters you have! In fact, I'm activating one of them right now! When you have 2 Monsters out, then Cyber Blader's Attack Points double towards 4200!"

Cyber Blader - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV7 - (4200/800)

"My, my! 4200 Attack Points!" laughed Titan, as if finding that to be no threat. "How scary! Yet, so impressed at the same time!"

"Save your compliments to yourself!" snapped Alexis. "With Cyber Blader out, there's no way I can lose! Go! Attack now, Cyber Blader!"

"In that case, I'll bring out Matador Fiend to defend myself!" announced Titan as his Ritual Monster stepped out of the darkness and well into sight in Alexis' eyes.

"Fine with me! Attack!" Whirling around like a raging twister, Cyber Blade swung her sharp leg out to finish off Matador Fiend, only to be zapped right in the abdomen and destroyed instead. "What the?! How?! Cyber Blader is clearly stronger than Matador Fiend!"

Stepping forward and out of the darkness, a smug Titan explained, "Perhaps I should inform you of Matador Fiend's special ability. He cannot be destroyed in battle, and any damage inflicted through him is reduced to 0! In addition, any Monster who fights him is automatically destroyed!"

"What?! So, that's the reason?!"

"Furthermore, thanks to Dark Arena's effect, all Monsters in Attack Mode must attack no matter what."

"Did you forget my Cyber Tutu's effect?" Alexis questioned, still keeping her cool in the game. "She can wage a direct attack on you."

"And perhaps you should check things out more clearly," insulted Titan. "That effect only works if the Monsters I have out are stronger than yours. My Matador Fiend has 0 Attack Points, so since it's much more weaker than Cyber Tutu, that effect is cancelled. However, my Picador Fiend would love to clash with your Cyber Tutu!"

Having said that, Picador Fiend stomped forward just as Cyber Tutu was flung right into battle unwillingly. Picador Fiend fired another one of his green beams, effectively hitting Cyber Tutu and destroying her.

"Cyber Tu-!" Before finishing her sentence, a green beam shot out from the dust clouds and hit Alexis, causing her to cough out blood before she kneeled down, wiping the blood from her mouth with her arm.

 **Titan - 2000 LP**

 **Alexis - 1800 LP**

Titan chuckled maliciously before stepping back into the shadows, making himself non-visible for the effect of Dark Arena to take place; awaiting the young girl's next move.

"S-so this is a Shadow Game...Wow, it really does hurt just as much as Jaden and the others say," groaned Alexis, struggling to stand up.

Outside of the dark barrier, black lightning crackled around the sides and around the barrier, frightening everyone as they tried avoiding the dangerous lightning that could potentially kill them all.

Atticus' expression contorted into one of much more fear and concern for his little sister as Jaden grasped her Shadow Charm pendant tightly, trying to reassure herself that Alexis was alright."

"Aww, what's wrong, Alexis? Did you declare before that you were going to stop me and restore your brother's memories?" taunted Titan. "Then again, if you fail, I'll be sure to tell him that you failed _miserably_!"

Ignoring Titan's annoying insults, Alexis announced, "I summon Cyber Gymnast in Defense Mode!"

Cyber Gymnast - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1800)

"I...end my turn."

"Hahaha! So much power, and it was all thanks to your friend, Jaden!" laughed Titan, much to Alexis' confusion. "Ah, I see that you're confused. Then, allow me to elaborate. During the duel I had with Jaden, I was forcibly dragged into the Shadow Realm. I spent a long time there, agonizing as the shadows tried to devour me. I screamed and pleaded for more power and for any way of getting out of that hell hole when I heard a mysterious voice. That voice not only got me out of there but granted me new powers along with this Shadow Charm mask I have on!"

Veins ingrained themselves all over Titan's body, even his hands and especially tightly on his face as the source of the ingrained veins came from his Shadow Charm mask.

Alexis couldn't help but pity the duelist before him. "How sad...But, you should know that the Shadow Riders' power isn't your true power! True dueling come from a deck with your own reasons and knowledge for dueling! From the heart!"

"From the heart, huh?" Amused by Alexis' speech, Titan asked, "Then why, pray tell, did your brother come to us? I'll tell you why, because like me, he desired power, so he abandoned all reason and focused on strength alone!"

"Don't you dare compare my brother with yourself! He's not like that!" hollered Alexis, losing her temper.

"Hmph, well it doesn't matter anyways," Titan said. "It's my turn. I draw! Alright, because Dark Arena is on the field, I activate Picador Fiend's effect, which will allow him to attack you directly!"

A green ray blasted from the ground and slashed upwards, hitting Alexis as she screamed in pain; the pain feeling as though a blade had sliced through her shoulder.

The black lightning outside of the dark barrier went haywire and was growing uncontrollable as the others tried to stay calm. Sensing something amiss, Atticus weakly reached out for the barrier; something Jaden noticed.

"Atticus, hold on! I know you're worried for Alexis, but don't push yourself!" said Jaden.

Alexis collapsed to her knees, clutching her chest as she panted for breath, needing to take a break.

 **Titan - 2000 LP**

 **Alexis - 200 LP**

Titan laughed at the miserable form before him. "Ahaha! I believe you felt the pain of the Shadow Game! That's what happens to those opposed to such powers! Don't worry, I'm sure you'll want these powers soon enough as well!"

 _'...Cyber Gymnast's effect makes it so I can discard one card to destroy one Attack Position Monster on my opponent's field,'_ thought Alexis, reminding herself of her Monster's effect. _'I should have summoned her last turn and discarded one of my cards instead of Fusion Summoning! God, how could I be so stupid? Well, next turn, I can take care of Matador Fiend!'_

"Oh, Alexis! I can already guess from your expression that you have a plan concerning your Monster!" called out Titan. "Well, I won't let that plan succeed! I summon Banderillero Fiend in Attack Mode!"

Banderillero Fiend - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (900/1600)

"And when he's Normal Summoned to the field, I can select and destroy 1 Monster on the field!"

"No!" cried out Alexis right as Cyber Gymnast shattered into several pieces, destroying what little hope she had left in her chances of victory.

"It's quite a shame that my new Monster can't attack during the turn he's summoned, so consider yourself lucky! I'll end my turn for now, but don't think for a second that you're going to win, because you can't! Wahahaha!"

 _'H-He's right...I can't win against him...because I don't have in it within me to continue...Atticus...I'm so...sorry...'_ Alexis thought before falling down facedown, seemingly unconscious.

"What should we do?" cried out Syrus. "I'm worried about Alexis, but should we go inside? One of us? Anyone?"

"I..." panted Atticus, stepping forward and releasing his arms away from Chumley and Jaden's shoulders, no longer requiring support. "It's possible that if one were to step inside the barrier, something drastic might happen to their li-ugh!"

Right as Atticus was about to enter, the black lightning snapped around his feet, making him stumble back and fall until Jaden managed to catch him. "Atticus! Call out for Alexis! It'll be the same like cheering her on! I know that if I have people behind my back, I can definitely win, so it'll be the same for Alexis!"

Finding there was nothing else he could do other than Jaden's suggestiong, Atticus turned back to the dark barrier. "Al...Alexis...Alexis..."

"Yes, just stay down there and give up!" laughed Titan. "You have nothing! No monsters, no facedowns, nothing to protect you! Go ahead and play your last turn, but afterwards, when I crush you, you'll rejoin me as a new Shadow Rider!"

Just as Alexis was about to give into Titan's words, she could faintly hear Atticus, her dear brother, calling out for her name. Urging her not to give up. Telling her that he loves her no matter what. Eyes brimming with light and hope, Alexis stood up all on her own with newfound determination, shocking Titan.

"My turn, draw!" she shouted, swiftly drawing a card. "I activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw two new cards! Next, I activate The Warrior Returning Alive Spell to return Blade Skater to my hand! Then, I activate the Spell, Fusion Recovery, to bring back Polymerization and Etoile Cyber! With all three cards back in my hand, I activate Polymerization to fuse the two Monsters into Cyber Blader!"

Cyber Blader - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV7 - (2100/800)

"Cyber Blader isn't a Monster who loses her light in a Shadow Game!" declared Alexis. "A true prima illuminates the stage with her own light and continues to dance!"

"Hmph," scoffed Titan. "That doesn't change the fact that it's three Monsters against 1! Especially since one of my Monsters can easily destroy your little light!"

Alexis smirked. "Oh, really? Because now, Cyber Blader's third effect, Pas de Quatre, activates! Because you have 3 or more Monsters on the field, all your Trap, Spell, and Monster effects are all negated!"

Cyber Blader's body illuminated brightly, causing the entire Dark Arena to collapse as the ground rumbled under the heavy effect of Cyber Blader. From outside, the dark barrier sprouted cracks which bright beams of light lit over before the barrier shattered completely, allowing the others to witness the duel even more.

"Look! Alexis is okay!" cried out Jaden happily as Atticus sported a true smile of reassurance.

"Since there are still 3 Monsters out, Matador Fiend's effect to reduce Battle Damage to 0 is negated!" added Alexis, confident in her victory. "That means Matador Fiend's nothing more than a 0 Attack Point Monster! Go, Cyber Blader! Attack Matador Fiend!"

With the speed and elegance of light, Cyber Blade slashed her leg upwards, slashing through Matador Fiend's last defenses. But she wasn't done, as she charged towards Titan and swung her leg at him hard enough for him to be knocked back to the ground.

 **Titan - 0 LP**

 **Alexis - 200 LP**

 **Winner: Alexis**

Alexis truly did feel sorry for Titan, but didn't move an inch to help him. Not only because she was injured, but she knew it was pointless to rescue one whose fate was already sealed. Besides, in a way, he did kinda deserve this. She turned back to the rest of her friends, smiling as she managed to accomplish her goal.

By the time everyone got out of the Abandoned Dorm, the sun was rising, marking a brand new day and future for not only the others, but especially for Atticus and Alexis as they were finally reunited.

Both sibilings hugged each other, relieved to see each other's safety. Alexis smiled at Atticus' smiling expression, knowing full well that the Atticus she knew and grew up with had returned once and for all.

"Hey, I have some questions. Like, a lot," replied Alexis. "Like, why were you in the Shadow Realm?"

"Well, I would never willingly go there," answered Atticus as he recalled back in the past. "You see, we were supposed to be taking a duel test at the Abandoned Dorm, and were called into the basement when those shadow fiends attacked us. I...I went through hellish duel training nobody's ever experienced before. It was too much that I got brainwashed and turned into Nightshroud."

"But who? Who did all these horrible things to you?" asked Alexis.

Atticus shook his head. "No, but I do know who called me up for the duel test. It was...Professor Banner."

"Professor Banner?!" exclaimed everyone, shocked to learn that the carefree, cat-loving Slifer Red Dorm alchemist was actually in on the whole Shadow Rider business. But, could it really be a coincidence or not?

Whatever the case is, they now knew who their primary suspect would be the second they see him next time.

* * *

 **Skit: Dreams Don't Come True**

"I'm real worried about my brother, guys," admitted Alexis, rubbing her arm as she stared down at her sleeping brother. "I don't know when he'll ever return to his good self..."

Everyone visiting Atticus were feeling the same way as Alexis was. It appeared as though Atticus had been going through some rough times as Nightshroud and he was still recovering mentally. If there was anything they could do to hasten his recovery, they'd do it.

Jaden snapped her fingers. "I got it! I know a way to snap Atticus out of it!"

"Hmm? You do?!" gasped Alexis.

"Yup! I saw it in a fairy tale book before!" She went to the side of Atticus' bed and bent down, bringing her lips closer to Atticus' as-

"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!" screamed Syrus, Chazz, and Chumley, pulling Jaden away in the nick of time while Zane just stood there, arms crossed with a surprised expression on his face.

"Hmm?" Being pulled away, Jaden was pushed onto a chair while she was staring at her friends' upset faces. "What's wrong?"

"Jaden...did you even realize what you were about to do?!" questioned Syrus.

"Kiss Atticus?"

"Why?!" demanded Chazz, shaking her by the shoulders. "Is it because he's good-looking?! Popular?! Attractive?! I'm good-looking! I'm popular! I'm attractive!"

 _'How it never occured to Jaden that those two have crushes on her, I'll never know,'_ thought Chumley, sweatdropping.

"Hey! I just wanted to kiss Atticus to wake him up! I saw that a prince kissed a sleeping princess, and she woke up!" giggled Jaden.

"This isn't Sleeping Beauty, Jaden!" yelled Chazz, twitching. "Gah! Sy, help me carry this idiot outta here!"

Although Syrus would usually disagree with Chazz, he had to at least agree on him with this one. He hooked one arm under Jaden while Chazz hooked the other as they dragged a confused Jaden out of the infirmary and threw her out before locking the door.

"Hey! Lemme in!" cried out Jaden, banging on the door.

"Run along, Jaden!"

"No fair! My method will work! This isn't fair! You can't expect me to stay in the hallway and-" At that moment, Chazz opened the door and threw a Rescue Cat card at Jaden before locking the door once again. "Never mind, I'll happily stay out here. CUTE!~"

"Wow, if I knew that was one way for her to behave, I'd have done something like that a long time ago," admitted Alexis.

* * *

 **Skit: Preparations for Doomsday**

Inside a dark room, gathering near a large round table, several cloaked figures were talking amongst themselves when one stood up. That's when everyone else grew quiet and the one standing made an announcement.

 _ **"Very soon, my comrades...the Doomsday Operation will commence. There will be deaths...some of you may not even survive...some of you will cease to exist...but know that if you do, your efforts will not be in vain. We shall avenge those who-"**_

 _ **"Uh...Flame Wingman? It's just a festival. Nothing bad's gonna happen."**_

 _ **"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT! WHAT IS JADEN GETS HER FIRST DATE AND WE DON'T KNOW?! IT'LL BE DISASTROUS!"**_

 _ **"What I do know is that you're overreacting over all this. Do we really need to spy on the poor girl, acting like humans in Duel Spirit costumes?"**_

 _ **"Yes! It is all for the protection and safety of Jaden!"**_

 _ **"You do realize that on Duel Monsters Spirit Day, we aren't allowed to harm any humans, right? The only power we can acquire is physically interacting with humans."**_

 _ **"Yes, I know that! And it is a shame that I cannot punch them!"**_

 _ **"Also, bringing machine guns and rifles and other cannons aren't going to be brought in the trip to the Human World. It's kinda impossible."**_

 _ **"Flame Wingman, I know you and some of the other Elemental Heroes were planning to bring them in. What, were you going to start a massacre on all the male students? That's gonna traumatize Jaden, and that won't help anyone!"**_

 _ **"I would only be giving a warning."**_

 _ **"Yeah, a warning with lots of dead guys."**_

 _ **"Hey, so what's the operation again?"**_

 _ **"We will go over the operation again some other time!"**_

 _ **"Hey, a thought occurs to me. What if Jaden duels that day and summons one of us? Won't we vanish into the field? If so, people might panic."**_

 _ **"Not to worry, Bubbleman. All that'll be summoned is a simple copy of ours."**_

 _ **"Now, if that's concluded, dismiss and prepare...for Doomsday!"**_

 _ **"Flame Wingman, I question why you would name a friendly festival day such a terrible name?"**_

* * *

 **Hmmhmmhmmmm! The time is almost arriving! The episode I always wanted to do is almost here! But, I have to do a couple of things beforehand, but the next chapter should be longer! Hehehe! I'm not telling you what sort of cute costume I have for Jaden! Read and review!**


	35. Duel Monsters Spirit Day

**Hehehehe...Hmmhmhmhmhm...AHAHAHAA! Finally! The time has finally come! Time to unleash my skills onto this new episode! And it's one of my favorites too because DARK MAGICIAN GIRL'S HERE! She's one of my favorite cards and I'm sure a lot of female duelists would love her in their decks!**

 **What sort of costume will Jaden be in? White Magician Pikeru? A female version of Winged Kuriboh? Flame Wingman? NONE OF THE ABOVE! If you wanna know, read carefully and find out!~**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series or even the abridged series, only the OCs!**

* * *

 _ **"ATTENTION!"**_ announced Flame Wingman, having gotten every bit of his available warrior in one of the most important missions they had to face. _**"Tommorow morning is where the operation will take place! Our top objective is to observe and if absolutely necessary, protect Jaden against any evil! ESPECIALLY BOYS!"**_

 _'Yup, he's lost it,'_ everyone thought, sweatdropping. For the past several days, Flame Wingman began organizing things in order to make the special operation tommorow a huge success but everyone already knew he was just being the overprotective father trying to look out for poor little Jaden.

Lady Heat raised her hand. _**"Flame Wingman, please do remember that we can't actually attack any humans with any of our powers. The only power we're allowed to have is our ability to fully interact with any human, but that's it."**_

 _ **"Yes, I know that! Which is more the reason why we must protect Jaden by any cost! With this temporary power, we can beat up anyone who dares to threaten Jaden's life!"**_

 _'But there's nobody after Jaden's life!'_ The rest of the Duel Spirits wished to protest, but kept their mouth shut. Knowing Flame Wingman, his stubborness was off the charts.

Still, they had to agree on one thing. They too, wished for Jaden's safety. Perhaps this operation consisting of Jaden's protection and observation over her wouldn't be so bad after all. Sure, it may serve to assure Flame Wingman, but he had a noble goal to protect Jaden no matter what because they all cared for him.

With that reason alone, their resolve to see this operation true filled them up with vigor and a need to accomplish it no matter what. All for Jaden's sake.

* * *

 _The next day..._

All three dorms were setting up the Spirit Day Festival throughout their campus, arranging everything perfectly and setting up events that would be performed later on during the special day. Various different things were being set up, such as the Obelisk Blue area having much more elegant settings which included volunteers posing as waiters or waitresses possibly for extra credit. Around the Ra Yellow section, stations involving food and other games were being prepared and the Slifer Red areas didn't have much planned except for one special event that happened once every year.

At least one thing was in common for all three dorms; people cosplaying as Duel Monsters/

An orb of light floated down from the top of Duel Academy's building, hovering over the Obelisk Blue area where the Obelisk Blue had finished their preparations for their own version of the Spirit Day Festival. The orb of light happened to be a certain Duel Spirit observing all of the students having fun during the Spirit Day Festival, giggling in amusement.

 _ **"How fun!~ I have a feeling something fun's about to start soon!~"**_ she spoke cheerfully, zooming across the entire festival.

"I apologize for making you wait," spoke a handsome-looking Obelisk Blue waiter as he set two cups of herbal tea onto Jasmine and Mindy's table, giving the girls a sweet smile. "Here's our special Obelisk Blue Blend. Please, enjoy."

Watching the handsome waiter leaving to attend to more of his duties, both Obelisk Blue girls gushed all over his good looks. "Wow, he's soooo cool!~" squealed Mindy.

"Yeah, now I'm definitely setting my eyes on him!~" agreed Jasmine before sipping her tea.

Around the Ra Yellow area, several visitors from the other dorms were exploring and trying out the games as well as some of the free food that the expert chefs in Ra Yellow cooked up.

"Welcome, welcome! This is Ra Yellow's special takoyaki!"

"Mmm!~ The Ra Yellow guys are all so hot! And the cotton candy they made is much more sweeter and fluffy than back at home!" said an Obelisk Blue girl as her friend was trying out one of the takoyaki.

"Their takoyaki's delicious, too!"

Meanwhile, at the Slifer Red Dorms, the students there were still trying to set up everything for their main event and were close to finishing the duel arena. Syrus was hurriedly strolling a paint cart, fixated on completely the duel arena where he accidentally tripped over paint cans nearby Chumley, causing a bit of a mess around himself.

Coughing from all of the dust, Syrus swept his hand around to clear the air before managing to inhale some clear breath. "Chumley, can't you see I'm trying to complete the duel arena? Go paint your sign somewhere else!"

"Sorry about that!" apologized Chumley sheepishly.

"So, what did you draw anyways?"

Glancing at the sign Chumley had been occupied with, both Slifer Reds saw a huge poster board consisting of the special cosplay duel that would later happen. Chumley's favorite Monsters, Des Koala and Des Kangaroo were featured on the poster to promote the cosplay duel.

"This looks amazing, Chumley!" praised Syrus. "But...I don't think a lot of people will be looking forward towards the cosplay duel if just Des Koala and Des Kangaroo are placed here. I know! In the center, you should put Dark Magician Girl here as well!"

"Hmm...Dark Magician Girl, huh? Not a bad plan, Sy. But..."

"What? What's wrong? Don't you like the idea?"

"No, that's not it. I just wanted both of my favorite Monsters to be put in here as well."

"Then just put them in the corner or something!"

"How could you ask me to do that, Sy? I love those guys!"

"Look, think of it like this," replied Syrus, standing up straight. "Jaden and the others haven't been focused lately because they're trying to find Professor Banner. But, if we get Dark Magician Girl on the poster for everyone to see, a lot of duelists are gonna come flocking towards the Slifer Red Dorm and waiting for the cosplay duel! Then, Jaden and the others will get all pumped up and forget about Professor Banner for the time being! We have to liven things up for everyone's sake!"

"Huh...When you put it like that way, alright! Now I'm really pumped up!" Now Chumley, having listened to Syrus' speech, was as enthusiastic than before and hasten in finishing his poster as Syrus continued arranging the duel arena.

 _ **"A cosplay duel? Sounds like fun!~"**_ giggled the orb of light.

In the meantime, Jaden and some of her friends had gathered at the top level of the Slifer Red Dorms, glancing down aimlessly as they were lost in thought about Banner. Ever since Atticus made his fully recovery, the others focused on finding Banner as quickly as soon as possible, but it was as if he had vanished into thin air.

Jaden sighed. "Man, where could Professor Banner be?"

"The only explanation I could think of is that he was done in by another unknown Shadow Rider," spoke Alexis.

"Even if that were the case, that doesn't exactly clear up any suspicions about him," replied Bastion. "After all, he was the one who lured Atticus in the Abandoned Dorm and had him go through the Shadow Realm."

"Yes, that's true, but right now, we shouldn't just focus on Professor Banner. There's still yet another Shadow Rider we have to deal with," reminded Zane calmly.

"Well, I dunno about you guys, but I believe in Professor Banner!" said Jaden, still trusting and defending her teacher.

Then, Chazz started roaming around the Slifer Red Dorm grounds, holding a foxtail in his hands as he whistled for something. "Where are ya, you stupid cat? Come on out, already!"

"Hey, Chazz!" called out Jaden curiously. "What are you doing?"

"Duh! I'm using this to track down Banner's cat! That cat's everywhere with Banner! So, if we find him, we find Banner!" answered Chazz before continuing his search for the chubby cat.

Syrus, who was approaching the group, passed by Chazz who was still searching for Pharaoh. "Huh? What was Chazz doing...?"

"Oh! Sy! What's up?" wondered Jaden.

Syrus escorted the group towards the poster board Chumley completed, which was held up for all to see and know of the cosplay duel event that was about to happen soon, The cover of the poster board had famous Duel Monsters Dark Magician and Dark Magician girl enlisted, so many other people would clearly be intrigued.

"It's the Slifer Red's traditional event!" explained Syrus. "They do this once every year, and since we're first years, this'll be exciting for our first time!"

"Wow, a cosplay duel? Interesting!" said Atticus, impressed.

"We've only been to the festivals held in Ra Yellow and Obelisk Blue, so we never bothered going to the Slifer Red Dorms' festival before," replied Zane.

"By the way, if Dark Magician Girl's here, then during the cosplay duel, there has to be someone playing as her, right?" questioned Atticus. "Syrus, did you find someone?"

"Hmm? Actually...not really, no."

Atticus snapped his fingers. "Then, I've got the perfect one who could easily cosplay as her! Alexis!~"

"What?! No, I can't!" said Alexis. "I'm an Obelisk Blue, remember? Besides, I already have a costume! I don't want to be the Dark Magician Girl anyways! I already know what'll happen if I do and I don't need more fanboys flocking over to me! But I do have another solution!"

Within minutes, Alexis managed to make the arrangements inside the Slifer Red dining hall...with Dorothy posing and dressing as the Dark Magician Girl.

"Gaaaaahhh! My eyes! THEY BURN!" screamed Syrus.

Alexis sweatdropped as Chumley, Jaden, and Bastion were freaked out by the awful image of Dorothy as the Dark Magician Girl. "Oh yeah...forgot to tell you guys that she dresses up as the Dark Magician Girl every year," said Chumley.

"No! No! We can't accept this!" Syrus cried out. "Dark Magician Girl's supposed to be more cuter and beautiful and stuff like that!"

"Hey!" scolded Dorothy, taking offense by his comments. "I happen to be a very good Dark Magician Girl, thank you very much! See?" Once Dorothy posed as cutely as she could, the area underneath her armpit ripped a little, causing the others to freeze in horror and shock. "Oh my! I could have sworn this was a perfect fit last year!"

Yeah, there was no way any of them had the heart to tell Dorothy she'd make an awful Dark Magician Girl. Still, they had to give her points for attempting to. Unknown to any of them, the Duel Spirit of Dark Magician Girl had been eavesdropping and formulating a plan to resolve the problem.

* * *

 _Later..._

As Chazz was trying to locate Pharaoh's whereabouts, Alexis had just put on her own costume. Her costume happened to be the main Harpie Lady, one of the famous Duel Monsters in history; she even had a magenta-colored wig to match up the hair color of the original Harpie Lady.

"Whoa! You really do look like Harpie Lady, Alexis!" complimented Chumley.

"Thanks, but...I also wanted a different costume. This was all they had for my size, though," admitted Alexis, not wishing for a flashy and revealing costume. "Mindy and Jasmine are going to be Harpie Ladies too, so we'll all be the Harpie Lady Sisters!"

"By the way," spoke up Syrus. "What's Jaden going to be as? In fact, has anyone seen her?"

"Oh, I helped out Jaden with her costume!" said Alexis, grinning. "Mostly on the hair and a little bit on the makeup. It's my special gift!~"

"Huh?"

As if one cue, Jaden entered the room, dressed in blue with pink linings as she wore a blue wizard's hat and held up a small wand as her cladded boots stepped onto the wooden floor. Her normally tomboyish hair was lowered and straightened more so she'd look more feminine and the light makeup Alexis applied to her really gave out her cute charms.

Jaden Yuki was dressed as the Dark Magician Girl.

Instantly, blood gushed out from Syrus' nose as he fell back, causing everyone to panic.

"Oh my god, Sy!"

"Aaaah! Someone get some napkins! Hurry!"

"Syrus...you really love the Dark Magician Girl too much."

In other words, Jaden + Dark Magician Girl costume = OVERLOAD SYRUS.

Several minutes after that, Syrus managed to finally calm down with two napkins plunged in his nostrils as he stared at Jaden lovingly. "W-why are you dressed like that, Jaden?"

"Oh? I wanted to participate in the cosplay duel, so I figured I'd dress up as Dark Magician Girl!" replied Jaden, posing cutely for Syrus and winking at him.

Meanwhile, Syrus was still dazed in his own fantasies over the fact that one of them was accomplished. _'I can't believe it! Jaden's Dark Magician Girl! It's like a dream come true! My favorite card and my crush banding together! OMG OMG OMG OMG!'_

"Hey, what's that noise?" spoke up Chumley.

Hearing some strange noises outside, they rushed outside to see Chazz approaching them, dressed in heavy armor, but also known as XYZ Dragon Cannon.

"Whoooaaa! Chazz is dressed up as XYZ Dragon Cannon!" gasped Jaden, amazed as sparkles twinkled all around her.

"Definitely! Coolest guy costume I've seen all day!" complimented Chumley.

"Hmph! Obviously!" scoffed Chazz coolly. "What idiot wouldn't pick such an awesome costume like this?"

"Yeah, it does look pretty awesome," agreed Alexis, impressed.

"Awww! If I knew there was a costume like that, I'd totally pick it!" complained Jaden.

Chazz glanced at Jaden's direction and stared at her...before blood gushed from his name the same way Syrus was knocked out. He easily landed on his back thanks to the heavy weight his costume provided, and as blood trailed from his nostrils, drool came down from his mouth.

"Oh no, not Chazz!"

"Why does this keep happening?!"

"Great, we need more tissues!"

While everyone hurried to assist Chazz and stop the bleeding, Chazz was lost in his own thoughts and fantasies about Jaden just as much as Syrus did before. _'Man...I should have brought a camera...why didn't I get a goddamn camera...?! Well, at least one dream was accomplished for me...'_

"Huh? Chazz, your face is red!" pointed out Syrus once they helped him recover from his sudden blood explosion and aided him in standing up. _'Darn...I can definitely tell why he suddenly went out like that! Jaden is mine!'_

"S-shut it!" sputtered Chazz, marching away slowly due to the heaviness of his costume. "Damn costume...alright, let's get the whole cosplay duel over and done with!"

Chazz and the rest of the group approached the duel arena Syrus set up, which the outside was surrounded by students and other spectators dressed as other Duel Monsters, who were impressed by the costumes the group had on. Several boys even hooted and cheered for Jaden and Alexis, finding their costumes more sexier and attractive the most.

Irritated, Syrus and Chazz wished they had the power to completely annihilate the entire planet of other perverted boys so that they could have Jaden to themselves but unofrtunately for them, wishes don't really come true that easily.

Arriving at the main event and standing behind the front liners, Flame Wingman along with some of his other fellow Elemental Hero allies spotted Jaden dressed as Dark Magician Girl, shocking them.

"W-w-w-w-why is she dressed like that?!" demanded Flame Wingman, shaking Avian back and forth. "Who put her in that? That costume's way too revealing! How many people saw her?! I demand to know!"

"H-H-H-hey! I don't know!" cried out Avian as the others pulled Flame Wingman away. "We just got here, remember? Maybe she chose that costume!"

"IMPOSSIBLE!"

"Alright, that's enough!" announced Chazz, making the audience quiet down for the main event to start. He pointed to Jaden and continued, "Who's got the balls to try and challenge Jaden Yuki; AKA, Dark Magician Girl?!"

Instantly, hands rose up from all across the audience and loud voices echoed throughout the field as some students tried to wave their arms and stand up, hoping to be chosen.

"Eh? Me right off the bat?" wondered Jaden, surprised before grinning. "Awesome! Chazz, do you wanna duel me, then?"

"NO! NO! NO! NO!" yelled Flame Wingman, frailing his arms around. It took some of his fellow Elemental Heroes to hold him back. Luckily for then, Flame Wingman can't used his ability to unleash fire across the entire field to burn everything to the ground, but it seems that he still kept his physical strength, much to their dismay.

"Calm down! I'm sure Jaden will be fine! It's just a regular duel!" grunted Bubbleman.

Chazz desperately wanted to say yes to Jaden, but shook his head. "I...can't. I have to do the stupid commentary. Damnit...duel me later, Jaden! In that costume!"

"Huh? Okay!"

"NOOOO!"

"Do you guys hear that?" wondered Jaden, scratching her head. "Eh, whatever. What about you, Chumley?"

"Sorry, can't. Working behind the scenes today."

"Okay, then how about Syrus?"

Syrus smiled, feeling extremely lucky today. "Of course I-"

"HE CAN'T," emphasized Chazz, pulling Syrus back. "He has to do the uh...broad casting! Yeah! That! So, he can't duel you!" _'Damn you, Syrus for trying to make a move on her! If I can't duel her, neither can you!'_

 **FLASH!** A white light flashed from the other direction as well a snapping sound being heard before everyone turned, seeing Atticus with a camera. "Atticus! What are you doing?" asked Alexis, having a funny suspicion her brother was up to no good again.

"Oh, just taking some innocent pictures for the festival!"

"Yeah, right! Lemme see those pictures!"

Atticus lightly laughed. "Alright, alright, you got me! I'm actually thinking of sending them to your fan club! ...And I'm out! Bye!" Realizing his mistake of revealing his intentions to his siter, Atticus made a run for it, which appeared to be the right call for him.

"Wait! Atticus! Come back!" yelled Alexis, chasing after him.

A smirk crawled onto Chazz's face as he thought, _'Awesome! I bet if I talk to Atticus later, he'll definitely give me some pictures of Jaden if he manages to get them!'_

"Aww...Now I don't have anyone to duel," complained Jaden, feeling sadden.

"Um...Excuse me! I'd like to duel!" called out a girl appearing exactly like the real Dark Magician Girl. She even has the same costume as Jaden and her hair was just like the real thing as well.

The audience's attention turned to the Dark Magician Girl lookalike and instantly, they were enticed by her beautiful appearance. In fact, they couldn't decide who they should be cheering for; Jaden as the Dark Magician Girl, or the other Dark Magician Girl.

"Whoa, check it out!"

"Two Dark Magician Girls? I hope they duel!"

"I wished I bought my camera!"

"No, a recorder more like it!"

Sensing the presence of another Duel Spirit, the Elemental Heroes glanced at one another, knowing full well what this meant. In the Spirit Duel, Dark Magician Girl was well-known as the apprentice of Dark Magician and was well-loved by a lot of Duel Spirits. Her dueling Jaden was better than Jaden dueling any other boys, and they did trust the kindhearted Duel Spirit, so in a way, they approved.

"So, can I duel?" asked Dark Magician Girl kindly.

"Of course you can!" agreed Chazz, finding the event more exciting this way."As head of this whole cosplay duel committee, I approve!"

"Wait, you are?" questioned Jaden.

"Ah, who cares?! It doesn't matter! Two Dark Magician Girls dueling each other will be a major hit this year!" exclaimed Syrus excitedly as his heart started pounding faster and faster.

Dark Magician Girl giggled and winked at the group. "I'll do my best, so don't hesitate to go all out on me!"

While everyone stood back and seated to watch the main event at the Slifer Red Dorms, Zane and two others, Crowler and Bastion, arrived in time for the main event to begin. Out of the three of them, Bastion was the only one to wear a costume resembling that of Tania's pet tiger; condolences towards her.

"Ooh! It appears like a duel's about to begin! I wonder who's dueling who?" questioned Crowler, curious.

Examining the field thoroughly, Bastion blinked. "Oh my...Never would I ever see the day...It appears that Jaden's dressing as the Dark Magician Girl! And dueling her would be...another Dark Magician Girl!"

"Why that's ridicu-" The moment Crowler laid eyes on the field, his jaw dropped. "TWO DARK MAGICIAN GIRLS?! AND ONE OF THEM'S JADEN?! I MUST BE HAVING A NIGHTMARE! SOMEONE PINCH ME!"

"Okay." Zane pinched Crowler.

"OW! I DIDN'T MEAN LITERALLY!"

While Crowler was spazzing out, Zane glanced over towards Jaden. He's not really one for cosplay, but he has to admit, her costume did make her shine beautifully, even if unintentionally. But he wasn't a pervert, so he paid more attention on the duel that was about to begin.

 **"Testing! Testing! Testing!"** announced Chazz, using the speakers high above for all to hear.

Syrus was excited that two Dark Magician Girls were about to duke it out! Here! In his own special duel arena he set up all by himself! He was so excited that he started crying tears of joy, having forgotten he was part of the commentary.

 **"SYRUS! QUIT THINKING PERVY THINGS ABOUT THE TWO HOTTIES AND GET BACK TO THE RINGSIDE COMMENTATOR BOOTH!"**

"Did he just say what I think he just said...?" growled Flame Wingman, tempting to stand up and walk towards Chazz's location. Perhaps he should use oil and a lighter to burn him, or maybe another torture method? Anything so long as he dies suffering.

"Flame Wingman, do you wish for me to claw him to death?" questioned Escuridao, raising her dark claws.

"No! None of you are doing anything!" exclaimed Burstinatrix, helping the others pull the two of them down.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Okay, okay! I'm coming!" shouted Syrus, rushing back to Chazz's side with his ears still ringing. Pressing his microphone in the ON button, Syrus cleared his throat and began, **"Alright, introducing the main event for today! The cosplay duel between Jaden Yuki and the other mysterious Dark Magician Girl! Now, doing commentary and the broadcasting are both me and XYZ Dragon Cannon!"**

The crowd weren't so amused and enthusiastic as Syrus and Chazz, wishing to see the duel starting already as they voiced their complaints loudly and clearly.

"That's fine, but just hurry up!"

"Yeah! I wanna see the two hotties duke it out!"

"Cat fight! Cat fight!"

"Booo!"

"Hurry up!"

"Get on with it already!"

Syrus sweatdropped. **"R-right! Now, to my left, it's Jaden Yuki! Also known as the Dark Magician Girl!"**

"Eh?" Looking around, Jaden saw that everyone's gazes were upon her. Recalling some things she saw in TV shows and in Alexis' magazines, she winked and posed cutely for the crowd. "H-Hope you all root for me!~"

"OOOOOOHHHHHH!" Her attempts seemed to have been very effective, as it captured the hearts of every male in the crowd, with the exception of Flame Wingman and a few of his overprotective companions as they were being held back from slaughtering the crowd.

 **"Jaden, you're so cuteeee!~"** squealed Syrus, ticking off Chazz.

 **"You do realize that you just said that out loud, right?"**

 **"Oh, no!"**

However, Jaden saw this as very cute and sweet from Syrus and winked at him, waving as well. "Awww! That's so sweet, Sy!" She kissed the back of her palm and blew it towards Syrus in an air kiss; something he eagerly caught.

Unfortunately, Chazz took that moment to crush the imaginary air kiss.

 **"Gaaaah! Chazz, you jerk! Why'd you do that!"**

 **"Hey, if I don't one, no one does! Let's just continue! To the other side is Dark Magician Girl!"**

"Please cheer me on!~" pleaded Dark Magician Girl. Since her body was more mature and beautiful, she was able to gain more fans and cheers from the crowd, especially from Syrus, who couldn't help himself.

 **"Alright, duelists! Begin the duel!"**

As the two female duelists activated their duel disks, Jaden glanced up at her opponent. "Dunno who you are, but best of luck! Get your game on!"

"Hey, thanks! You look absolutely cute, by the way!~" complimented Dark Magician Girl.

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Dark Magician Girl - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"Alright, me first!~" sang Dark Magician Girl, drawing her card. "Ooh! I set a Monster facedown and end my turn!"

The crowd began cheering and rooting out for Dark Magician Girl, praising her for her defensive move. "Yeah! You go, Dark Magician Girl!"

Sweatdropping, Jaden drew her card before grinning. "Alright! I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman in Attack Mode!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

 **"Wow! Such a strong-looking Monster! And with that, do you know any of his special effects, Chazz?"** asked Syrus to entertain the crowd.

Chazz nodded. **"Now that Bubbleman's out, if there aren't any other cards left on the field, she gets to draw two more cards from her deck."**

After drawing her two cards, Jaden revealed the two cards from her hand, ready to activate them. "Now I play the Spell card, Polymerization! I fuse together Burstinatrix and Bubbleman in order to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Steam Healer!"

A mechanically-armored Monster whose color schemes consist of purple and pink emerged on the field with steam shooting out of his pipes on his back.

Elemental Hero Steam Healer - (WATER/Warrior/Fusion) - LV5 - (1800/1000)

"Now, Steam Healer! Attack her facedown Monster!"

As Steam Healer charged towards the set Monster, it flipped over, revealing to be Fire Sorcerer in Defense Mode. Although her defense was high, it wasn't enough against Steam Healer.

Fire Sorcerer - (FIRE/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (1000/1500)

 **"Wow! Fire Sorcerer! That was Dark Magician Girl's facedown Monster! And now her special Flip effect will activate!"** spoke Syrus.

"Here I go!~" sang Dark Magician Girl. "I activate Fire Sorcerer's Flip effect! Thanks to her Flip effect, I randomly discard two cards from my hand and remove them from play! Then, she deals 800 Points of Damage towards you!"

 **"Yeah! Do it with a cute expression, Dark Magician Girl!~"**

The crowd agreed with Syrus as they urged and cheered loudly for Dark Magician Girl to do so. Granting their wishes, she smiled and winked before thrusting her arm forward for a signal for Fire Sorcerer to unleash her fire wrath as well as appear both cute and amazing at the same time.

Fire Sorcerer formed a fireball between her palms before throwing it at Jaden, causing her to get caught up by the flames as she tried shielding herself.

 **Dark Magician Girl - 4000 LP**

 **Jaden - 3200 LP**

Quickly recovering, Jaden declared, "I activate Steam Healer's effect! Whenever he destroys a Monster by battle, my Life Points are restored by the amount of Attack Points the destroyed Monster had!"

Steam Healer let loose a blast of steam from one of his gauntlets, blasting Fire Sorcerer. Sighing in relief, Jaden felt a big rejuvenated from the special effect Steam Healer had.

 **Dark Magician Girl - 4000 LP**

 **Jaden - 4200 LP**

"I end my turn!"

Once again, the audience cheered for Jaden just as they did with Dark Magician Girl. It seems there were those on one side of the other, but most of the people in the audience were rooting for both beauties. It didn't seem like they cared who won, but they wanted to see some girl-on-girl action against each other.

"Wow, I feel bad for Jaden," admitted Bastion. "Who knew she had this many fans cheering for her? She must have it hard concentrating!"

"If only she used all this concentration in class!" muttered Crowler.

Zane sighed, crossing his arms. "Boys will be boys, I guess."

"My turn!~" cried out Dark Magician Girl, drawing her card. The crowd shifted gears and hollered cheerfully while Jaden and Steam Healer sweatdropped. "I summon Magician's Valkyria in Attack Mode!"

Magician's Valkyria - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (1600/1800)

 **"Nice one!"** complimented Syrus. **"As long as Magician's Valkyria is on the field, Jaden can't attack any other Spellcaster-Type Monsters out except for her!"**

 **"Hey! I'm doing all the commentary too, remember?!"** shouted Chazz.

 **"Uh...better luck next time?"**

"Now, I play the Spell card, Dimension Fusion!" announced Dark Magician Girl. "By paying 2000 Life Points, we can Special Summon as many Monsters that were removed from play onto our field! I'll Special Summon the two cards I removed from play earlier! Dark Magician Girl and Magician's Valkyria!~"

Magician's Valkyria - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (1600/1800)

Dark Magician Girl - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV6 - (2000/1700)

 **Dark Magician Girl - 2000 LP**

 **Jaden - 4200 LP**

The crowd grew excited not just from Dark Magician Girl's amazing move of Special Summon three powerful Monsters, but also the infamous Duel Monster, Dark Magician Girl herself!

"Huh...strange," spoke up Bastion. "I thought the only person to even own the Dark Magician Girl card was Yugi Muto himself. It's awfully rare to see someone else with such a rare card."

"Now, I'll attack with my special card! Dark Magician Girl! Dark Burning Attack!"

Soaring high in the air, Dark Magician Girl charged her magic into her wand before firing an orb of darkness towards Steam Healer, destroying him.

 **Dark Magician Girl - 2000 LP**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"Boy, that was tough!" admitted Jaden, thankful that Steam Healer managed to put up some defense for her so that the amount of damage was greatly lessened.

"I'm not done yet!~" Dark Magician Girl chirped, raising her arms to signal both her Magician Valkyrias to soar up at the sky. "Both my Magician Valkyrias! Attack her directly!"

With the combo forces of the sister-like duo, the two Magician Valkyrias clashed their staffs together to combine a surging ball of magic before tossing it at Jaden, causing a huge explosion.

 **Dark Magician Girl - 2000 LP**

 **Jaden - 800 LP**

Having recovered, Jaden's face revealed an excited smirk. "Heh...this is getting pretty intense!"

"I'll end my turn!~ Show me what you got, Jaden!~"

Jaden nodded and drew her card. "Draw! First, I play the Spell card, Fusion Recovery! It adds a Polymerization and a Fusion-Material Monster from my Graveyard back to my hand! I'll take Polymerization and Burstinatrix from my Graveyard and add them to my hand!"

At the mention of both cards, Flame Wingman caught attention and felt excited. "Yes...Yes...! Take Avian! Take Avian and use him with those two cards!"

"You must REALLY want to be there. Well, your other holographic self, technically," spoke Burstinatrix, rolling her eyes.

"And, with these two cards!" started Jaden, raising them in the air. "Along with another Elemental Hero from my hand-!"

"Yes...Yes...YES!"

"I fuse Burstinatrix with Necroshade in order to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Escuridao!"

"...What. WHAT?!"

Once the two Monsters fused, all that was left was the female DARK Attribute Monster with darkness dripping out through her aura as she curled up her long, sharp nails at her opponent.

Elemental Hero Escuridao - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2000)

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" wailed Flame Wingman, collapsing to his knees as his cries were unheard through the louder cheers from the audience. "She. Had. Avian! I. Saw. Her. Hand! Why? Why didn't she use him?!"

His allies turned to him with deadpanned expressions. "I can think of LOTS of reasons why," sighed Bubbleman, crossing his arms. Being protective was good, but Flame Wingman always took it to a new level. Along with some of the other Elemental Heroes.

The real Escuridao simply placed a hand on her leader's back. "Do not worry. I'm sure my counterpart will protect our master. Besides, there's her special ability, remember?"

"I activate Escuridao's special ability!" announced Jaden. "For every Elemental Hero in the Graveyard, she gains 100 extra Attack Points! There are 4 Elemental Heroes in my Graveyard, so that means she gains 400 extra Attack Points!"

Elemental Hero Escuridao - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2900/2000)

"Ooh! Just what are you going to do now?" wondered Dark Magician Girl, leaning forward. "It's pretty impressive you got a really wicked Monster out! But my two Magician Valkyria will protect each other due to their special abilities! It's like an unbroken chain!"

"Don't worry! I'm not done!" replied Jaden. "First, I'll set a card facedown! Now, I'll use Necroshade's special ability from the Graveyard! Once during this duel, I can Normal Summon a high leveled Elemental Hero from my hand without sacrificing anything! I'll bring out one of my tough Monsters! Elemental Hero Bladedge!"

Elemental Hero Bladedge - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV7 - (2600/1800)

 **"Whoa! While Dark Magician Girl has the top defense in this duel, Jaden's got the top offense! They saw defense is the best offense, but it's the same for the opposite!"** announced Syrus excitedly. **"Who will triumph?! Defense vs Offense?!"**

In this particular situation, this served a problem for both sides as they didn't know how to exactly counterattack each other. One side had full defense no matter how strong their opponent was, but on the other hand, the other side had huge strength in power, but was no match for the opponent's defense at the same time. This could end up in a draw or a one-sided duel. There are very few ways to win under certain conditions like these such as one side unable to draw anymore cards, thus declaring the other side the victor. But both sides knew they didn't want a victory like that, so one way or another, they'd have to think of a new strategy with their newly obtained cards.

"I'll end my turn with that!"

"Hmm...I'm a bit worried," admitted Dark Magician Girl, frowning. "I'm not sure if I can beat her...Her Monsters and facedowns all look so scary..."

Attempting to encourage her, the crowd cheered, "Don't worry! You can do it, Dark Magician Girl!"

Trusting in her fans, Dark Magician Girl nodded. "Okay! You're right! My turn! Draw! Ah! Thank you, everyone! I activate the Equip Spell card, Magic Formula, raising Dark Magician Girl's Attack Points by 700!"

Dark Magician Girl - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV6 - (2700/1700)

"Even if I can't beat Escuridao, I'll still take care of your Bladedge!" declared Dark Magician Girl confidently. "Go! Dark Burning Attack!"

Seeing the orb of dark energy heading straight for Bladedge, he shielded himself with his arms as Jaden took this chance to strike back.

"I activate my Trap, Staunch Defender!" cried out Jaden. "I can only activate this card when you declare an attack! Then, I select a Monster on my field, and all your Monsters have to attack that Monster! I choose Escuridao!"

 **"Huh? What's going on, Chazz?"** Syrus wondered, giving the microphone to Chazz.

 **"Oh, so NOW you want my help! Well, whatever! Staunch Defender allowed Jaden to choose a Monster on her field, and it's an automatic battle whether Dark Magician Girl wants to or not. She HAS to attack with all of her Monsters this turn. And since they're weaker than Jaden's Monster, it's clear what's gonna happen next!"**

 **"No...But Dark Magician Girl will lose next turn!"**

Those rooting for Dark Magician Girl started sobbing uncontrollably while in the background, the Elemental Heroes were cheering for Jaden's success. If this strategy pulls through, then that means Jaden will win!

Escuridao leapt in front of Bladedge to reflect the orb of dark energy that was sent by Dark Magician Girl. Due to her successful blocking, the orb of dark energy was sent propelling back towards Dark Magician Girl, who took the impact of the explosive power.

 **Dark Magician Girl - 1800 LP**

 **Jaden - 800 LP**

Seeing the gloomy faces of her fans, Dark Magician Girl still kept up a smile on her face as she waved to the crowd. "It's alright, everyone! Even if I lose, at the very least, I did have some fun dueling! So bring it on, Jaden! Let's end this!"

Due to Staunch Defender, both Magician Valkyrias were forced into battle as they flew up in the air, preparing to initiate their attack in hopes of taking down Escuridao. Escuridao extended the sharpness of her claws before slashing at the two female Spellcasters, defeating them with ease.

 **Dark Magician Girl - 0 LP**

 **Jaden - 800 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

Despite losing, Dark Magician Girl still had a cheerful attitude even after all the hard work she's done. "Aww! I lost! That's a shame! Still, nice duel, Jaden!"

"Yeah! You too! That's game!" giggled Jaden, showing off her usual finger posture.

Even though one of their favorites lost, the audience still applauded for the two for all their hard efforts placed in the cosplay duel. Really, it was entertaining watching two girls cosplaying as Dark Magician Girl going all out on each other. A few minutes later, the audience dispersed to enjoy the other activities of the Spirit Day Festival.

"Yes! Yes! Jaden won! I knew she could do it! She always wins her duels!" cheered Flame Wingman, completely forgiving Jaden for not Fusion Summoning him. Well, he was going to forgive her either way, so it didn't really matter.

"Not all of her duels," pointed out Bubbleman. "She didn't win against Zane in their first duel, remember?"

At the mention of the heinous third-year known as Zane, Flame Wingman's aura darkened as he held up his draconic arm. "Yes...that's right...We were on a mission to eliminate Jaden's rivals...specifically him..."

Burstinatrix sighed and patted his shoulder. "No, Flame Wingman. We're here to OBSERVE. Remember? And then we'd help out Jaden if she ever got in trouble. That's the deal, remember?"

"...Fine. But I will be keeping a very close eye on the boys. Especially...Atticus Rhodes."

Avian blinked. "Why him?"

"From the information we've managed to gather, Atticus Rhodes apparently is very popular with girls. There's no doubt in my mind that he would grow some sort of interest in Jaden," answered Flame Wingman. "And I refuse to allow my Jaden to date a flirtatious man like him!"

"You don't allow her to date anyone," the others replied monotonously.

"Which raises her safety privileges by 100%!"

Glancing around out of boredom, Necroshade spotted Jaden dragging along Chazz, or at least trying to. She had grabbed his hand and tried to drag him around, but with Chazz still wearing the XYZ Dragon Cannon suit, it would have taken more people to shove him forward.

Unfortunately, Flame Wingman spotted the two. It was quite clear that he was so enraged, some innocent bystanders backed away from the overprotective Duel Spirit.

Just before Flame Wingman could teach Chazz a lesson, his path was blocked by none other than Armed Dragon LV7. Not only him, but the rest of the Armed Dragon franchise and accompanied with the Dark Scorpions and the Ojama Trio brothers.

"Oh, cool! Look over there! A mock battle's about to happen!" spoke out a student as a crowd started gathering around the Duel Spirits. They thought it was all part of the festival since the actual Duel Spirits appeared ready to duke it out.

"Sweet! Awesome!"

"I wanna see them fight!"

"Wow! They have wicked costumes!"

"Yeah, they look real!"

"How did they manage to get small people to fit in those costumes?"

"We won't let you ruin Boss' day!" declared Ojama Yellow.

"Yeah! Sooner or later, Chazz is gonna get some!" said Don Zaloog.

The rest of the Elemental Heroes sighed, getting ready to fight alongside Flame Wingman since they knew he'd do anything to protect Jaden. Well, they were in the same boat as well since they'd also risk their lives to help out Jaden no matter what.

Their only hopes were pinned on Winged Kuriboh, who was currently following after Chazz and Jaden.

* * *

 _With Chazz and Jaden..._

Chazz, having discarded his XYZ Dragon Cannon costume, tried to keep an eye out on the road ahead of them as he constantly kept trying to touch Jaden's hand lightly and glancing back and forth towards her. Yeah, no way was he showing his romantic interest right out there in public.

"Ooh! Ooh! I wanna try that game!" cried out Jaden happily, pointing to a game similar to Whac-A-Mole. However, instead of machine moles, there were students popping their heads in and out of the wide holes.

After paying for the game, Chazz recognized some of them being the former "friends" he had before leaving Duel Academy temporarily. His grin couldn't get much more wider and menacingly as he held a toy mallet, preparing to deliver some devastating blows.

The student in charge of the Whac-A-Mole game explained, "First place for the game was 30 hits! If you can surpass that score within 15 seconds, you win a grand prize!"

This sounded too sweet a deal for Chazz! Not only did he get to exact his revenge on the students, but he might actually get the chance to win the prize for Jaden!

"Ready...set...BEGIN!" announced the student, pressing the timer on his watch to begin the game.

The second the timer starter, Chazz unleashed his wrath onto the mole-like students, banging their heads multiple times at a fast pace as the score meter tracked down points. Since Chazz was rushing, Jaden couldn't see the speed Chazz placed in his moles. All that could be heard throughout the game were Chazz's grunts, the cries from the mole-like students getting their heads banged, and the squeaky sounds coming from the toy mallet.

"And...DONE!" The student's eyes went wide at the high amount of points labeled in the score meter. "Wow...60 Points? That's a new record! Alright, you get the grand prize! Which one will it be?"

Seeing Jaden eyeing a Blue-Eyes White Dragon plushie, Chazz pointed to that exact plushie. The student handed the plushie over with a smile. "Nice one! Enjoy the carnival with your girlfriend!"

Chazz's face flustered red before shoving the plushie at Jaden. "She's not my girlfriend!"

Gasping, Jaden's lower lip quivered. "W-what? I'm not your...friend?"

Seeing how she was about to tear up, Chazz's solution to changing the topic was the sight of a takoyaki stand. "Hey, look. Takoyaki."

"What?! Where?!" Seeing the takoyaki stand, Jaden shrieked in happiness before running off.

Moments later, Chazz and Jaden were sitting on a bench, having to share a small plate of takoyaki together. Chazz took his toothpick and plunged in onto a takoyaki, about to eat it when he heard a soft pluck on the ground.

Looking down, he saw a takoyaki on the ground and turned to see Jaden breathing in and out with a tired expression on her face. Jaden had been so excited for the Spirit Day Festival that she couldn't sleep, but now she was paying the price for lack of sleep.

"Hmm..." Poking Jaden's cheek with his takoyaki, Chazz gained her attention. "Here. Open up."

Too tired to say anything else at the moment, Jaden opened her mouth and allowed him to fill it in with the takoyaki. She chewed and then swallowed before widening her mouth, having regained a bit of her energy.

"More...please..."

In the end, Chazz ended up giving all of the takoyaki to Jaden, who ate them all without complaint. Still, the cute, sleepy expression on her mouth was well worth it for Chazz. In addition, Jaden fell asleep, laying her head on his lap, so that was a huge bonus as well. Nothing could go wrong!

"Gh...That was a tough battle," muttered Flame Wingman, battered up from the "mock battle" that took place before. Spotting Jaden with Chazz, it didn't take a genius to figure out his reaction.

Chazz rubbed Jaden's back comfortably, feeling a blush form on his face as he started to touch her soft skin, poking her bare shoulder with his finger as he tried to wake her up. On that note, something ominous overshadowed him as he felt himself being picked up by the back collar of his black coat.

"Hey, what are-?!" His words were halted by the angry glare of Flame Wingman.

"You and I. Talk. Say your prayers."

"JADEEN!" screamed Chazz, being tossed onto Flame Wingman's shoulder and being carried away. Meanwhile, Jaden was peacefully enjoying her nap as Chazz prayed that nothing bad would happen to him.

Unlikely.

* * *

 _About a few minutes later..._

"Jaden! Jaden!" Shaking Jaden by the shoulder, Syrus tried to wake her up from her slumber.

Grogging a little, Jaden succeeded in waking up as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. In all honesty, if Syrus leaned in a bit more, he could see a bit of her cleavage from her costume, but decided to go against such thoughts and simply sat next to her, glancing at the ground.

With the Blue-Eyes White Dragon plushie in her arms, Jaden remembered about Chazz and stood up. "Chazz! Where'd he go?"

"Huh? What do you mean, Jay?"

"Well, I was hanging out with Chazz and I think I fell asleep! And then, when I woke up, he wasn't here!"

"What?!" _'Wait a minute...could that mean...JADEN WAS ON A DATE WITH CHAZZ?! NOOOO!'_ thought Syrus, horrified. _'Wait a minute...he's not here! And if he's not here, this could be my huge chance! I'll take Jaden out on a date! And since she's not really used to this sort of thing, it'll be like an unofficial date! Yeah! And I'll show her how good of a dater I am! Plus, she's still wearing the Dark Magician Girl costume! Bonus!'_

"Ooh! Look over there! Ice cream!" When it came to sweets, Jaden had a sort of sixth sense around them due to her love for them, especially ice cream.

 _'Of course! Ice cream! A good couple would want ice cream! In fact, I'll buy some for Jaden!'_ thought Syrus, determined to do everything in his power to make the 'date' perfect. "What flavor would you like, Jaden?"

"Chocolate and strawberry!"

Confused, Syrus thought, _'Strawberry? I thought Jaden didn't like that flavor?'_ Shrugging his shoulders, Syrus went to the ice cream stand to pay for a two scooped ice cream before heading back. "Here, the ice cream."

"Aww, thanks!~" cooed Jaden, licking the chocolate ice cream first before offering the cone to Syrus. "Here, you take a bite, too! After all, strawberry's your favorite flavor, right?"

"Huh? You mean...?" _'Jaden purposely had me get strawberry for my sake? Wow...'_

Nodding, Syrus licked not only the strawberry flavor part, but also the chocolate flavor as well. _'Mmm! So good! Wait, could this be considered...an INDIRECT KISS?!'_

After they finished the ice cream together, Syrus and Jaden explored part of the festival, playing games and obtaining small prizes no matter how they won or lost. Eventually, they came across a simple game; Ring Toss.

Seeing the sparkles in Syrus' gleaming eyes, Jaden followed his gaze and noticed he wanted a peculiar toy; a super rare Dark Magician Girl figurine. In fact, it wasn't just Syrus, but a bunch of other fanboys who wanted the figurine, seeing how they were lined up.

With a new plan formulating inside her mind, it was times like these that Jaden chose to be smart. "Hey, Sy? Could you go get us some drinks?"

"Huh? O-Okay..." agreed Syrus, complying with her request before rushing off to serve her order. Jaden got to the back of the line and awaited for the line to hurry up, intending on getting the grand prize for Syrus since she knew Dark Magician Girl was one of his favorites.

As Syrus wandered around to find a vending machine, he felt something hit him in the back of his neck before falling unconscious. Catching him in his arms was Wildheart, who carried him behind some trees.

"Flame Wingman! Seriously?!" questioned Sparkman.

"I won't hear of it! It's all for Jaden's sake!" declared Flame Wingman, defending himself with that line of logic.

"By the way, where did you put Chazz anyways?"

"Nowhere. He escaped. Next time I see him, it'll be a trip to the dumpsters."

"Flame Wingman!"

"Relax, he'll be okay! Now, where to put Syrus?"

"Whatever it is, we're not placing him in a dumpster!"

* * *

 _Later..._

"Aww...I only got was the Celtic Guardian sword..." pouted Jaden, holding onto the toy sword she managed to win at the Ring Toss game. "Well, at least I won something for Syrus, so it wasn't all that bad."

Glancing around, Jaden saw Atticus setting up a simple-looking booth as it stated: KISSING BOOTH in bold letters. Walking up for a close examination, she failed to realize that she was the first in line while girls, most presumably fangirls of Atticus, started lining up behind Jaden, ecstatic to pay for a single kiss.

"Hey, Hey, Atticus! What's up?" asked Jaden, walking up to him.

Grinning, Atticus eyed her from head to toe, rubbing his chin. "Oh, it's part of a donation to help the poor cute animals in the Animal Club at Duel Academy!"

"We have an Animal Club?"

"Yup! Just got reviewed and opened last month! It's for caring for sick animals like puppies and kitties."

Jaden gasped; sparkles in her eyes. "I wanna join! I wanna join!"

"Well, lucky for you that I'm the President of the club! Just sign in a form and we can get you started for our next meeting next week! But for now..."

Come to think of it, it would be a little cruel to ask Jaden to pay for a kiss. After all, from Zane and Syrus' details, Jaden seemed mostly the type to spend everything on every little thing she sees. That's when Atticus came up with a brilliant decision.

"Ladies! The first ten girls in line get a free kiss from moi!~"

That certainly caught everyone's attention as his fangirls squealed and leapt up in down wioth joy. Well, anyone obtaining something free would be happy, and in this case, it was Atticus.

"Ooh! I don't have to pay anything?! Sweet! And I'm the first in line!" said Jaden.

Zane, who had been watching for a while ago out of curiosity, reached over and grabbed Jaden by the hand. "Come with me," he said.

Pouring, Atticus called out, "No fair! Zane! I was like, two seconds away from kissing her!"

"Awww! What's wrong, Zane? Why'd you stop?" asked Jaden.

"...There's free puppies in the Obelisk Blue area."

Immediantly, Jaden forgot all that's happened. "Ooh! Puppies!"

* * *

 _With Atticus..._

"Aw..." Still a little distraught over what happened, Atticus turned to the next girl in line, which happened to be a very young woman in a sort of red body suit.

"...I saw what you tried to do," spoke Burstinatrix, crossing her arms.

"Huh?"

Fire flaring up in her eyes, Burstinatrix yanked onto his ear and started dragging him away, ignoring his cries of pain. Some of his fangirls started protesting and saying things like "Let him go!" or "What are you doing with him?!"

Burstinatrix's simple answer was this: "Yugi Muto, Seto Kaiba, and Joey Wheeler are in the parking lot, awaiting autographs and free kisses."

And just like that, Atticus' fangirls turned tail and screamed for their idols' names, leaving Atticus alone with Burstinatrix.

"Wait a minute...We don't have a parking lot!" cried out Atticus. "And Miss, could you let me go? Your grip is tighter than steel!"

"After I teach you a lesson."

"What did I do?!"

Glaring at him coldly despite having eyes that could flare up a storm, Burstinatrix answered, "It'd be fine if it were some harmless flirting, some light touching, and whatnot, but you crossed the line when you tried to kiss Jaden. That is unforgivable."

"Uh...Might I ask what you're gonna do?"

"Rip out your testicles."

"What?!"

"No, even I wouldn't be so cruel to do that. Instead, I'll probably do something worse."

"L-Like what?!"

" _You'll see..."_

* * *

 _Later..._

"Thanks for buying me this, Zane!" said Jaden, happily holding her new stuffed animal companion, an Outstanding Dog Marron in her arm. In her other hand held the Celtic Guardian sword meant for Syrus.

Zane nodded, looking forward in the path before them. Not to think nostalgic or anything philosophical, but it's been a long time ever since the school year happened and so much as happened. This was Zane's final year before he graduated, and so many unexpected adventures happened that he was unaware of until later on. Still, with the new arrival of students with potential such as Jaden, Chazz, and even his little brother, Zane couldn't help but proud of the future that awaited ahead.

"Ooh! Ooh! Look! A water dunking game!" cried out Jaden, pointing to one of the carnival-like games during the festival. "Let's check it out."

Seeing no harm in Jaden's request, Zane agreed to go with Jaden to see what was happening. Upon arriving, Zane coughed and hid his smile behind his palm when he saw who it was trapped inside a water tank, sitting in a chair, soaking wet.

Crowler.

It wasn't too surprising that a line had already formed ever since the water tank game booth was set up and that Crowler was the candidate to be thrown into the water. Considering all the horrible things Crowler's done to the students throughout Duel Academy, many students had gathered around not only to play the game, but also for their revenge as well.

"Give me a raise, he'll say...just participate in one little game all day, he says..." muttered Crowler bitterly, shivering as he thought back on a deal he made with Sheppard. Sheppard thought Crowler ought to be more active in other activities so he promised a raise in Crowler's next paycheck if he participated in a game he personally chose himself, and Crowler had regretted agreeing.

That's when he looked up, and through his dripping wet hair, he saw...an abomination he hoped never to come here.

Grinning evilly like the devil, that abomination paid extra than the usual fee to play the game in order to purchase more balls. He could feel the evil within her grin seeping down his very soul as she came closer once it was her turn. Not even a single drip of good came from her as she stepped closer and closer right before the safety line.

Has retribution come? In the form of an evil, evil tomboy? This couldn't be the end for Dr. Vellian Crowler, could it? He had so much to live for! He's never even purchased those violin lessons he desperately wanted so bad! This couldn't be the end! No...No...

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

* * *

 _That night..._

"Where could she be...?" wondered Syrus, resuming his search for the Dark Magician Girl as he wanted to talk to her once more. Currently, there was one more event to conclude the Spirit Day Festival; a simple campfire.

Gasping, the audience were in awe at the appearance of the Harpie Lady Sisters, consisting of Alexis, Mindy, and Jasmine as they showed themselves off to the impressed crowd.

"Yeah! We're the Harpie Lady Sisters!" cheered Mindy.

"We're here all night so look as much as you want!" bragged Jasmine.

"But, no pictures!" warned Alexis.

While everyone else was having fun, Syrus sat down on a log and glanced up at the sparkling stars up on the night sky, admiring their beauty since they could be compared to Dark Magician Girl and Jaden. He wondered if that Dark Magician Girl from before was real or not, but it wouldn't matter because he believed he and his friends had a good time thanks to her.

"Thanks, Dark Magician Girl," he whispered.

Jaden, having seen Syrus and was about to present him the Celtic Guardian sword, gasped when she saw the Duel Spirit of Dark Magician Girl.

 _ **"No, thank you! You and everyone else made it fun for me!"**_ Dark Magician Girl replied, knowing that Syrus couldn't very well see her. She lightly kissed him on the cheek before vanishing.

Feeling a bit of a peck on his cheek, Syrus blushed, thinking it was a kiss as he held his cheek. "Huh? Oh, it must have been my imagination! Ahaha..."

"What? What's wrong, Syrus?" asked Jaden teasingly, approaching him before glancing up at the sky, where Dark Magician Girl was flying away, giving them a wink.

"Oh! N-Nothing! You don't need to know anything!"

Syrus sighed and looked at the stars once more. Having a somewhat first kiss was nice, even if it was a kiss, but somewhere deep inside, he'd prefer it if it was Jaden. In the Dark Magician Girl costume, of course.

* * *

 **Skit: Legend of Jaden**

"By the way, Syrus! I won this for you!" said Jaden, presenting the Celtic Guardian sword to him.

"Oh, wow! Thanks!" Taking the toy sword, Syrus began swinging it around. That's when he spotted Chazz, who returned to the XYZ costume. "XYZ Dragon Cannon! My archnemesis! Prepare yourself!"

"What the-?!" Before Chazz knew it, he was struck in the head by a toy sword. "Ow! Sy, what gives?!"

"I am not Sy! I am Celtic Guardian!" declared Syrus proudly.

"You're not even wearing the costume, dimwit!"

"I have the sword!"

"Bullshit! Just because you have the sword doesn't make you the character! You need a costume like me!"

"Then where's your weapon?!"

"XYZ Dragon Cannons has CANNONS! CANNONS! I have them! They're even mentioned in the NAME!"

"Well...I'm still taking you down! Hiya!" Because Syrus' body was frail, but thin and short, he was able to dealt some light, yet swift blows onto Chazz.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!"

 _ **"Get him, Boss! Get him!"**_ Ojama Yellow, Black, and Green were currently cheering on Chazz, not bothering to help him. Not that they can since they're in spirit form.

Then, Chazz grabbed the end of the toy sword, snatching it from Syrus before breaking it in half.

"Oh...Uh..." Syrus was unsure what to do what that point.

Grinning sinisterly, Chazz stepped forward. "Now, it's my turn..."

"Aaaaaaahhhhh! Run away!" True to his words, Syrus turned around and ran for it.

"Get back here!" Chazz attempted to chase after Syrus, but thanks to his weighted costume, it only slowed him down. "Damnit! Stupid costume."

"...Meh," said Jaden, licking some ice cream and sitting next to the Ojama Trio brothers.

* * *

 **Skit: Interaction Part 1**

"What country you from?" questioned Flame Wingman, holding Chazz up by the collar after dragging him towards a different location on the island.

"What?"

"What ain't no country I've heard of! Do you speak English or what?"

"What?"

"English, mother fucker! Do you speak it?!"

"Yeah, I speak English!"

"Describe to me your current relationship with Jaden Yuki!"

"...What?"

"Say what again! Say what again, I dare you! I double dog dare you, motherfucker! Say what one more goddamn time!"

"Flame Wingman, this is ridiculous," sighed Clayman, shaking his head.

Dropping Chazz, Flame Wingman turned to him. "No, it's not! It's vital for Jaden's safety!"

"But all you've been doing is kidnapping and interrogating innocents!"

"Uh...Guys? He's gone," spoke up Avian.

"What?! Where'd he go?! I'll find him and fry him!" announced Flame Wingman.

"You do remember that we can't use our powers here, right?"

"Damnit all to Hell!"

* * *

 **Skit: Interaction Part 2**

"It's only logical he'd be put in a dumpster!"

"That's not logical! He'll get sick! If you're gonna dump him somewhere, do it where there won't be any garbage!"

For the past few minutes, Sparkman and Flame Wingman were arguing on where to put Syrus since they basically had no more use for him. If they just returned to the festival, people might think it's strange they're carrying an unconscious person and phone the police. After all, a suspicious, scary-looking "cosplayer" carrying an unconscious person would not be good.

Spotting a restroom nearby, Flame Wingman opened the door to the Girls' Bathroom and threw the body inside.

"Ow!" A girl inside the bathroom cried out; a body suddenly hitting her.

"Flame Wingman! Those girls are gonna maul him!" cried out Sparkman.

"...Meh. Let them."

Pushing the door open with her foot, Dark Magician Girl, who was carrying Syrus in her arms, then stepped out, glaring at the two Elemental Heroes. "Did you throw this sweet boy into the Girls' Bathroom? Shame on you! I'm taking him to the Nurse's Office! Wherever that is!"

Seeing her leave, Sparkman whistled. "That lucky dog..."

Shocked, Flame Wingman turned to him. "Sparkman! You have Sparkwoman!"

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Right! ...Please don't tell her what I said."

"Yes."

"What? No!"

* * *

 **Skit: Interaction Part 3**

"Glad I got out of that situation," muttered Chazz before coming across Atticus, all curled up and hugging his knees. "Atticus?"

"She...hit me...in... _there._ Why? Why did she have to hit me there?"

"..."

Needless to say, Chazz was speechless.

* * *

 **Skit: Interaction Part 4**

"Hey, guys!" called out Alexis, catching up to Zane and Jaden as they were taking and enjoying their time together. "Mind if I join you?"

"Sure!" agreed Jaden. "How have you been?"

"Well, after destroying my brother's camera, taking him to the Nurse's Office after seeing him in a weird state, and avoiding some perverted guys, I found you guys! Also...I heard that there was some incident and Crowler's experiencing some sort of cold. You guys know why?"

"Well, there was this water tank game," answered Jaden. "And, we were there, and let's just say that I...threw more balls than necessary."

"About how many?"

"...Maybe 10?"

"Jaden!" scolded Alexis, placing her hands on her hips. "How dare you! How dare you do this without me!"

"Wait, what?" wondered Zane, surprised. "Alexis, I thought you distasted these sort of actions?"

"Normally, I do, but considering how awful Crowler has been to others, I thought I might teach him a lesson or two!"

"Well...I...guess that's true?"

* * *

 **Skit: Aftermath of the Festival**

 _ **"Whew! That was some operation, but everyone did a good job in protecting Jaden!"**_ praised Flame Wingman to his exhausted allies.

 _ **"Awww! I wanted to play some more there!"**_ complained Hero Kid #1.

 _ **"Hey, I have a question,"**_ said Sparkman. _**"If we could move around and touch objects, why didn't we just greet ourselves to Jaden and shake hands or hug her or something?"**_

Flame Wingman grew dead silent. _**"...FUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCC-!"**_

And then the world exploded, and everyone died. The end.

Just kidding! Although, Flame Wingman and a few others suffered from a large amount of stress and had to stay in bed for a few days.

* * *

 **Whew! Gotcha! I finally finished with this chapter!**

 **Heads up! The Skit involving the Legend of Jaden is a reference to the Zelda games! Besides, Celtic Guardian looks kinda of a more older and more mature Link, don't you think? And plus, Ganon rhymes with Cannon, so you'll know what I'm talking about!**

 **Anyways, IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! I will not be doing this for a while! The story, I mean. I'll postpone this story and focus on other stories and schoolwork! So sorry, hope you'll forgive me but I'm a busy girl! Hopefully, you enjoyed this chapter and a bit of the fan service provided!**

 **Read and review!**


	36. Amnael's Endgame

**That was a pretty good break, I must say so!~ And now, as a reward for all your patience, I have decided on an extra long chapter today! Who knows, maybe the next chapter will involve more romantic stuff? Oh, and I decided to skip Episode 43 since I really didn't find any point of doing so.**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

One bright and early morning, just when the sun was halfway up and the skies were a mixture of pink, orange, and yellow, it would have been a fine day to go out jogging or at least walking for some exercise in the early spring day. Of course, that is, if it weren't for the fact that the usual Slifer Red trio haven't overslept and were rushing things in order to eat and get to classes on time.

"Aaaaah!"

"We overslept!"

"Breakfast! Don't tell me that they ran out of food yet!"

"I'll die if I don't get any breakfast!"

With messy hair, ruffled clothes, and bodies out of breath, Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley slid the door towards the dining hall open, relieved to find three trays waiting for them. Chazz was the only other person inside, finishing up his own breakfast, but the trio didn't paid any attention to him as they settled down to dig in.

"Noooo! My special chocolate chip pancakes aren't here!" cried out Jaden, lifting up her tray in some miraculous hope that the food was just hiding underneath.

"My buttered toast isn't here, either!" spoke Syrus.

"Neither is my egg omelet!" Chumley said.

Smirking in amusement, Chazz laid against his chair as he took a sip of his brewed tea. Twitching in anger, the trio got up and marched in front of Chazz with demanding looks, blocking his every exit out as they confronted him.

Chazz sent a smug look towards the trio, infuritating them further on as he held no attempts of hiding the truth. "Should have gotten here earlier, dweebs."

"Give us back our breakfast!" demanded Syrus, slamming his palms onto Chazz's table. "Do it or else!"

"Or else what?" spoke Chazz confidently, taking another sip. "You can't even do anything to me anyways, since it's all in my tummy. _And it was good_."

"PROFESSOR BANNER! CHAZZ IS BEING MEAN AGAIN!" Chumley, Syrus, and Jaden complained out loud before remembering that the Slifer Red dorm leader was still missing. Just thinking about him made them all nostalgic and sadden, almost as if the professor had actually died, though they refused to come to an horrible conclusion like that.

"Professor...just where are you?" muttered Jaden.

* * *

 _Later, in class..._

It's already been half an hour since Alchemy class begun and Banner still hasn't shown himself. This didn't appear like much of a problem to most of the students as they began playing games or texting on their phones, chatting amongst each other, or doing something else to pass the time.

For once in her life, Jaden wished for the teacher to come. She missed Banner and his lessons, even if they were somewhat confusing and she slept through a couple of them and other things she'd rather not mention.

Seeing Jaden in her depressed state, Syrus attempted to cheer her up. "Aw, don't worry, Jaden! It'll be alright!"

Chumley nodded, backing up Syrus. "Yeah! Chancellor Sheppard's already gotten a team together to try and find the professor! I'm sure they'll find him soon!"

Even when they tried to reassure her, Jaden didn't feel completely better and merely nodded her head. "Y-Yeah..."

Smiling, Chumley patted her back. "But hey! Look on the bright side! At least we won't have to worry about class today! There's no way any other teacher is available today!"

Unfortunately, Chumley's own words backfired and caused a jinx as Crowler entered the classroom. Groans and complaints filled the room as students put away their electrical devices and straighten up, not wanting to get in trouble with Crowler, of all people.

"Everyone's seated, yes? Yes? Good!" Crowler spoke before settling down at the teacher's desk, placing his files and papers on top. "Due to Professor Banner's absence, I, Dr. Vellian Crowler, will be hosting as your temporary substitute teacher until he returns! And he better return, because when he does, I'm gonna give him a long lecture on not driving me crazy ON MY DAY OFF!"

It didn't even require a genius to know that Crowler was ticked off as he slammed some books onto the desk before arranging things to start the projectile about some strange symbol. Groaning, the students took out their notebooks and proceeded to write down any and all notes.

"Students, pay attention!" ordered Crowler, searching through the symbol on one of the books. "This is the Mark of Amnael, and according to literature, it seemed to represent a mark of alchemy. Hmm...Okay, let's see here...No, that one's too hard...What lies at the bottom is like what lies at the top? What lies at the top is like what lies at the bottom? Aren't they the same thing?"

For the next couple of minutes, Crowler spent his time attempting to figure out a good subject involving alchemy to talk about, but it seems his efforts for his search only riled him up and made him more frustrated. Unable to take it, Crowler pulled on the sides of his hair, gritting his teeth as he threatened to pull out his blond hair.

"GAAAAHHH! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! HOW DID YOU STUDENTS BARE WITH SUCH A TEACHER!? INEXCUSEABLE TEACHINGS!"

As Crowler childishly ranted on and was very close to ripping his hair out, the others sweatdropped as they watched. It appeared as though Crowler really wasn't good with alchemy, so therefore, he didn't believe in occults or magic. It certainly was strange of him, considering that he already witness the Shadow Riders and their own share of strange magic.

Eventually, Crowler gave up on the manner of learning things through the book and decided to experiment on the 'so-called alchemy.' Gathering together test tubes and various other liquids hidden within Banner's desk drawers, Crowler decided to conduct an experiment on his own while everyone watched. Muttering to himself from reading the instructions, Crowler dipped a iron spiral object onto one of the cups containing a chemical pink liquid. The instant he did, the iron spiral object lit up from overheating and the chemical exploded all over Crowler's face, creating smoke that clouded the room until it vanished seconds later.

Luckily, nobody, especially Crowler, were harmed from the explosion. Well, the iron spiral object stuck onto Crowler's forehead and it took him half a second to register the pain onto his mind. Screaming, Crowler hurried to pull the object out of his forehead before taking out a mirror from his pocket, checking out his forehead and trying to use his bangs to cover up the mark on his forehead.

Several students laughed as Crowler shrieked and rambled on about how much he despised alchemy and all about how alchemy ruined his good looks. Some even enjoyed the show Crowler was acting in, which was him proceeding to stomp his foot onto the ground while rubbing away furiously at his forehead to ease the pain.

Normally, Jaden would be crackling along with the other students, but her mind was too fixated on Banner to notice anything else. This heavily worried Chumley and Syrus, as they knew Jaden would be the type to take advantage of the situation and laugh just like the rest of them...and possibly get in trouble, because that's what Crowler lives for.

"MISS SLIFER SLACKER!" yelled Crowler, having managed to "solve" the situation for the time being despite there still being a mark on his forehead.

"Huh? Y-yeah?"

"After class, you are to report to Chancellor Sheppard's Office, immediantly!"

"But I didn't do anything!" cried out Jaden. No...could it be? Did Crowler find out about her putting a woopie cushion in his own classroom's seat? It was well over a week again, and it was super hilarious, but since Crowler didn't really have proof it was Jaden, he couldn't exactly shift the blame on her.

"Oh, hush! And it's not just you! Alexis Rhodes, Bastion Misawa, and Chazz Princeton! You three are coming along with her as well! The Chancellor demanded the four of you specifically! Along with Zane! I don't know why, but I'm sure you'll know soon enough!"

The four students exchanged worried glances at each other. Could this be more information about the Shadow Riders? Did Sheppard find a lead about Banner, who's been missing for a while? Or did he find him at last? They'll find out soon after they head for the office.

* * *

 _At the Chancellor's Office..._

"Eh?! Even after all this time, you still haven't found Professor Banner?!" exclaimed Jaden, surprised.

Sheppard nodded; a grim look on his face. "Yes, we searched all we could throughout the entire island, but not even a single trace of his whereabouts remained."

Crowler had to agree, given he was involved with the investigation as well. "And before you asked, we already confirmed that he hasn't left the island, so he must still be somewhere around here."

"If he hasn't left the island, and if he hasn't been found yet, then there's really only one solution," replied Chazz. "He probably lost a duel with a Shadow Rider and his soul is somewhere in the Shadow Realm."

"What?! No!" cried out Jaden, horrified.

Knowing how much she cared for the carefree teacher, Alexis glared coldly at Chazz. "Hey! Knock it off!"

Luckily, Sheppard shook down such an omnious idea. "No, only three of the Spirit Keys have been activated. If he had been defeated, another Spirit Gate should have responded, but so far, nothing."

Jaden couldn't help but be relieved, despite the dire situation still at hand. "Well, if that's the case, then Banner must be in trouble somewhere! He's probably waiting for us to rescue him! We can't just give up on him! We have to continue looking!"

The others glanced at each other, knowing that Jaden was right. Still, what if the Shadow Riders took Banner hostage? No, there would be no point since the only way to acquire a Spirit Key is to defeat the Key Keeper in a duel. Still, they would standby and await for anything significant to their situation.

* * *

 _Later on..._

"So, how should we look for Banner?" wondered Chumley, discussing the problem with his two friends outside of the building. The trio seemed determined as ever to figure out where Banner was, as evident as they were thinking hard.

"Hmm...Well, Chancellor Sheppard said he's still trying everything he can to track down Banner," said Syrus. "Maybe we should wait a little longer?"

"Look, not that I don't trust our Chancellor, but even he has a problem with this. I agree that we should wait, but I also want to help out. Even a small hint would be nice!"

Crossing her arms, Jaden sighed. "Look guys, I know it seems hopeless, but we have to keep trying! It's like...like in those detective stories where the kids figure it out than the adults! They're like junior detectives! So, let's be teen detectives and figure this out!"

"NOW you're speaking my language!" complimented Chazz, suddenly being right behind the trio with his arms crossed.

"Aaaaah! When'd you get here?!" questioned Syrus, startled.

"Uh...I've been here the entire time, idiot! Tch..." Shaking his head, Chazz changed towards the main topic and pointed to himself confidently. "But, never fear! Chazz is here! Detective Chazz Princeton, to be exact! With my super awesome detective skills, we'll solve this case in no time!"

"..." The three Slifer Reds glanced at each other in silent, not bothering to send Chazz so much as a second glance.

"Are you guys ignoring me?!"

"...Maybe?" spoke Jaden. This, in turn, received her a huge bump in the head by Chazz's fist. "Owwieee!"

"That's what you get, idiot! Now, get moving and follow me!" ordered Chazz, ticked off as he walked away.

Syrus rubbed Jaden's bump softly and with affection before glaring at Chazz's back, snarling at him. If needed, Chumley will try to hold Syrus back in case he tries a sneak attack from behind on Chazz. Jaden didn't seem to mind the bump anymore before she and her friends followed Chazz, wondering what idea he had in mind.

Making their way towards the Slifer Red Dorm, Chazz explained, "Okay! In missing people cases, the first thing you have to do is search their room first in case they left a clue or something!"

"Wait, we're gonna search through Banner's room? Wouldn't that be considered trespassing? Not to mention, invasion of privacy?" wondered Syrus before sneering. "But...we can always blame Chazz if something goes wrong-"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" bellowed Chazz, getting all up on Syrus' face. "If I go down, you guys are too! Besides, in case like this, it's necessary to search in his room! We'll just clean up any messes we make later! Come on, already!"

"...Aww," pouted Syrus.

Jaden grinned and whispered to both Syrus and Chumley. "Don't worry! Let's pull a prank on Crowler and blame it on Chazz!"

"I HEARD THAT! NOW HURRY UP OR I'LL STEAL YOUR IDEA AND USE IT AGAINST YOU!"

"You wouldn't, jerk!" gasped Jaden, running to catch up to Chazz.

Surprisingly, the door to Banner's room was unlocked and unguarded, granting them full access inside Banner's room. Their search commenced as they split up to check separate areas in the room, trying to find any clues leading to Banner's whereabouts.

"There's nothing here!" called out Chumley.

Jaden placed the books back on Banner's booksheld and sighed. "Man! You'd think he'd leave a note or som-"

"I found something!" Holding up a note in his hands, Chumley waved it around the air, gaining the attention of his three other friends.

Jaden took the note and unfolded it. "Hey! This is Banner's handwriting! But, it's so messy! I can only make out a few words..."

"What does it say?" asked Chazz, sitting on a chair.

"Uh...something to do with Miss Dorothy and a tree-"

"Aha!" Suddenly, Chazz snatched the note from her hands, reading it over before a smirk ran across his face. "Haha! Just as I thought!"

"You know, you could have just _asked_ for the note!" scowled Jaden.

Ignoring Jaden's previous comment, Chazz announced boldly, "Attention, my assistants-!"

"Since when were we your assistants?" demanded Syrus, wrapping his arms around Jaden's arm protectively. "I'd rather be Jaden's! She should be Head Detective in this case!"

"No! I'm more experienced, plus I even solved that one case! You know, the one with Don Zaloog and all that stuff!"

"No, you didn't! You just got lucky, that's all!" pointed out Chumley. "Besides, all I remember is you and him pointing fingers at each other and saying 'Objection' or so-"

"ANYWAYS!" Having enough distractions, Chazz continued with his announcement. "This note was just the key to everything! Hell, I even know who the 7th Shadow Rider is!"

"No way! You deciphered all that from just one note?!"

"Correct! You see, this note was actually a letter sent by Professor Banner! Something must have happened to cause him to be in the forest! And the culprit as well as being the 7th Shadow Rider is none other than Miss Dorothy herself!"

"Miss Dorothy?!" exclaimed Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley. No...there was no way kind Miss Dorothy could ever been a wicked and cruel Shadow Rider; the very same enemy they've been fighting! But, at the same time, they couldn't exactly back out on the possibility as well.

"Here, I'll prove it!" Dialing the number to the academy's cafeteria from his own PDA, Chazz placed it on speaker phone and awaited Dorothy to pick it up.

 **"Hello?"**

"Dorothy! I caught you red-handed!" declared Chazz loudly. "I know you're the 7th Shadow Rider!"

"You know, I think it's only going to get worst if you declare it like that," told Syrus deadpanning. "Do you even have proof that she's a Shadow Rider?"

"Shut up!" hissed Chazz before turning back to the PDA. "Anyways, tell us all about the note involving you, Banner, and a tree!"

 **"Tree? Oh, you mean the bonsai tree! Yes, well there was a package delivery mistake and I ended up with Banner's package of cat food while he had my package which had a bonsai tree. He probably made a note to remind himself before making the switch with me. Ahaha!"**

Hanging up, Chazz remained as calm and cool as he could. "Well...looks like one mystery's solv-"

"YOU DIDN'T SOLVE ANYTHING!" yelled Jaden, Chumley, and Syrus angrily.

Despite the first failed attempt of solving the mystery, they still continued to cooperate with Chazz, trying to find useful clues that led to dead ends. It didn't help that Chazz was the "supposed leader" because he kept being bossy to everyone else, much to their annoyance.

Unscrolling a map, Syrus stared at it with awe. "What's this? A clu-"

"A CLUE!" cried out Chazz, pushing Syrus out of the way and examining the map closely. "This time, I'm sure I've got it! I've solved the case for sure!"

"Ow! Jerk! I'll get you back for this!" Syrus promised, shaking his fist at him. "But anyways, what did you find?"

Pointing to a familiar symbol on the map, Chazz spoke, "Isn't this the Mark of Amnael we learned from class? Seems way too convenient for it to be marked here, so that has to be where Banner is! Plus, it's related to alchemy, making it more reasonable for us to go there!"

"Oh yeah!" agreed Jaden. "I mean, we have no other clues right now, and that last clue Chazz made up clearly didn't help-"

"HEY!"

"But yeah. Let's check this place out! Operation Rescue Banner is on the go!"

"Yay!" cheered Syrus and Chumley, pumping their fists in the air. "We're with you all the way, Jaden!"

"Hold it!" yelled Chazz, proudly posing with his index finger out. "If we're gonna be a rescue team, there has to be a leader! Obviously, I have to be the leader!"

"Give us one good reason why," demanded Syrus, annoyed. Yeah, there couldn't be any possible way Chazz could convince them to change their minds.

"I could always tattle on you guys for breaking in here," replied Chazz.

"It's three against one! We could always say you're lying!"

"Fine, I'll steal Jaden's stuffed animals, take one of Syrus' cards, and even steal Chumley's grilled cheese sandwiches if you don't make me leader. How about that?"

" _You're evil,"_ hissed Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley, crackling their knuckles as they prepared to kill Chazz. In the end, they had no other choice but to follow Chazz's lead.

Considering Chazz had the map labeled with the Mark of Amnael, he had to lead the others as they wandered inside the forest with him. Eventually, Syrus raised his hand and questioned, "Chazz! I have a question!"

"First, you will refer to me as Captain Princeton! And second, what is it?"

Annoyed, Syrus still continued, "Well, I was wondering how exactly are we going to find Professor Banner? Do you have a plan or something?"

Chazz chuckled confidently before pulling out from his pocket a wheat grain which so happened to be catnip. "Yours truly's scheme is absolutely flawless! With this, we can track down Pharaoh, thus finding Banner!"

The others sweatdropped, not bothering to mention the possible flaws to his scheme. "Chazz, last time you did that, it didn't really go so well," reminded Jaden. "What makes you think it'll work this time?"

Raising his hand once more, Syrus eagerly cried out, "Ooh! Ooh! Chazz! I have an idea!"

"It's CAPTAIN PRINCETON!"

"...Tch..."

"Did you just 'tch' me?!"

"Anyways! I have a plan that's ten times more better than yours!"

Frowning, Chazz obliged to hear him out. "Alright, what is it?"

Grinning wickedly, Syrus suddenly pounced onto Chazz, tackling him to the ground as he scrambled to grab a black marker out of his pocket, popping the cap off with his teeth as he hurried to scribble all over his face. Chumley and Jaden merely watched out of interest.

When Syrus finished, he was out of breath, but proud of his accomplishment as he stared down at the cat marks he made on Chazz's face. Chazz was twitching madly and looked ready to strangle the boy at any second.

"What's wrong, Chazz? _Cat_ handle it?" giggled Syrus before scrambling to his feet. "Okay, go, go, GO!"

"I'M GONNA KILL YA, SYRUS!" yelled Chazz, chasing after him and his friends while they faked fear and ran into separate directions, confusing Chazz as he didn't know who to go after first. "Damnit, guys!"

Unknown to any of them, a mysterious cloaked figure stared from above a tree menacingly before disappearing back into the shadows.

* * *

 _Later..._

"Noooo! Get away from me, scary kitty!" teased Jaden, continuously being the target of Chazz's chasing game.

"No way! Get back here already so I can deal with the others later!" yelled Chazz, edging closer and closer to her. Extending his arm, Chazz attempted to grasp at her jacket collar to capture her.

Still, Jaden was a speedy demon as she increased her pace, thus getting further and further away from Chazz with a cheeky grin on her face. "Hahaha! You'll never take me alive!~" she bragged before crashing head first into a tree and collapsing on her back.

Eyes widening, Chazz picked up the pace and soon kneeled down at Jaden's side. "Jaden! Hey, Slifer slacker! You alright?!"

Of course, it was a pretty stupid question to ask, seeing that Jaden's forehead was bleeding a little and she was groaning in pain. Crashing into a tree was sure to have deliver a concussion to Jaden, so Chazz had to tend extra carefully to Jaden.

Placing her head on his lap, Chazz took one of the ends of his black coat and ripped enough fabric for a temporary head wound. It should seal the wound and stop the bleeding as he wrapped it around Jaden's head. Knowing that tightening the bandage would cause a bit of a blood rush,he carefully tried not to tighten nor loosen the knot.

"Mmm...Chazz...?" groaned Jaden, waking up and looking up at him.

"Yeah?"

Instantly, as if she recovered quickly, she sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Awww! So you do care for me! Thanks, best buddy!~"

Eye twitching, Chazz brought up a fist before smashing it at Jaden's back. "YOU IDIOT! DON'T GO SITTING UP SO QUICKLY!"

"OW!" shrieked Jaden, rubbing frantically at her back. "What the hell?!"

"That should be my line! Watch where you're running! And you owe me a new coat!"

"Never!"

After a while, the two calmed down and wandered together, venturing deeper into the forest in search of not only Banner, but their other two missing companions as well. As if Banner was hard enough to find, the two just _had_ to get separated from the other two at a time like this.

"Banner! Chumley! Syrus!" called out Jaden and Chazz in unison, glancing around one area after another. It's already been a couple of minutes and they were starting to get a little worried, especially since it was almost time for the sunset.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Jaden gasped as she and Chazz turned towards the direction of the source of the scream. "A girl's screaming for help!"

That "girl" happened to be Syrus as he, along with Chumley, ran past bushes and trees to get away from something they feared. Upon spotting Chazz and Jaden, the two runaways were relieved as Syrus leapt into Jaden's arms before Chumley collapsed to his knees, exhausted.

"Jaaaaddddeeeeen! I was soooo scared!" cried out Syrus, burying his head into her chest as he embraced her tightly. Jaden, feeling pity for the small guy, ruffled his hair a little to comfort him.

Chumley was wheezing back and forth; his face hot red as he sputtered out, "S-S-S-Snakes...I really hate snakes!"

"Wha, all this fuss over snakes? Grow a pair, both of you!" scoffed Chazz, crossing his arms. He expected something a little bit more serious than this! Well, he had to admit, snakes were a little bit serious, but still, Syrus and Chumley should have been more braver than this! He can't have wimpy cowards on his detective team!

Suddenly, a couple of snakes rained down on them, descending from the trees above. The strong winds around their area must have rustled the tree branches the snakes were in, causing enough force for the snakes to come flying down and all over the group.

Seeing snakes on top of their heads and shoulders, despite not knowing that the snakes were actually harmless, the four of them screamed before making a run for it.

* * *

 _That evening..._

After the group's constant adventure of obstacles and aimlessly searching throughout the forest, they decided to call it quits for the night. For the time being, they had gathered around a campfire, eating snacks they had packed for their trip to find Banner, using the snacks as a sort of small dinner.

Nobody said a single word; the flickers of the ashes from the fire and the munching from the snacks being the only sound that pierced through the dark night as the moonlight shined on them as a source of light besides the fire. Perhaps they were still troubled by the fact that they couldn't find a lick of a clue inside the forest besides the Mark of Amnael that was spotted on the map.

Speaking up to encourage the others, Syrus said, "H-hey, now! It's only the first day! We've got plenty of time in our hands! I'm sure Professor Banner's out there somewhere!"

Feeling a nostalgic smile on her face, Jaden nodded. "Yeah...I remember the time when he gave me some soybeans. Soybeans are one of my favs! It really was a sweet thing for him to give me all of his soybeans! I remember it like it was yesterday..."

* * *

 _Flashback..._

 _"Wow! Really? Soybeans are my favorite! Are you sure you're going to give me this much?!" gasped Jaden happily as she was holding some chopsticks and a bowl of rice._

 _Banner, who held a container full of soybeans, nodded, smiling at her before ruffling her hair. "Of course! Soybeans are especially good for the body, and I want all my students to grow up strong and healthy! You need it more than me, after all!"_

* * *

"Those were some good, old times..."

"Actually, I don't think he actually gave them to you because he was being nice," said Chumley. "I learned that he just really disliked soybeans."

"Eh?!"

Thinking he was making Banner seemingly like a bad person, Chumley stammered, "W-wait! Well, he might not like soybeans, but I'm sure he gave them to you out of the kindness of his heart!"

"Well..." Believing Chumley, Jaden smiled and nodded. "Yeah! Banner was always nice to us, after all!"

Sighing, Chumley continued, turning to Syrus. "Come to think of it, didn't I remember him forcing you to drink milk, Sy?"

Syrus nodded, grimancing at the memory. "Yeah...I don't think he really liked milk, either. I'm not sure if he just doesn't like the taste or if he's lactose intolerant, but that doesn't change the fact that he tries every single time to get me to drink milk!"

"Milk is supposed to be good for you," reminded Chumley.

"I know! I just don't like the taste!"

* * *

 _Flashback..._

 _"Nooo! I don't wanna drink milk!" complained Syrus, trying to get the carton of milk away from him as Banner increasingly insisted that he drink it._

 _"Come now, Syrus! Milk is good for the soul and it'll help good little boys like you grow up strong and tall! And I'm sure you'd want to be like your big brother, right?" encouraged Banner._

 _"Well, yeah...but that's not the point!"_

* * *

"Come to think of it, I don't think he liked veggies that much. I mean, he's like a little kid inside a grown man's body!" joked Chumley.

"Hmph! I guess so. But you really want to know what irritates me the most?" spoke Chazz, scowling. " _Carrots._ Those disgusting, little...little orange things! There's a reason why I hate the color orange!"

"Ooh! If you want, you can give me your carrots, Chazz!" offered Jaden.

"You like carrots, Jaden?" asked Syrus, surprised.

"Well...I don't necessarily hate them. I guess they're okay, but I really want to feed the rabbits the Animal Club has! I'm sure Atticus would let me!"

"You know do that carrots are considered candy bars to rabbits, right?" said Chumley. "I don't think giving them too many carrots is such a good idea-"

"AHEM! Getting off topic, here!" coughed Chazz. "We were discussing about Banner and his time with me, which was TERRIBLE!"

"Aww, come on! It couldn't have been that bad!" giggled Jaden.

"Oh, you have NO idea!"

* * *

 _Flashback..._

 _The entire dining hall...was a battlefield. Tables and chairs were scattered all across the room as if a tornado had corrupted and blown around in a raging fit. Only two combatants remained, being enemies on one side and the other. One was defending himself with a fork as his sword and a chair as his shield, while the other held a plate full of carrots and a fork._

 _Yes...this truly was...deemed the Carrot Catastrophe._

 _"Damnit, Banner! I said I'm not gonna eat the goddamn carrots!" hollered Chazz, trying to inch away from Banner as Banner crept closer and closer with a creepy smile on his face._

 _"Now, now, Chazz! It's only proper for you to eat your vegetables!'_

 _"Then eat your own goddamn share! Don't force your platter on mine!"_

 _"Hmm...Then would it be okay if I took your dessert instead?"_

 _"You already do that! And the answer's still no!"_

* * *

"Damn that guy...When I see him, he'll get what's coming to him!" swore Chazz with a raised fist.

Worried, Syrus added in, "Yeah! And there's that time when he made me go fishing for Pharaoh! That was not a fun time!"

"Plus, he was a coward. Every time there was a cockroach, he'd make us kill it," said Chumley. "And when he found a nest of cockroaches in his room...boy, that was a field day."

Jaden nodded. "I'd catch him sleepwalking and singing in his sleep. Something about a purple dinosaur?"

"Ugh!" groaned Chazz, covering his ears. "Thanks to him, that stupid song's been stuck in my head ever since! "

"Hey, come to think of it, all we've been talking about are really...dislikable traits about Professor Banner," recalled Syrus. "It's starting to sound like he was a bad teacher."

Jaden shook her head. "Well, even if he had those traits, he's still a kind and good person! I mean, I couldn't think of anyone more deserving of the Slifer Red leader than him!"

Chazz smirked. "Yeah...and we're still searching for that lovable guy. Annoying, but still likeable. Knowing him, he's probably crying in the back of a corner, hungry for anything, even carrots."

"When we get him back, let's force him to eat and drink all of the food he hates!" suggested Syrus.

Everyone's eyes lit up with glint as sinister grins formulated on their faces. "Yeah...let's help him recover by having him eat those things...after all, they're supposed to make him healthy, right?" agreed Chumley.

"I couldn't agree more," stated Chazz, standing up. "But now, our break's over! Let's go!"

"Yeah!" The Slifer Reds cheered together, more pumped up than ever to find Banner.

A soft meow sound not too far away caught their attention, and since there was only one cat residing in the island, it was quite obvious who that cat could be.

"Pharaoh?!" exclaimed Jaden before she and her companions lit their flashlights and rushed together. They made it towards a small clearing and flashed their lights around in searched for the tubby cat who meowed before.

"Pharaoh!"

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

"If you can hear us, meow again!"

"Hurry up and get out here, you fat cat!"

Seeing that their yells weren't effective, Chazz turned to the others and ordered, "Let's split up! I'll go ahead and search through this way, and you three should go towards the other side!"

"Wait!" called out Jaden. "We have to make our teams even! It's just like in those horror movies! If one guy's away from the group, that guy's gonna be the next one killed!"

"Please, this isn't even a horror movie! I'll be fine!" assured Chazz before taking off deeper in the dark depths of the forest. Before long, he resumed calling out for Pharaoh while waving catnip around.

 _ **"Boss! I'm scared!"**_ cried out Ojama Yellow, leaning against Chazz's cheek.

Not wanting to deal with Ojama Yellow at the moment, Chazz chose to ignore him and continued. "Fatty! Fat kitty cat! Where are you?!"

 _ **"Ah! So cruel, ignoring me!"**_

"Yeah, whatever," said Chazz, swaying Ojama Yellow away with a single swipe of his hand. "Just stay out of my way for now and-huh? Pharaoh!"

At long last, Chazz managed to track down Pharaoh, who was sitting besides a pair of glasses. But, more importantly, there was a familiar green, glowing symbol on the grass before it vanished completely, leaving no traces of its existence. However, just the sight of it within a few seconds was more than enough for Chazz.

Kneeling down, Chazz picked up the glasses as Pharaoh wandered off. "Professor Banner's glasses? Plus there's the Mark of Amnael thing...looks like my hunch was right. Huh?"

The Mark of Amnael appeared before Chazz once again, right near a familiar necktie, whom Chazz recognized it belonging to Banner. The Mark of Amnael kept reappearing and disappearing every few seconds, leading Chazz towards something, even to Banner's shirt and his...trousers.

"...Yeah, for my own sake, I'm not gonna bother asking why these were here in the first place," said Chazz, disgusted as he awkwardly picked up Banner's belongings. The Mark of Amnael led him away further and further until Chazz reached the lake, where, standing on top of the lake, was a mysterious cloaked figure.

Giving off a rather sinister aura, the cloaked figure activated his duel disk. All of this arrangement was almost as if the mysterious man was _inviting_ Chazz to come and duel him. His sinister aura was even making Chazz's Duel Spirits to cower before him, which rarely happened, so Chazz could tell he was an extremely strong opponent.

Checking the water, Chazz deduced that the water was as solid as the ground thanks to the cloaked figure. Nodding, Chazz walked closer until he made sure there was enough distance between the two before getting his duel disk ready.

"Let's do this! I'm gonna Chazz you up!"

* * *

 _Meanwhile..._

Relaxing against the soft patch of grass, Pharaoh let out another meow sound before being scooped up in Chumley's arms. "Hey! It's Pharaoh!" announced Chumley as Jaden and Syrus walked up to him.

"About time!" sighed Syrus, happy that they were about to accomplish at least one feat.

"Hey, Pharaoh? Where's Professor Banner?" asked Jaden, bending down a little.

Pharaoh's only response was a simple meow, which afterwards, triggered Jaden's Shadow Charm pendant. The pendant glowed, lighting up like their flashlights, just like back with Jaden's duel with Camula where she had unknowingly used it to fight against Camula's own Shadow Charm.

Eventually, the glow ceased, leaving the only lights coming from their flashlights. Jaden did wonder what caused it to be like that, but knew that they were wasting time just thinking about what occurred. They got Pharaoh, so the best plan right now was to report back to Chazz, wherever he is.

"Let's go!" ordered Jaden, stepping past bushes and flashing her light around in search for Chazz. This continued on for about several minutes later, where not only Jaden, but Syrus and Chumley were also calling out and looking for Chazz.

"Chazz, where are you?"

"We got Pharaoh! Call us if you can hear us!"

"Chazz! Come out, come out wherever you are, you no-good, money-hogging, card loving, big egocentric, small-tempered, Ojama humping, butt-munching asshole!"

"Why do you keep calling Chazz that?" wondered Chumley. "Where'd you get that insult anyways?"

Jaden shrugged. "Eh, it seems more appropriate that way! But seriously, where could he be?"

"Hopefully nowhere too far," sighed Syrus. "I mean, he couldn't hav-"

"GAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

A well-known scream pierced through the night, echoing throughout the forest and reaching the ears of the trio Slifer Reds. Just the scream was enough to shake them to their cores, but luckily, the scream was very close, so they have a chance of saving the one who screamed.

"Chazz?! Was that Chazz?!" questioned Jaden, her heart thumping like crazy. Wasting no time, she pushed past branches and made her way to a clearing, where the others trailed behind.

The clearing also had a large lake, but what was more interesting and noticeable was the Mark of Amnael along with a few familiar wet cards floating on the surface of the lake water. Noy only that, but the Ojama brothers were sobbing over the loss of...their owner.

Putting two and two together, Jaden dropped her flashlight, realizing what happened. Chazz's cards, his Duel Spirits, and the symbol of what appears to have been belonging to the enemy.

"No...No...! CHAZZ!"

To make matters worse, the entire island began shaking roughly before six pillars of transparent light fired upwards towards the skies, seemingly signaling a strange power was about to be awaken. Nobody had a single idea what to do at this situation, but they knew something was going to happen, that's for sure.

"W-what's going on?" wondered Chumley, hugging Pharaoh tightly out of fear.

Syrus looked around. "Just what are those six pillars of light? They just came out of nowhere!"

"Six...six..." The number six ran numb in her mind, but Jaden instantly figured it out at the next second. "No way...! Seven Spirit Gates...only six unlocked! Someone must have used the six Spirit Keys! But if that's the case, then Banner...the Professor truly is...!"

No, she didn't want to believe it, but there was no other coincidence. Banner's disappearance must have meant that a Shadow Rider really did kidnap him and take his key, thus sending him to the Shadow Realm. Now that the pillars of light were up, six to be exact, she has no other choice but to believe that he truly is gone.

 _ **"Waaaaahhh!"**_ sobbed Ojama Yellow. _**"I-It was that seventh Shadow Rider! He made Chazz disappear! Boss lost to him! Waaaaahh!"**_

Feeling bad for the poor Duel Spirit and his brothers, Jaden decided to at least collect Chazz's cards, stacking them into a single small deck since Chazz must have been able to keep most of the cards in his possession.

"Me, Chazz, Alexis, and Banner...we were the only ones who had the Spirit Keys left..." muttered Jaden, staring absently at Chazz's deck. "Bastion, Zane, and Crowler already had their keys taken long ago, so that means..."

"Only Jaden's left fighting?" gasped Syrus.

"No, not just Banner...But Alexis and Chazz, too?" spoke Chumley, feeling more frightened.

Gripping his own jacket and trembling nervously, Syrus cried out, "Jaden! Let's just focus on getting out of here, then! You need protection! If the seventh Shadow Rider gets you, it's all over! The bad guys will awake the Sacred Beasts and bring the end of the world! We gotta keep you safe!"

"No!" shouted Jaden, gritting her teeth as she stared straight forward; her shoulders tense. "There's no way I'm abandoning the Professor and the others! We gotta try and help out some way! If we can do that, maybe we can get them back!"

Being reminded of his friends in peril, Syrus quickly nodded. "Y-yeah! You're right! They do need our help!"

"That's why, if this is the seventh Shadow Rider, then obviously, I need to beat this guy in one final Shadow Game!" replied Jaden.

Even though his friends were right, Chumley still couldn't help but feel unsure. "Yeah, I know...but Jaden, you've only got the last Spirit Key left. If you go down, then the world's doomed, remember?"

Full aware of the tough consequences, Jaden was still raring to go. "Yeah! But still, if I do nothing, nothing's gonna change! And anyways, I can't help but feel excited! After all, this'll be the last battle between the Key Keepers and the Shadow Riders!"

* * *

 _In the Abandoned Dorm..._

In another unknown room where darkness reside, the only living being happened to be the mysterious cloaked man, standing before a coffin. Smirking to himself, the cloaked man chuckled before declaring proudly, "Yes...All is according to plan! Now to deliver the bait to my precious alchemist! Jaden Yuki!"

With that declaration, in the center of the room laid the Mark of Amnael, which not only resided in the floor, but high above the Abandoned Dorm outside as well.

* * *

 _With Jaden and the others..._

Piercing not only the skies, but dark clouds as well, the pillars of light barely reacted when the sky rumbled and lightning shot out from the clouds, targeting a tree close by the ground. The lightning bolt blasted most of the tree bark, causing it to slowly collapse right towards the group. Startled, the trio screamed when they saw the tree about to close in on them before scrambling out of the way, watching the tree crash into the lake water instead.

Even though they were safe from harm's way for now, the three of them were still a little shaken up. "Man, that was close!" said Jaden.

"Y-Yeah! No kidding!" agreed Syrus, hiding behind Jaden.

Their troubles weren't over quite yet, as lightning crackled from the spot where the fallen tree's remains were. A second later, the mysterious Mark of Amnael was shown before them clearly and in large form as well.

"That's the Mark of Amnael! The same one from the map!" cried out Chumley.

The Mark of Amnael disappeared from the tree remains before reappearing in a separate spot on the ground, then deeper into the forest so that Jaden and the others could see it clearly.

"It's like...it's like it's trying to lead us somewhere," spoke Syrus shakily.

Jaden took this as a good chance to find the culprit behind everything. "Then, let's go! If I'm right, this'll lead us to the seventh Shadow Rider! Are you with me, Syrus and Chumley?"

"Yeah!"

"R-right!"

With the enemy's help, Jaden and her friends had little to no trouble following the Mark of Amnael, which eventually led them to the Abandoned Dorm, the last thing that was on their minds with what's been going on.

Fearlessly entering inside, they roamed the halls and searched through the rooms, but they couldn't find a trace of the Mark of Amnael, much less Banner or the enemy. Still, there were a few signs of someone having wandered in here before them, such as the footprints and several doors opened that should have been closed.

Using their flashlights as light to wander the Abandoned Dorm, they reviewed the entire dorm but couldn't find a single clue as to where the enemy currently is. "Damn...just when I thought we were close...!" cursed Jaden. "Just where's the last Shadow Rider, anyways?"

 **BOOM!** From outside of the broken windows, lightning crashed down; the sight and loud noise startling everyone. Well, it appeared the lightning scared Pharaoh the most because he squirmed out of Chumley's arms and rushed down a pair of staircases.

"Hey, isn't he going towards the basement where I first fought Titan?" wondered Jaden. Deciding to follow after the cat because he was really the only lead they had to finding Banner, the team tried to trail after Pharaoh, but eventually lost him through the midst of the darkness.

With their flashlights, it was much easier walking down the passageways, but they still had to be cautious. Soon, they spotted a pail that was laying on the ground with pink paint spread all over. From their right, the wall was broken down, providing another path that wasn't there before.

"Hey, look! Those small pink pawprints! They have to be Pharaoh's!" Chumley said. "I bet Pharaoh knocked over the paint by accident, stepped on the paint, and wandered over that path!"

"Good thinking, Chum!" complimented Jaden before stepping towards the broken wall pathway. "Let's go!"

The new passageway presented before them had a short path and before long, they were standing at the grand entrance. Behind the door were high chances of the seventh Shadow Rider being there.

Even though the final threat was right behind the door, Jaden couldn't help but be a little bit nervous. "H-hey, don't you feel like this is one of those final bosses' dungeons or something?"

"S-sure?" Even Syrus and Chumley were unsure as they hid behind Jaden and allowed her to go in first.

Gulping, Jaden kicked opened the door and jumped inside, hoping she had at least a good dramatic entrance. "Prepare yourself, Shadow Rider!"

Her efforts was for naught as it was dimly dark inside, but still enough for the others to see that the room appeared more of a...laboratory. Test tubes, large containers, and other experimental supplies surrounded the area, with the middle of the room being an entire clearing.

"Whoa...This place looks like a laboratory!" commented Syrus, moving his flashlight around until he came across something that made him shriek and nearly drop his flashlight. "EEEEK! W-W-W-WHAT IS THAT?!"

Turning their flashlights towards the direction Syrus saw, Jaden and Chumley were also freaked out that what they discovered was...a coffin.

"A-A mummy's inside?!" exclaimed Chumley.

"No, wait!" said Syrus. "Maybe there's a zombie! Or maybe, a real life dead person! Why would the seventh Shadow Rider have something like this?!"

"I bet it's some sort of weird fetish! Bad guys always have weird fetishes!"

Curious of the coffin, Jaden started to approach it, something her friends noticed and frantically advised her not to go near it. Ignoring their warnings for her own curiosity, Jaden grabbed hold of the coffin and used all of her strength to push the rocky coffin, managing to open it.

"Whoa...you guys were right, there is a mummy here!" gasped Jaden, examining the corpse inside. "Well, without the bandages, of course."

Shaken by the fact that their theory was right, Chumley and Syrus clinged onto each other for safety, not wanting to know what scary part would happen next. "S-S-so what now? We should go back!" cried out Syrus.

Noticing something amiss with the corpse, Jaden reached out a hand, not bothering to check behind her. "Hey, could one of you give me a flashlight? I wanna see the dead body."

Syrus cringed. "Why'd you have to go say it like that?! B-But fine! Here!"

After being handed the flashlight, Jaden found it easier to look at the corpse with the clear light, although the face was entirely unrecognizable. The clothes and height of the corpse, however, were awfully similar, and her thoughts on the person's identity were confirmed by the name tag.

Shocked, Jaden fell down and covered her mouth, resisting the urge to puke as her body rattled. No...the name tag was as clear as day and she couldn't imagine anyone else with the same name. She could barely hear her friends calling out for her, shaking her body and trying to get her to talk.

Finally, Jaden spoke the name of the corpse she identified. "I-It's Banner...That dead guy's Banner!"

"What?!" Checking out the corpse for confirmation, it didn't take long for Chumley and Syrus to find the name tag. They were as shaken up as Jaden was, but knew they couldn't lose faith, not when they've come this far!

"H-hey! This can't be Banner's corpse!" said Chumley, helping Jaden up on her feet. "I mean, he's only been missing for a few weeks! I read that corpses can only become in this state after many months later! There's no way he could have been in this state after a short while!"

Having calmed down a bit, Jaden wondered, "Then...how do you explain the body?"

"Maybe...maybe this was an effect from losing a Shadow Game?" suggested Syrus. "It's possibly that Banner looks like this, but he's just in a coma!"

The lights in the laboratory lit up, making it brighter for all occupants in the room to see clearly. "Welcome to my laboratory, Jaden Yuki and friends," welcomed the cloaked man from across the room. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the seventh Shadow Rider, Amnael. Prepare yourself!"

"What?! Amnael?!" exclaimed Jaden. "So...you've got to be the guy who took my friends away, didn't you?"

Amnael solemnly nodded, taking out an ancient, strange-looking book from his cloak. "I have dueled each and every one of them. They all had exceptional talent and were quite skilled, but even so, that was not enough to defeat me. Their overconfidence led to their demise."

"Hey, what about Professor Banner?! Were you the one who did him in?!"

"Unfortunately, you're wrong about that," corrected Amnael. "That mummy has been here for a very long time. But enough about that. More importantly, if you wish for me to answer all of your questions, beat me in a Shadow Game! Behold the power of the Emerald Tablet, composed of the very truths of this world!"

"What's a book supposed to do with anything?!" demanded Jaden.

"This Emerald Tablet is the ultimate item that should be in the possession of an ultimate alchemist. Jaden Yuki, this shall be your final test! Come!"

"Gladly!" agreed Jaden, stepping into the middle of the room as she got ready for a duel. "Bring it on, Amnael! Let's throw down!"

Taking off his hoodie, Amnael revealed to have white hair, which proved very little importance as he activated his duel disk. "You realize the risks of this Shadow Game, don't you?"

"Please, I've fought like, three of you Shadow Riders before! I can handle this not problem!" said Jaden confidently. "So get your game on!"

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Amnael - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"Alright, time to throw down! Time to beat you Shadow Riders once and for all!" promised Jaden.

"We shall see who becomes victorious in this Shadow Duel," said Amnael, drawing his card. "For now, I activate the Continuous Spell card, Chaos Distill!"

A gigantic cauldron popped up right behind Amnael, pumping up something liquifying inside as smoke exited from one of the holes it had.

"What is that?" wondered Syrus.

"I...I've seen it in my Dad's factory before! It was something called a distillery!" commented Chumley. "I bet it's got something to do with alchemy!"

"Because of Chaos Distill's effect, anytime any of my cards go to the Graveyard, they are instead removed from play!" explained Amnael.

Confused, Jaden thought, _'Huh? What's the point of doing that?'_

"And now, I shall activate another Spell card, Steel Lamp! This Spell card can only be activated when I have Chaos Distill on my field! It allows me to Special Summon Alchemy Beast - Salamandra the Steel from my hand or deck!"

A part of Chaos Distill opened up, bursting out fire that took form in a flare tornado for only a few brief seconds before dissipating. A steel-like dragonic creature emerged from the flames and roared loudly upon being summoned.

Alchemy Beast - Salamandra the Steel - (FIRE/Rock) - LV3 - (500/500)

"This Alchemy Beast cannot be Normal Summoned nor set, and while his Attack Points are very few, he can still wage a direct attack upon you, along with the rest of my Alchemy Beasts! And now I shall activate both Spell cards, Bronze Scale and Lead Compass, which will greatly help in Special Summoning Ouroboros the Bronze and Leon the Lead from my hand or deck!"

Two more creatures appeared from Chaos Distill, resembling a serpent-like snake with three eyes and a lion-like creature.

Alchemy Beast - Ouroboros the Bronze - (LIGHT/Rock) - LV3 - (500/500)

Alchemy Beast - Leon the Lead - (EARTH/Rock) - LV3 - (500/500)

"I'll set a card facedown and end my turn."

Jaden clenched her fists, staying focused on the duel as she was still a little startled by the sudden change in tides. "Three Monsters at the very start?!"

"When faced with my alchemy, not even your own style of dueling along with your past experiences will save you this time, Jaden!" spoke Amnael.

"We'll see about that! Draw!" said Jaden, drawing her card. "I summon Bubbleman in Attack Mode!"

Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"Bubbleman's special ability is about to kick in! See, if I have no cards on the field other than him, I get to draw two more cards! Alright! I equip Bubble Blaster onto Bubbleman, raising his Attack Points by 800!"

Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1200)

"Attack, Bubbleman! Bombaring Bubble Barrage!"

Responding to the name of his special attack, Bubbleman fired away, sending a barrage of bubbles towards one of the Alchemy Beasts, and given their attack power, they wouldn't stand a chance against the rushing water blast.

"I activate the Continuous Trap card, Elemental Absorber!" yelled Amnael. "This card removes 1 Monster card in my hand to negate an attack by a Monster by the same Attribute! And I choose to remove from play Aqua Spirit, a WATER Attribute Monster! And since I have chosen a WATER Attribute Monster, you can no longer declare attacks using WATER - Attribute Monsters!"

A strange device with four spikes appeared and activated, spinning around as a blue triangular-like symbol formed in front of it. It ceased spinning before one of the spikes glowed blue, causing a wall of water to sprout upwards and block Bubbleman's attack.

"My attack failed?!" gasped Jaden before gritting her teeth out of frustration. "I...end my turn."

"Good choice. My turn!" said Amnael, drawing his card. "Now, my Alchemy Beasts! Attack Jaden directly! Salamandra the Steel, you're up first! Crimson Fireball!"

Salamandra the Steel pulled his head back, prompting up some firepower of his own in the form of a fireball before releasing it towards Jaden. Once the fireball made contact, it burst into a pillar of flames, striking Jaden.

"And now it's your turns, Ouroboros the Bronze and Leon the Lead! Attack Jaden as well!"

Ouroboros unleashed a laser beam from his jaws as Leo fired a barrage of needles from his sharp quill fur. As if the fire attack wasn't enought, Jaden now had to deal with two other attacks, making an explosion from all three combo attacks while Jaden's Life Points depleted greatly.

 **Amnael - 4000 LP**

 **Jaden - 2500 LP**

"Oh no! Jaden's Life Points took a massive hit! And she didn't even get a chance to try and hit Amnael's own points!" cried out Syrus.

"Hang in there, Jaden!" cheered on Chumley. "He only has one card left, so if you can hold on for at least one more turn, you can counterattack next turn!"

Amnael laughed ominously at Chumley's "so-called advice." "Oh, you really believe so? Do not underestimate me! I am unlike other duelists! When faced against me and my alchemy, all common knowledge may as well be thrown out of the window! Now I shall activate the card in my hand, the Spell card, Black Process - Negledo! If I have no cards in my hand and Chaos Distill is still on my field, I can remove all Alchemy Beasts on my field, and for each removed Monster, I can draw two cards for each!"

The three Alchemy Beasts in Amnael's field combusted into flames before exploding one by one, leading Amnael's field defenceless of Monsters.

"You would give up three Monsters for a heavy cost like that?!" exclaimed Jaden.

Amnael gave a swift nod. "Of course. It is only natural for an alchemist. To receive is to give, and to give is to receive. Equivalent Exchange, I might add. You must give something and you will receive something of equal or more value. Because I removed six Alchemy Beasts, I can draw six cards! I shall now activate three Spell cards! Tin Spell Circle! Mercury Hourglass! And Silver Key!"

With the three Spell cards revealed, they all flowed into Chaos Distill, causing the machinery to spew up three new Alchemy Beasts of equal power, yet different elemental Attributes.

Alchemy Beast - Aretos the Tin - (WIND/Rock) - LV3 - (500/500)

Alchemy Beast - Ekenas the Mercury - (WATER/Rock) - LV3 - (500/500)

Alchemy Beast - Moonface the Silver - (DARK/Rock) - LV3 - (500/500)

"With this, I have Special Summoned Aretos the Tin, Ekenas the Mercury, and Moonface the Silver! Naturally, all three of these beasts possess the ability to attack you directly! I shall now end my turn!"

Knowing that the situation had just worsen in her favor, Jaden ignored that fact and decided to focus more on winning. "My turn now! I summon Clayman to the field in Attack Mode!"

Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

"Next, I'll equip Clayman with the Equip Spell card, Mud Max! With this, Clayman's Attack Points rise by 300!"

A vehicle fit for Clayman flew straight down out of nowhere, prompting Clayman to leap onto him and ride across the battlefield and back to Jaden.

Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1100/2000)

"You may have stopped me from attacking with WATER Attribute Monsters, but not EARTH! Mow down Aretos the Tin, Clayman!"

"Not quite! I activate Elemental Absorber's effect!" said Amnael. "By removing The Rock Spirit, a EARTH Attribute Monster, from play, I can negate your EARTH Attribute Monster's attack!"

Elemental Absorber spun around once more, stopping once another spike lit yellow and a triangular yellow symbol appeared. Spiked rocks burst from underground, blocking Clayman's path as he was unable to proceed any further.

 _'Jeez, what's with this guy?! He's pretty good, but something's awfully suspicious of him!'_ she thought. _'It's like he knows my deck inside out!'_

Sensing that Jaden was getting both irritated and suspicious of him, Amnael replied, "I know what you're thinking, Jaden. Your expression says it all. It's not surprising that I was able to counter your attacks, given the fact that our decks are quite similar. How? Well, you'll just have to find the answer for yourself!"

"...Fine, I'll end my turn!"

"Then, it's my turn!" said Amnael. "I activate the Spell card, White Process - Albedo! This can only be activated when I control Chao Distill! With that condition completed, I can now Special Summon Golden Homunculus from my hand or deck!"

Golden Homunculus - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV6 - (0/0)

"This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. However, his Attack and Defense Points are determined by multiplying the amount of my cards that have been removed by 300. I have 13 cards removed, so 13 x 300 = 3900 Attack and Defense Points!"

Golden Homunculus - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV6 - (3900/3900)

 _'Jaden Yuki...are you truly worthy for...'that' or not? This turn will determine it all whether you surpass my expectations or not!'_ Amnael thought. "Now, my Alchemy Beasts! Unleash your full power upon Jaden Yuki!"

Aretos the Tin, Moonface the Silver, and Ekenas the Mercury combined their attacks together just like the other three former Alchemy Beasts, creating a special wave of crescent slashes, flames, and a burst of water that struck Jaden directly.

 **Amnael - 4000 LP**

 **Jaden - 1000 LP**

"Jaden!" cried out Syrus and Chumley, increasingly worried for the battered up Jaden as she was down to one knee and clinging onto her chest for support.

"This is the end! Golden Homunuculus, attack Clayman with Golden Harvest!" commanded Amnael, raising his arm to initiate the attack.

Bringing his golden arms towards his chest to create an x, Golden Homunculus thrusted his arms forward, unleashing shards of golden glass from his body, resulting in a huge explosion once the rain of shards pelted through Clayman.

Lowering his arm, Amnael relaxed his shoulders. "It is do-What?!"

The smoke from the explosion vanished, but Jaden was still standing, along with Bubbleman and Clayman at her side, whom the EARTH Attribute Monster was supposed to be destroyed.

Smirking, Jaden said, "Sorry, but I'm still alive and kickin'! Wanna know how? Well, it's all thanks to Mud Max's effect! When Clayman is selected as an attack target, I can send Mud Max to the Graveyard to negate the attack! Sure, making Clayman lose 300 Points is a small cost, but the other effect of Mud Max is worth it! It also lets me Special Summon a Level 4 or below Elemental Hero from my hand! And I'm Special Summoning Avian to the field!"

Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

Avian - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (1000/1000)

"I see...to think you could have blocked my attack with that..." muttered Amnael. "I end my turn, then!"

"My turn! Draw!" said Jaden. "I'm summoning out Elemental Hero Burstinatrix!"

Burstinatrix - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (1200/800)

"I attack with Avian!"

Swooping towards the air, Avian rapidly flapped his winds, sending feather-like arrows towards one of the Alchemy Beasts.

To initiate a defensive move, Amnael quickly shouted, "I activate the effect of Elemental Absorber! I remove Garuda the Wind Spirit to not only negate your WIND Attribute Monster's attack, but to make it so none of your WIND Attribute Monsters can attack!"

Elemental Absorber whirled around its machinery once again, stopping once the spike lit green and a triangular green symbol appeared. A barrier of wind blocked the feather-like arrows, rendering them useless as they floated down to the ground.

"And because I removed Gardua the Wind Spirit, Golden Homunuculus' Attack and Defense Points increased by 300!"

Golden Homunculus - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV6 - (4200/4200)

"I'm not done yet!" yelled Jaden. "Burstinatrix, finish what Avian started!"

Pouring her firepower into a large fireball, Burstinatrix released a battle cry before tossing the fireball at one of the Alchemy Beasts.

Amnael wasn't quite finished as he held up a FIRE Attribute Monster card. "I remove Spirit of Flames to negate and cancel out anymore FIRE Attribute Monster attacks! Go, Elemental Absorber!"

When the machinery for the Elemental Absorber stopped, the final and fourth spike lit red with a triangular red symbol added in. A much stronger wall of fire sprung up and absorbed the flames of the fireball, negating the offensive assault.

"All four Attributes can't be used against him!" cried out Syrus. "What's Jaden gonna do?!"

"I dunno, Sy!" said Chumley. "The only Attributes left are LIGHT and DARK and I doubt Jaden can attack anymore now!"

Jaden smirked, revealing that she still wasn't quite finished. "Heh, if you thought that all I can do is play offense, you're wrong! There's more to my Elemental Hero deck than just attacking straight ahead! I activate the Spell card, Burst Return! While I have Burstinatrix on the field, all other Elemental Heroes return to my hand! Next up, a special Spell card called Burst Impact! Other than Burstinatrix, all other Monsters are destroyed, and you take 300 Points of Damage for each one!"

Spiral flames surrounded Burstinatrix in a sort of flame twister as she gathered immense heat power, charging up her power. Once fully charged, she placed all her energy into a single fireball; the red flames changing to the most hottest blue flames there is before she unleashed a massive explosion on the entire field.

 **Amnael - 2800 LP**

 **Jaden - 1000 LP**

"Yeah! Way to go, Jay!" said Chumley.

Syrus nodded. "It was a rough start at first, but Jaden pulled through like always!"

A meow sound surprised both spectators as they saw Pharaoh coming up to them. Confused, Syrus picked up Pharaoh, wondering if the tubby cat needed something. Raising his claws, Pharaoh slashed at Syrus' face, wishing to be released by the boy as Syrus shrieked and did so, covering his face in pain as he cried.

"OWWWW! MY FACE!"

"Pharaoh! Bad cat! Bad!"

Jaden ceased focusing when she heard the strange commotion from behind her. The source of the commotion zoomed past her as Jaden saw Pharaoh trotting up towards Amnael. "Ah! Pharaoh, no! That's a bad guy over there!"

Much to everyone's surprise, Pharaoh nuzzled his face against Amnael's leg, purring happily. Despite his pain, Syrus ignored such things and blinked at Pharaoh's strange behavior. "Huh? Pharaoh? What's he doing?"

"Yeah, Pharaoh's never acted that way towards a stranger before, much less a bad guy!" commented Chumley. "Aren't cats supposed to be good at sensing bad things or something?"

"...Ah. I knew that my secret would be out in my way, but oh well. Since you were going to learn who I was anyways, might as well reveal who I am right now," spoke Amnael before removing his mask with his very own hands.

Never in a hundred years would the others imagine that Amnael was someone they knew. Someone who had been missing for a while. It did connect together and would explain a lot of things, like someone who hasn't left the island, but remained hidden in the island. Yes...Amnael, in reality...

Is their beloved Professor Banner.

"HOW?!" exclaimed Jaden, glancing from Amnael, or Banner, or whoever she was dueling, to the corpse in the coffin. "I thought you were-That the Shadow Riders got you somehow and-But you were missing for so long-You couldn't have left the islan-Who is that in the coffin any-WHAT IS GOING ON?!"

Chuckling at Jaden's exasperation, Banner knelt down and stroked Pharaoh's fur. "To answer your previous question, that corpse is also me. I was brought back from the dead with the power of alchemy. It's amazing what alchemy could do, despite it not being well-known."

"Alchemy? He was really resurrected?" wondered Chumley.

"But...it's impossible to bring back the dead!" stated Syrus.

Knowing his students were naive, which couldn't be helped, Banner stood up with Pharaoh in his arms. "Oh, my children...You haven't even begun to handle half of the _true mystery._ But rest assured, it will all come towards you very soon."

Jaden was still confused after learning of the shocking revelation that Banner was both alive and dead. This was like something he once told her, something with the cat in the box and determining whether the cat is alive or not. Schrödinger's cat, was it?

"HOW?!" Jaden asked once again. "How and why?! The dead body and you! There is no way you can exist in two places at once!"

"Well, in order for all of you to better understand, I may have to start at the beginning," spoke Banner. "You see, my flesh was destroyed a long time ago. Thanks to the power of alchemy, my soul resides in this new body, very similar to my old, original one. Like you, Jaden, I was a very skilled duelist that grew powerful through each duel and experience. But at the same time, I was also originally an alchemist, traveling around the world not only to improve as a duelist, but also in search of the Philosopher's Stone."

"What's the Philosopher's Stone?" asked Jaden.

"It's a legendary jewel sought out by other alchemists such as myself. It contains the power to change all metals into gold, grant eternal youte, and even create medicine said to cure any disease, so you can imagine that it was a rare and valuable treasure. Consequently, history has shown people constantly searching for the stone and developing alchemy. I accept orders from someone and tried to find it as well."

"Someone?"

"Well, the minor details don't really matter, but it was someone from a real long time ago. Anyways, my search eventually led me to an lost tomb in some ancient deserts in Egypt. Like Pegasus, I discovered Duel Monsters on my own, but what I failed to realize was that the tomb I discovered was cursed, causing me to have an incurable disease! I still had much to do in the living world, so I entrusted my soul to a Homunculus, an artificial life-form created through alchemy."

"So...Professor Banner's body right now...is an Homunculus' body?" gasped Syrus, shocked.

Banner nodded, tapping his skin. Just the gentle tap of it was enough to form cracks all over his cheek. "Yes, well...this body is only temporary. It's starting to decay and reach its limits and it won't be long before I...succumb to it at last. But before that, I require the power of three powerful beings, the ones who supported my research."

"What? Three beings?" Jaden asked; her eyes widening. "Wait, are they-?"

"Yes, the three Sacred Beasts. If I had the power of all three of them, I would be able to create the Philosopher's Stone!"

Jaden's body started trembling, but not out of fear. More like quivering in sorrow and anger. All this time...Banner deceived her and her friends from the very beginning? Pretending to be nice just to gain power for himself? Were their memories together just...fabricated lies? The Professor...no, Banner, was just playing them at the palm of his hands?

Dipping her head down, Jaden appeared as though she was bowing to Banner, but in reality, she was just hiding her expression and face from the others. Her body was still quivering as tears dripped down, and it wasn't long before she started sniffling, but she did her very best to hide it.

"Jaden..." muttered Syrus sadly. He knew Jaden was trying to hold it in because right now, Banner was their enemy. But at the same time, he was...no, _used_ to be their manipulative teacher. Still, if he was in Jaden's position, he'd probably react the same way.

Frowning, Banner knew that there wasn't anymore time to spare, so he placed Pharaoh down so that the cat could crawl away to safety. "We're resuming the duel!"

Jaden shook her head, glaring at Banner before wiping away her tears with her sleeve to hide any evidence of her crying. "No! I don't want to play anymore of your games!"

"I'm afraid you have no choice in the manner. You see, I still have your friends' soul in the Emerald Tablet. The only way to set them free is by defeating me! If you don't, I will use their souls as ingredients for my research! Think of this as your final exam for my class!"

Even though she hated this, she had no other choice but to cooperate. "Alright fine...I'll end my turn."

"Good choice! My draw!" said Banner. "I activate the Spell card, Chaos Greed! This can only be activated if I have no cards in my Graveyard while four or more of my cards are removed from play. I'm able to draw two more cards! I set both of them facedown and end my turn!"

Deciding to focus on the duel instead of her anguish, Jaden thought, _'Alright, Banner no longer has any cards, but with that Elemental Absorber out, I can't attack using FIRE, WATER, WIND, or EARTH Attribute Monsters! If that's the case...!'_ "My turn! I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw two free cards! I summon Elemental Hero Clayman again to my field!"

Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

"Next, I equip the Equip Spell card, Clay Wrap, onto him and fuse him and Burstinatrix using Polymerization! I Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster!"

The thickly coated Clayman fused together with the hot-tempered Burstinatrix in one of their most commonly fusions ever; a combination of the two with a defensive Elemental Hero with some offensive as well.

Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2000/2500)

"Wait, why use Clay Wrap on Clayman if he's just going to go to the Graveyard for a Fusion Summon? Jaden could just easily fuse Clayman from his hand instead of wasting a precious Spell card!" said Syrus, confused.

Jaden nodded. "That's true, but there's a pretty good reason! See, if Clay Wrap is sent to the Graveyard, it has the ability to destroy a Spell or Trap card on my opponent's field! And I'm definitely choosing to destroy that annoying Elemental Absorber!"

Instantly, Elemental Absorber exploded, nearly causing Banner to fly back as he coughed from all of the smoke. "Very nice, Jaden! Nice combo! Truly a magnificent work of Fusion, since it is your absolute strong point!"

Jaden gritted her teeth, wanting to yell at the imposter before her not to act like her own teacher, especially since he betrayed her and the others. Still, now wasn't the time to argue, so she kept her mouth shut, but her anger visible.

Sensing her anger, Banner wasn't fazed about it one bit. _'Jaden, you certainly are young and growing, but you yourself do not know about the powers that lay dormant inside of you...a very dangerous power that I hope you will succeed in controlling one day.'_

"Rampart Blaster! Blast this guy away!" shouted Jaden, allowing her Fusion Monster to open fire onto Banner.

Banner bellowed, "Even if you are strong, Jaden, there are traps which you must be cautious of! Behold, the fruits of all my research on alchemy! I activate the Continuous Trap, Macro Cosmos! By removing from play Chaos Distill, I can now Special Summon Helios - The Primordial Sun from my hand or deck!"

Rampaging out of control, Chaos Distill started shaking; the entire cauldron increasingly growing hotter as steam shot out. A bright light engulfed all of them, having come from Chaos Distill itself. When everyone regained full awareness, they realized they were no longer in the laboratory, but in outer space, possibly in the middle of the galaxy.

"W-where are we?" Chumley wondered.

"Aah! Outer space!" cried out Jaden, gripping her throat. "Can't...breathe...!"

Banner chuckled before reassuring her, "Do not worry. Our duel has descended into the cosmos and above the human world, but one of the benefits in a Shadow Game is that even if we are in space or underwater, we can breathe so long as we duel! Now, like I said before, since I already removed from play Chaos Distille, I can now Special Summon Helios - The Primordial Sun from my hand! And not only that, Macro Cosmos makes it to every card I sent to my Graveyard, it is removed from play instead!"

Helios - The Primordial Sun - (LIGHT/Pyro) - LV4 - (?/?)

"Her Attack and Defense Points are equal to the number of Monsters I have removed from play times 100, and since there are 11 removed, she gains 1100 Attack and Defense Points!"

Helios - The Primordial Sun - (LIGHT/Pyro) - LV4 - (1100/1100)

Soon after the appearance of Banner's new Monster, three planets grew closer to the field and visibly revealed a person inside each planet. In each planet, Chazz, Alexis, and Atticus were trapped inside, though Chazz appeared to be the only one of the three conscious as the other two were in a deep sleep.

"Chazz! Alexis! Atticus!" cried out Jaden. "What did you do to them?!"

"Simple, I dueled them and they lost," replied Banner. "What lies at the top is like what lies at the bottom, and what lies at the bottom is what lies at the top. These words are truth of the human world written in the Emerald Tablet! All things are created equal and connect to each other, conflicting with each other at times. People these days are too caught up with modern-age science to realize how much good alchemy can do! Of course, I would never expect a Slifer Red slacker like you to understand, Jaden."

"Hey!" shouted Jaden, feeling insulted. "In case you've forgotten, I've gotten ten times stronger than I was at the beginning of school!"

Grinning maliciously, Banner revealed, "It's a shame to tell you this, but all of your matches...were set up! Fixed so that YOU would win! Well, aside from your first duel with Zane, that is! All of this to make you _feel_ stronger and gain experience! And it was all thanks to me!"

"What?!" Shocked at the new revelation, Jaden felt her heart drop suddenly. "You mean...all this time, I didn't win out of my own free will, but...? Why?!"

"So that you would gain a Spirit Key and face me eventually! I always love it whenever a newcomer thinks they're some hotshot, only to fall into despair at the depths and loss of reality!"

Gritting her teeth, Jaden tried her best not to break down and cry. Not only was Banner manipulating her and her friends, but he also rigged her duels?! Then, what was the point of all this?!

No, she couldn't think of something like that for now. Right now, she had to help out Chazz and the others because they were trapped in those stupid planet things!

"I don't know anything about magic or alchemy, except from video games, but all I want to do is free Chazz and the others, and if that means dueling you to set them free, then I'll do it!" declared Jaden.

"Excellent!" praised Banner. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Planet Alignment! This card can only be activate if I have Helios - The Primordial Sun out. If so, I can destroy all Monsters you control and inflict 300 Points of Damage to you!"

The force of the power was so powerful, space and the gravity waves surrounding them began to distort and get mixed up, causing Rampart Blaster to scream as the distortion was affecting her body before she exploded.

 **Banner - 2800 LP**

 **Jaden - 700 LP**

"I...set a card facedown and end my turn," said Jaden.

"My turn, draw!" Banner said. "I activate the Spell card, Yellow Process - Kitolenics! By sacrificing Helios - The Primordial Sun, I can now Special Summon Helios Duo Megistus!"

Helios Duo Megistus - (LIGHT/Pyro) - LV6 - (?/?)

"For every Monster card removed from play, Helios Duo Megistus' Attack and Defense Points rise by 200 Points each! 12 Monster cards of mine have already been removed, so that's a total of 2400 Attack and Defense Points!"

Helios Duo Megistus - (LIGHT/Pyro) - LV6 - (2400/2400)

"Take this! Solar Flare!"

Engulfed in flames, Helios Duo Megistus brought forth a tidal wave of flames downwards upon Jaden, who was stunned by the immense power the Monster contained.

"Heh, I'm not going down that easily! I play a Trap, A Hero Emerges!" shouted Jaden. "You have to randomly choose a card from my hand, and if it's a Monster, I'm allowed to Special Summon it!"

"Simple enough!" said Banner. "I choose the middle card!"

"Yahoo!" cheered Jaden. "Now I get to Special Summon one of my strongest Elemental Heroes, Elemental Hero Bladedge!"

Elemental Hero Bladedge - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV7 - (2600/1800)

"Alright! Jaden's got a stronger Monster!" said Syrus.

"If this pulls through, Banner will have no more Monsters, and Jaden can win next turn!" commented Chumley.

Jaden smirked confidently, placing her hands on her hips. "Ha! Take that! Who's weak now?"

"Oh, you'll see," promised Banner. "But for now, I continue with my attack!"

Jaden's face fell. "Wait, what?!"

Defending against the sheering flames of hatred, Bladedge used his armed golden blades not only for defensive, but to fly through the flames. Once he saw an opening, he slashed through Helios Duo Megistus before flying back for safety, letting the Monster destroy in an electrical explosion.

 **Banner - 2600 LP**

 **Jaden - 700 LP**

"I activate the effect of Helios Duo Megistus," said Banner. "When destroyed, she can return to the field with 300 extra Attack Points!"

Helios Duo Megistus - (LIGHT/Pyro) - LV6 - (2700/2700)

"I attack once more! Finish off Bladedge and exact your revenge on him!"

This time, Bladedge's defense couldn't withstand the more stronger flames of vengeance pouring from Helios Duo Megistus' powers, thus being utterly defeated as a result.

 **Banner - 2600 LP**

 **Jaden - 600 LP**

"I can't believe it! You made me take the bait!" accused Jaden. "So that's the reason why you didn't cancel your attack!"

Banner nodded. "But of course. It was a small loss to my Life Points, but well worth it. I end my turn!"

"My turn, then!" said Jaden. "I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman to the field in Attack Mode!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"And because he's all alone on the field, his special ability kicks in and lets me draw two more cards! Now I activate the Spell card, Fusion Recovery! This lets me take out a Polymerization and a Fusion-Material Monster from my Graveyard to my hand! Now, I fuse Bubbleman and Avian to create Elemental Hero Mariner!"

One of Jaden's rarely called out Fusion Monsters zoomed upwards into space to reach onto the field. Appearing similar to a sea monster, yet holding the pride and ideals of a hero, the sea-loving Fusion Monster roared a triumphant cry before settling down for battle.

Elemental Hero Mariner - (WATER/Warrior/Fusion) - (1400/1000)

"Next, I'll set two facedowns and activate Mariner's effect! When I have any facedown Spells or Traps, I can unleash a direct attack on you! Go, Mariner! Attack him directly!"

Mariner pulled his arm back before thrusting it forward, using his gauntlet to release a sharp anchor-like weapon that stabbed at Banner. The wound wasn't there, but the pain definitely hit the spot for Banner as he grunted and winched in pain.

 **Banner - 1200 LP**

 **Jaden - 600 LP**

"Incredible...Truly, you are one of the finest Fusion users I've ever met!" complimented Banner. "You control Fusion naturally and its power flows in you in ways you've never imagined, and that would make you a top-notch alchemist!"

"What are you even saying right now?!" demanded Jaden, confused.

"It's simple, you take full advantage of your Fusion Monsters, strengthening them and using their potential to their full limits! Fusion is like alchemy! The Fusion-Material Monsters...just the correct combination will create a more powerful formula, just as alchemy is created through the correct properties! They're one and the same!"

"So...that's what you meant when you said I was like a strong alchemist?"

"Yes, exactly! To me, this duel isn't just a Shadow Game where we have to risk our lives, but also a duel to decide the ultimate alchemist! But it's not only me! Jaden, you must win as well, for your friends, correct?"

"Of course!" said Jaden. "That much, we can agree on! I end my turn!"

"My turn!" Banner said. "Helios Duo Megistus! Attack her Monster, now!"

As a scorching wave of fire headed towards Mariner, Jaden yelled, "Just in time! I activate my Trap, Mirror Gate! Mirror Gate switches control of the two Monsters that are in battle, so that means your strongest Monster is on my side!"

Like a mirror reflection, both Monsters had switched places despite one and the other not making a single step forward. Since Helios Duo Megistus was still firing her attack, it was aiming straight for the Mariner on Banner's side. If this worked, then Banner would literally and figurately be toast.

"Hmph! You didn't think I wouldn't anticipate that? You're wrong!" shouted Banner. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Grand Convergence! As long as I control Macro Cosmos, all Monsters on the field are destroyed and you get dealt 300 Points of Damage!"

All the Monsters on the field shattered and the gravity waves started to heavily affect Jaden's body. It was almost as if they were crushing her under their weight, her body nearly distorting, her eardrums screeching in pain, and her head feeling as though it was slowly ripping in two.

"Gh-! GAAAAAHHH!"

 **Banner - 1200 LP**

 **Jaden - 300 LP**

"And since Helios Duo Megistus has a revival effect, she comes back with 300 extra Attack Points!" reminded Banner.

Helios Duo Megistus - (LIGHT/Pyro) - LV6 - (3000/3000)

"Now, attack once more!"

"Not so fast! I've still got a second trump card up my sleeve!" shouted Jaden. "I play the Quick-Play Spell, The Flute of Summoning Kuriboh! This Special Summons Winged Kuriboh from my hand or deck!"

Winged Kuriboh - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV1 - (300/200)

"On the turn that he's destroyed, I take zero damage! Well, it wouldn't have mattered anyways since he was in Defense Mode."

Impressed, Banner spoke, "You managed to save yourself this turn, but I'll come up with something next turn. I end my turn."

"My turn now!" Jaden said. "I summon Clayman in Defense Mode!"

Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

"Then, I'll just set a card and end my turn!" _'That Helios Monster is really tough! Every time I beat her, she just keeps coming back, much more stronger than before! If I'm gonna win this, I'm going to have to deplete Banner's Life Points before he can destroy mine!'_

"My turn!" Banner said before smirking. "This is it! If you thought Helios Duo Megistus was the only threat you had to face, you're dead mistaken! I activate the Spell, Red Process - Rubedo! This Spell sacrifices Helios Duo Megistus in order to Special Summon Helios Trice Megistus!"

Three Monsters resembling the one Helios Duo Megistus appeared, being as one Monster altogether.

Helios Trice Megistus - (LIGHT/Pyro) - LV8 (?/?)

"Helios Trice Megistus' effect activates! For each card removed from play, they gain 300 extra Attack and Defense Points, and since 13 have long gone, they gain 3900 Attack and Defense Points!"

Helios Trice Megistus - (LIGHT/Pyro) - LV8 - (3900/3900)

"Now attack her Clayman! Show no mercy!"

Three pillars of fire arose from each of Helios Trice Megistus' bodies before they all combined together to create a phoenix made of their fires, which soared and blasted through Clayman's defenses easily.

Covering her eyes from the bright shine from the fires, Jaden yelled, "I activate a Trap, Hero Signal! When an Elemental Hero is destroyed, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Elemental Hero from my deck! I Special Summon Sparkman in Defense Mode!"

Elemental Hero Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1400)

"Then I shall activate Helios Trice Megistus' second ability!" revealed Banner. "After they attack, they can attack once more if you control a Monster!"

"Wait, what?!"

The flames surged up from Helios Trice Megistus' anger and vengeance blocked out Jaden's surprised cry and wasted no time in burning Jaden's Monster to a crisp just as easily as they did with Clayman.

 _'Damnit, this is really bad!'_ thought Jaden. _'I don't have anything on my field, hand, or anything! If I don't win this, Chazz, Alexis, and Atticus will...No, everyone will...! I just...I just can't seem to find a way out of this!'_

Unconsciously, Jaden had spoken Banner's name, but not just Banner, more towards the name she preferred to call him. "...Professor Banner, when you said stuff about me being a skilled alchemist just as I was a skilled Fusionist...I think you're mistaken about that. I don't have any cards, my field's empty, and I have no strategy."

As if sighing in disappointment, Banner gently spoke, "So...you think you are the same as you were a year ago?"

"Huh?" _'A year ago?'_ thought Jaden, recalling back to the events of her old days. Even seeing the spirit of Winged Kuriboh brought nostalgic memories back to her head. _'Yeah...it was pretty fun and I got to experience lots of things...but Professor Banner said that he fixed all those matches so that I would win. Doesn't that make me a pretty lousy duelist?'_

Come to think of it, everything kinda connects right up to one point and Banner could be right about him fixing all her matches. After all, there was that one time with the trip to the Gravekeeper's place, so Banner could have used his Shadow Charm powers to easily arrange that. Plus, all of her duels were located in one place; Duel Academy, so Banner could have taken full advantage of his position as Slifer Red Dorm teacher to arrange everything so that Sheppard would have no choice but to recognize her as a powerful duelist. Then...what was the point of all her duels thus far?!

No, she couldn't think like that! Maybe...maybe that's why Banner told her that! Maybe his involvement in her duels was a lie, and he wanted her to think like that to doubt herself, to make her hesitant and lose this match! Besides, at this point, it didn't even matter whether her matches were fixed or not. Even if they were, Jaden still gained a lot of experience from her duels and made tons of friends, so that should be enough. In a way, making friends her style is, in a way, another way of making alchemy.

"You can do it, Jaden!" cheered Syrus, jumping up and down as he and Chumley had gotten Jaden's attention.

"Yeah, we believe in you! Put an end to this so we can save our friends!" said Chumley.

The constant reminder that their captive friends were still in peril brought Jaden to her full senses. That's right! She can't be thinking selfishly! She had to win this not only to prove to Banner that she was strong all this time, but also to save her friends. Now was the time to act and think later.

"Alright, my turn! Draw!" yelled Jaden, no longer hesitating to draw her card. "This is it! The miracle I've been waiting for! I activate the Spell card, Miracle Fusion!"

Even Banner was shocked at the reveal of a card even he's never heard of. "An unknown Fusion card?!"

Strong winds burst from Jaden's Graveyard as a new light emerged and shined upwards. The spirits of Clayman, Avian, Bubbleman, and Burstinatrix were shown momentarily before the four Elemental Heroes' powers were combined in a swirling vortex of power, fusing them altogether.

"Miracle Fusion...it's a special card that banishes Fusion Material Monsters from my Graveyard to in order to perfect the ultimate Fusion Monster that's about to be created! And the Monster I'm summoning is the ultimate Elemental Hero! Come, Elemental Hero Electrum!"

Forged through the fires of life, replenished by the refreshing waters, cooled from the breezy winds, and strengthened by the tough earth, a golden Elemental Hero emerged from the vortex, prepared to stop the evil before him.

Elemental Hero Electrum - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV10 - (2900/2600)

"Electrum's effect activates! When Fusion Summoned, all cards removed from play are returned to our decks and shuffled!"

"What?!"

Like Jaden said, both of their removed from play cards glowed and flew back towards their decks, shuffling automatically. This meant that without the power of the removed cards, Helios Trice Megistus' power would decrease significantly towards 0.

Helios Trice Megistus - (LIGHT/Pyro) - LV8 (0/0)

"Go!" commanded Jaden. "Attack him directly! Elemental Majestery!"

Radiating an aura that was as powerful as the sun, Electrum's power from all four elements aimed for his targets with such passion and willpower. Instead of crying out in despair and loss, Banner was in awe not only from the appearance of Electrum and his power, but also from the full potential being proven and shown to him by his own student, Jaden Yuki.

 **Banner - 0 LP**

 **Jaden - 300 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

Banner fell to his knees, having been weakened by the sheer force of Electrum's power and having reached his limits in his Homunculus' body. The Emerald Tablet fell out of his hands and the eye in the middle shattered, having lost its power from Banner's defeat.

With Banner's defeat, the six pillars of light also vanished and the prisoners trapped within the Emerald Tablet were released from their prison, returning to their current position from where they were defeated.

Despite everything he's done or said, Jaden still couldn't find it in her heart to hate the Professor she grew to admire and care for, even if their memories together were fake. "Professor Banner?"

Knowing he didn't have much time left, Banner decided to use the last of his final moments to confess everything he's done up until now along with his regrets. "Jaden...I'm so sorry..." he apologized sincerely. "I lied...about setting up those duels. You won and lost them fair and square. You truly have passed my test of overcoming your own limits...I said all of that horrible stuff to prepare and test you...not just for yourself, but for the true evil behind everything..."

Just as Jaden thought deep within. She knew deep down that Banner couldn't be some bad guy! And just like that, her wish came true when he began confessing. But it appears that he wasn't quite done, as he still had a lot more to say.

"The one who supported my research has gained an even stronger power...And too much power can corrupt and cloud one's mind, which is exactly what happened to him. The reason why I became a Shadow Rider was to stop him, who has now become evil and is planning to take over the world...I had to do all of this, and choose one potential student to fight against him and win...Because even I can't stand up against him, especially since I'm at my limits..."

Grimancing, more cracks formed around Banner's skin as he was slowly dispersing into dust. His strength was quickly leaving him, making his body as light as a feather, and soon he would be no more. Still, he mustered up the will to smile at his students, the ones who brought him joy for the past year.

"I'm truly sorry for everything I've put everyone through. Please listen to the request of a poor old man such as myself one last time," he pleaded, handing out the Emerald Tablet to Jaden.

"Professor?! But isn't this yours?!"

Banner shook his head, causing more cracks to appear on his neck. Croaking out his last words while putting up a smile to the bitter end, Banner spoke his final words.

"The only person left to avert this evil...is you, Jaden. I hope you find happiness...in the person you chose to love...'

With that, the former alchemist/professor/Shadow Rider known as Lyman Banner was no more as his body succumbed and turned to dust. Behind the trio, his corpse also collapsed into dust, leaving no trace of the professor except for his clothes.

"Professor!" sobbed Jaden, unable to hold back any of her tears any longer. Gripping the Emerald Tablet close to her chest, she fell to her knees and openly cried, not caring who heard him.

Seeing their friend cry made Chumley and Syrus cry as well. After all, all three of them had grown a bond with the silly and carefree professor, so it was hard to accept his death so suddenly, even if he was technically the enemy all along.

Unknown to any of the three, Pharaoh was playing around with a ball of light he found floating upwards from Banner's clothes, He kept at it until he swallowed the ball of light into his mouth.

Sniffling, Jaden wiped away her tears and tried to stand up, knowing she was still crying. Even though all seven Shadow Riders are long gone and defeated, there was still that threat Banner kept warning her about, and she knew that from his last words that this wasn't over yet.

* * *

 **Skit: Nenenenenenene**

"Nenenenenenene..."

"Jaden, what are you doing?" questioned Chazz, noticing Jaden pretending to sneak around.

"It's my own theme song when I wanna be a spy!"

"And why are you thinking that now?"

"Because I feel like one! We're searching for Banner, aren't we?"

"Spying and detective work are two different things!"

Ignoring Chazz, Jaden proceeded to have her fun. "Nenenenenenenenenene..."

"Seriously, quiet down! I'm trying to concentrate!" scolded Chazz.

Syrus snickered and decided to join in on the fun. "Nenenenenenenenenene..."

"Hey, both of you! Shut up!"

Chumley couldn't help but also participate, causing all three Slifer Reds to resound at the same time. "Nenenenenenenenenenene..."

"Gah! Screw it! We're taking a break! I'm going to that tree to think more!"

"Okay! Nenenenenenenene..."

* * *

 **Skit: Unexpected Hero**

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" cried out Jaden, hopping forward on one foot. "Time out! Time out! Leg cramp! Leg cramp!"

"Huh?" Chazz stopped and turned around.

"Just gimme a minute! Ow, ow, ow!"

"We don't have time! Just drag your leg and-" Come to think of it, a leg cramp could be the best excuse so that Chazz could carry Jaden bridal style! Then, she might notice how admirable and handsome and cool he is and might like him and-

"Thanks, Chumley!" thanked Jaden, being carried piggy back style onto Chumley's back.

"No problem! You being light and being as flat as a pancake really helps!"

"I will hurt you!" yelled Jaden, practically throwing Chumley's head back and forth. While Chumley understood Jaden's anger from his teasing, he couldn't get why Chazz was glaring at him like he wanted to fire laser beams from his eyes.

* * *

 **Skit: Regrets and Popsicles**

The spirit of Banner, contained in the form of a ball of light, managed to escape Pharaoh and floated above, glancing over his students as they were grieving over his dead bodies. He couldn't exactly comfort them as he was a spirit, but he could watch over them before he headed towards the afterlife.

"Poor Banner!" sobbed Jaden. "We never did get the chance to tell him all the bad things we did behind his back!"

...What?

Now this was starting to get interesting for the former teacher. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to stay a bit longer.

"Like...Like how I sometimes take fried shrimp from his lunchbox and add it to mine!"

Okay, that was bad, but Banner was sure that Jaden learned her lesson.

"And how I stuff veggies in his own food secretly whenever he wasn't looking! Especially in his meatloaf!"

No wonder it tasted off that time!

"And how I thought he was a girl dressed as a guy because of his long hair!"

Truth be told, Banner had no idea why he never bothered to get a haircut to begin with if his hair kept being in the way despite being tied.

"I have a confession too!" cried out Syrus and Chumley, thinking they might as well confess as well. "We did so many horrible things! We messed up his laundry, accidentally got Pharaoh to catch fleas and even intruded in his room! We were even planning to pin the blame on Chazz! We're sorry!"

 _'I GAVE YOU POPSICLES!'_ Thought Banner, horrified at their actions before being swallowed up by Pharaoh once again.

* * *

 **This was so long! Read and review! Oh, and one more thing! Remember the Valentine's Day chocolate foreshadowing I mentioned before? If you haven't figured it out by now, I'll tell ya!**

 **Banner's chocolate, or rather his behavior when devouring it was somewhat inhumane, as you can tell that whenever Jaden tried to cook a perfect chocolate, it always went wrong. And when she purposely tried to make it worse, she ended up making it better, with an example for Crowler.**

 **Anyways, most people wouldn't dare think of eating her chocolate, but Banner did, not for the taste, since he probably can't taste much since he was in an Homunculus form. Sure there were minor side effects, but Jaden unknowingly made a chocolate that extended her teacher's life a little. Plus I already hinted he was in a lab, which was the same room Jaden and him dueled, so you know.**


	37. Chazz-anova

**Back from vacation and up and runnin'!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

 _A bright and simple day as ever, except that the entire setting wasn't Duel Academy, but more in a fancy room inside of a grand mansion. Inside of the room was Chazz, sitting in a royal throne, basked in all of his glory and fame as he was finishing off his Golden Egg Sandwich._

 _"Hey! Jaden, get over here! Where's my Blue-Eyes White Mountain coffee?!" demanded Chazz._

 _Bursting into the room hurriedly, Jaden panted for breath, holding his requested beverage in a small tray. Shockingly enough, her appearance completely differed from that of her original Slifer Red outfit, as she donned a maid's uniform with kitty ears and a tail attached._

 _"Nyah!~ Sorry for the wait, Meowster! I-I mean, Master!" sputtered Jaden, shyly, just the way Chazz loved it. She stepped forward, but as soon as she did, she tripped over and stumbled back, causing the coffee to splatter all over her. Thanks to it being hot, she shrieked and curled up to ease the pain._

 _Getting up from his seat, Chazz tched and headed straight for Jaden, who was trying to wipe off the coffee off her body when Chazz grabbed her wrist, preventing her from doing so. Inching closer, Chazz started licking and nipping at Jaden's neck, which had coffee splattered as well._

 _Muffling her moans with one free hand, Jaden then lowered her hand to plead, "M-Master...Ah! What are yo-?!"_

 _"Quiet. You ruined my special coffee, and now you're receiving Master's punishment. You've been a bad girl lately, so now it's time to deliver your judgement!"_

 _"Eep! No! Not there! Aah!"_

* * *

Ojama Yellow sweatdropped as he was trying to figure out what his Boss was doing, twisting and turning with a flustered face. Ever since Chazz had fallen asleep on the rooftop, he's been behaving strangely while having some dreams.

Actually, this has continuously been happening nonstop not too long ago. Every time, Chazz kept making weird sounds from his mouth and sweaty like crazy. Sometimes, he gets up during the middle of the night to rush to the bathroom or sometimes in the morning, throws his sheets in the laundry before retrieving them later.

"Jaden...Yeah...Yeah...do it...do it...!" grunted Chazz, hugging himself as sweat started forming at his forehead.

At the mention of the tomboy's name, Ojama Yellow's eyes widened. Oh...Oh! Now the pieces were starting to put together! This totally made perfect sense and...Ojama Yellow grinned. He totally had something to tell his brothers after all!

* * *

 _Later..._

"Awesome, Jaden!"

"Yeah! You're the man! Er...Girl! You're the girl!"

"Whoo! Go, Jaden!"

"You finally finished off the last Shadow Rider! Good for you!"

"She's the best Slifer Red duelist ever!"

As Jaden and her two best friends, Syrus and Chumley, were walking across Duel Academy, they kept being greeted and applauded by many other students, who were congratulating Jaden on her success in defeating the last of the Shadow Riders.

Several days after the duel between Jaden and the final Shadow Rider, who happened to, shockingly, reveal to be Banner, Jaden has been treated as a hero. Not too surprising, considering Jaden did beat most of the Shadow Riders on her own, even if some of the other Key Keepers managed to hold their own as well. With the last Shadow Rider gone, everyone could finally be at peace and it was all thanks to Jaden. A shame for what happened to Banner, but everyone kept their own spirits up as they knew Banner would never want to see them sadden.

"Wow! Just about everyone knows about the duels involving the Seven Spirit Gates!" said Syrus.

"Well, with all that's happening, I'd bet it would be extremely hard to keep the whole Spirit Keys and Shadow Riders thing a secret," pointed out Chumley.

Meanwhile, with all the commotion and practical parade about Jaden coming across all over the island, Ojama Yellow and his two brothers were watching from on top of the rooftop, where Chazz was still asleep. Having explained all about Chazz and his new love issue, Ojama Yellow began to devise a plan with his two sibilings.

 _ **"I can't believe Boss really is head-over-heels over Jaden! Not that she's mean or anything, but I thought he never liked her!"** _ commented Ojama Green.

Ojama Black shook his head. _**"Nah, it's just something like opposites attract. I've seen this before. The bad boy acts all tough and pretend not to like his childhood friend, but is extremely overprotective and treats her special above all else! That's exactly what's happening!"**_

 _ **"Still, who would have thought it? Boss and Jaden together!~"**_ teased Ojama Yellow.

"That's right, so that means I don't have time to spend with you guys anymore!" scoffed Chazz, sitting up as he tried fishing for his deck inside of his coat pocket. Having retrieved it, a rush of wind blew across the air, sending the cards from his deck flying away along with the Ojama brothers, who were shrieking as they disappeared.

Now that he had some peace and quiet, Chazz could finally focus on the one thought that's been stuck in his head recently; Jaden Yuki.

That idiotic, annoying, moronic, cute girl keeps invading his mind! He's even had dreams about her in more ways than one! But...the dreams weren't... _bad._ It was just...well...good and helped him and-back to subject!

The main point is, Chazz is finally starting to realize his true feelings for Jaden. Sure, he may still think of her as a great rival he so desperately wished to beat, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feeling his romantic feelings for her to be a bit tad stronger. He could confess to her in a straight manner right now if he wished for it but...

Three problems posing as obstacles were currently standing in his way.

Problem #1; Jaden's stupidity and obliviousness. It was clear that Jaden practically had a head full of rocks when it came to the subject of _love._ Chazz was seriously starting to question her IQ and thought it might as well be illegal to be both cute and oblivious in the topic of love. Maybe all she needed was a straight, blunt answer?

Problem #2; Rivals. Ever since Jaden's popularity has been growing and her gender was revealed, the Yaoi Fanclub was disbanded, which was a huge relief. However, in its place was practically an army of fanboys. To top it all off, Chazz has to deal with several other main rivals such as Syrus, Zane, Chumley, and Bastion, and he had pretty good reason to suspect them. Out of all of them, he's concluded that Zane has to be the biggest threat, given the facts that he's undoubtedly the strongest duelist on the island, attractive, has a high reputation, smart, and skilled in dueling.

Problem #3; Duel Spirits. He's already received a personal warning from Flame Wingman, and if the rest of her Duel Spirits was just as crazy overprotective as Flame Wingman, he's done for. Still, he could find a way to make sure his life doesn't get the short straw, because he does not want to be burnt to death or even choked by a hairy furball with wings, aka an angry Winged Kuriboh.

Glancing around, from afar, Chazz could spot Alexis and Zane standing together near the lighthouse, watching the ocean like some...romantic couple.

"Are...are Alexis and Zane an item?" wondered Chazz before sighing in relief. "If that's the case, then I guess that eliminates one rival..."

Truth be told, he did used to have a huge crush on Alexis back when he was in Obelisk Blue, but that was mostly for her beautiful appearance, strong dueling skills, and the fact that she was also an Obelisk Blue and the strongest female Obelisk Blue student. He thought that he and her would be the perfect power couple but things changed, and he does still find her beautiful and strong, but nothing more of any romance.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, with Zane and Alexis..._

It was a refresher to have some peace and quiet with all of the Shadow Riders business gone and out of the way for good. Plus, the weather was nice today; perfect for a simple and friendly chat between Alexis and Zane.

"So, I hear Atticus is getting all better now," spoke Zane. "He's been getting more exercise and I heard that he's almost completely in good condition ever since his rescue."

Alexis nodded. "Yeah. He's the same old Atticus we both know and love."

"I see. That's a relief," sighed Zane. "At least I'll be able to graduate, knowing that he's safe. Let's be thankful that we managed to find him before the end of the school year."

"Yes," agreed Alexis. "But I have to thank you, Zane. Ever since my brother's been missing, you've been my pillar of support and always there for me, listening to me through countless days and comforting me. I mean, there were others who helped me as well, but you did a great deal as well. You're...like a second big brother to me, you know?"

Feeling flattered, Zane gave a geniune smile. "Thanks. It's nice, hearing you say that. Now, you can rely on your big brother, too. Er...well, we both know what he's like, of course, but he's still your brother!"

Alexis frowned and looked down, knowing the flirtatious nature Atticus had. Still, it was nice to hear Zane cheering her up.

"By the way, think you can give me some tips on how to make someone fall in love with you?"

"...Zane, I may sound like Atticus when I say this, but you have pretty much every girl under your thumb."

"All except one."

"...This is gonna be a really, long talk."

* * *

 _Later, at the beach..._

With the season being late spring and growing closer towards the summer season, lots of students at the beach were dressed up in summer clothes or their bathing suits as they enjoyed the luxurious environment and weather. Many were swimming in the ocean, eating ice cream, enjoying ice cold drinks, or tanning themselves while the only one out of place was Chazz, who was still pondering how to make Jaden his.

Hearing shrieks and cheers, Chazz popped out of his thoughts as he turned to whatever was happening. Surfing among the high waves and performing skilled surfing tricks, Atticus Rhodes was the main attention as he attracted a lot of attention while sporting that infamous grin of his.

"Atticus...?" Come to think of it, Atticus could be a potential rival as well, but Atticus barely knows Jaden that much, so in order to avoid them getting close, Chazz might have to take the initiative before Atticus does!

Once Atticus finished surfing, he walked across the beach where hordes of his fangirls rushed up to him, awaiting autographs and bringing compliments to him. Upon seeing him flirting with the girls and even witnessing his signature finger rising to the air, which all these caused the lovesick fangirls to faint, Chazz's mind popped a brilliant idea.

 _'This guy's a chick magnet! And Alexis' brother!'_ thought Chazz, thinking up ways to use this as his advantage. _'If there's someone who knows more ways into getting into someone's heart, it's this guy!'_

Walking up to him, Chazz fell to his knees and bowed his head. "Atticus...please! You gotta help me! I've got a problem that I think only you can solve!"

By the time Chazz finished his tale, it was already sundown and most of the people in the beach had already left. Sitting down on the sand with Chazz, Atticus reminisced on the girl named Jaden, knowing her as an excited duelist always eagered to duel as well as a lover of cute things.

"Hmm...you wanna date Jaden, huh? Well, that's understandable, since she is pretty cute and all. And who wouldn't want to date a cute girl like her?" commented Atticus. "There's a faster and easier solution to getting her to date you!"

"Huh? There is?" asked Chazz. "But...what about other love rivals? I mean, I guess Zane's off the hook since he's with Alexis..."

"Hmm? With my little sis? Well, that's shocking!" said Atticus, surprised. "I'll have to confirm this for myself later! But for now, I'll help ya! All you have to do is duel her! But not just any duel! Since she's the type to love duels, give her an exciting challenge! Make her love you through the duel! Show her your true feelings and passion! Make her want to love you back! But...also throw in a bit of cuteness too since she likes that."

"Yeah...but one problem," said Chazz, looking away in shame. "I...kinda lost my deck."

 _ **"Boss! Hey, Boss!"**_ called out Ojama Yellow as he and his brothers flew towards Chazz. _**"We found Boss!"**_

 _ **"Yeah! And we even managed to save every last one of his cards, too!"**_ said Ojama Green.

 _ **"We heard everything! Yeah, you use your deck to get that girl!"**_ Ojama Black cheered.

Along with the Ojama brothers, Pharaoh went up to Chazz with his deck in his mouth, having carried it all the way back to its owner. Chazz graciously took it back. At least that was one problem solved.

"Hey, mind if I take a look?" asked Atticus, snatching the deck away from him and examining the cards. "Hmm...it's a powerful deck, alright, but you need love in it as well. We're gonna need to upgrade your deck a bit so it has both cuteness and power in it. That alright with you?"

"Y-Yeah." Well, Atticus did have a point, and if it would help him get closer to Jaden, he'd be willing to do it.

"Right..." Looking back at the horizon, Atticus said, "Well, I can help you with the deck problem, and it'll be fairly easy for Jaden to duel you if you ask, but there should be a sort of extreme risk in it as well just for extra caution. Risks can lead to a bigger chance of her falling in love with you if there's a sort of danger in the duel. Now...let's see..."

* * *

 _The next day..._

"OH NO! THE SPIRIT KEYS ARE MISSING!"

Upon receiving an emergency meeting from Sheppard, everyone except Chazz rushed towards the beach. According to Sheppard, he went to check up on the case containing the Spirit Keys, which were returned after the Shadow Riders were all defeated. However, when the Chancellor looked inside the case, the Spirit Keys were gone and all that was left was a letter from Chazz saying that he took the keys and that he'll be waiting at the beach. Of course, he informed everyone of this and sent them on the mission to retrieve the keys.

Just like the letter mentioned, Chazz had been awaiting the others with all seven Spirit Keys wrapped around his neck. Immediantly after seeing Chazz, everyone burst into accusations and yelling, angrily towards Chazz at the same time.

"Chazz! There you are!"

"Give us the keys already!"

"Dude, why'd you steal them in the first place?!"

"If you don't give us back the keys, we'll make you!"

"Chazz, what have you done?!"

"Gaaah! Shut up, all of you! You're all talking at the same time!" yelled Chazz impatiently, waiting for them to quiet down. "And I'm not returning the keys! At least, not yet!"

Jaden stepped forward. "Wait, what? Why'd you take them, anyways?"

"Because...Because I wanna duel you, Jaden! Damnit, just duel with me already!"

"HUH?" Now Jaden was even more confused. "You did all this just so you could duel with me? Dude, why didn't you just _ask_ me to duel with you? Just say something like, 'Hey, Jaden! Would you like to duel with me?' Don't be an idiot and steal the keys so I can duel you!"

Chazz was growing more impatient and frustrated with his continuous love for Jaden and the fact that he wants to duel her to get it over with. "But, I'm telling you, I can't! I can't ask you to duel me in the normal way! I...I want to spread a secret message to you, Jaden! A secret message through dueling, with the Spirit Keys at stake!"

"A message? Why not just tell me now?" wondered Jaden.

 _'Damnit! Atticus said that Jaden needs to figure it out for herself, but we both know she's too dumb and oblivious to figure out I love her!'_ thought Chazz, clenching his fist and looking away. He really, really, REALLY wanted to confess to her here and now!

"It's because he can't!" spoke Atticus, standing on top of a small rowboat while holding a ukulele. "Jaden, this secret message is so important that it's more important than his own life! He treasures it so, and you must understand that the message is for you!"

"Atticus?! You put him up to this?!" shouted Alexis, annoyed.

"Of course! I'm an ally of love to anyone! Jaden, he's putting everything at risk to duel you! To give you the message! It can't just come out freely! And so, it is your job to figure out that message!"

"Wait a minute..." Realizing what the message meant, Zane twitched before facepalming himself. "No...Not Atticus' bad habit...I vouch we all tackle Chazz right now."

"Wait, what's going on?" wondered Syrus.

It took a moment for Alexis to also figure out what was happening as she has bared witness to Atticus' love tricks several times. "Atticus, you moron...!"

"Jaden, I am literally begging you! Although, I don't want to. Please duel me!" pleaded Chazz, eagerly wishing she would say yes.

Without a second thought, Jaden grinned and nodded. "Yeah, okay! I wanna know what that message is, too! Plus, I'll get to kick your ass again!"

Although Chazz really hated losing, especially to Jaden of all people, he was satisfied with her agreement to duel. "I won't lose! This duel...is something I absolutely cannot lose!"

"I have a question, though!" said Jaden, raising her hand. "What are you going to do with the Spirit Keys even if I lose?"

"Oh, I really don't have any use for them, so I'll just give them back. But! Even if that's the case, I still want you to give it your all! Don't show any mercy, because I won't!"

Jaden nodded. "Of course! I never hold back in a duel, and I'm not starting now! I'm gonna kick your ass again, Chazz!"

"Grrr...! In your dreams!"

"I know! I do dream of you!"

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Chazz, Syrus, and Zane. While Syrus and Zane were secretly seething in anger upon Jaden revealing her dreams of Chazz, Chazz felt in awe that she might feel the same for him!

"Anyways, let's get on with the duel!"

"R-right!"

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Chazz - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"I'll go first! Draw!" said Chazz. "I summon Armed Dragon LV3 in Attack Mode!"

Armed Dragon LV3 - (WIND/Dragon) - LV3 - (1200/900)

"Then, I set two cards facedown and activate the Spell card, Love Letter! I'm allowed to activate it when I have a facedown card and a Monster on my field! Jaden, you have a choice of choosing one of my facedowns or my Monster! So, choose!"

"I choose the right facedown card!" decided Jaden. After all, there was a chance that if she summoned a Monster next turn, then one of those facedowns could be a Trap like Mirror Force, so she couldn't have that.

Nodding, Chazz was glad she picked that choice, as that was part of his intention to give her his "love letter." It was like him trying the direct approach using a love letter, to express how much he loved her, and it was thanks to Atticus' help that he was able to do that.

Once the chosen facedown card appeared in one of her Magic/Trap zones, Jaden was curious to see what sort of facedown card it was, as it was on her field and she was allowed access to her own facedowns, even if they did formerly belong to the other opponent.

But before she could, Chazz continued, "Now I activate the Spell, Giant Trunade! With this card, all Spells and Traps on the field automatically return to the hand!"

Seeing as the only two facedowns on the field originally belonged to Chazz, it was only natural that they reappeared in his hand. Once the effect took place, Chazz revealed one of the cards in his hand. "Now that this card's back in my hand, I'll activate it! It's called Hidden Wish! When Hidden Wish is returned from my opponent's field back to my hand, it deals 1000 Points of Damage to you and I gain 1000 Life Points!"

 **Chazz - 5000 LP**

 **Jaden - 3000 LP**

Chazz sighed with relief as a smile formed on his face. Jaden did exactly as he predicted, which goes to show how much she cares for him and that they thought alike! And if two people thought alike, then they'd be closer! This was such a great grand plan!

However, Jaden seemed pissed. "Not fair! Grrrr! You tricked me, Chazz! I should have gone with Armed Dragon! That's it! I won't let you trick me again!"

Clearly, Jaden was acting like a child but she would soon get over her mistake once the duel resumed. Everyone else was sweatdropping over Chazz's love strategy and Jaden's tantrum, yet made no comment about it.

"Now, the card, Treasure Map, that was returned from my field to my hand activates!" continued Chazz, revealing the other former facedown from before. "By sending Treasure Map to the Graveyard, I can now draw two more cards! I'll set them facedown and end my turn!"

Determined to get some revenge, Jaden drew her card. "My turn! Draw! I summon Elemental Hero Ocean in Attack Mode!"

Elemental Hero Ocean - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (1500/1200)

"Now attack!"

"Not so fast!" yelled Chazz as Ocean moved forward to stab forward with his spear. "Go, Trap card! Ring of Destruction!"

A boomerang-like attack flew towards Ocean and once it caught contact, a ring full of grenades attached to Ocean's waist before instantly exploding, dealing heavy damage to both Chazz and Jaden's Life Points apart.

"Thanks to my Trap card, both players take damage equal to Ocean's Attack Points!"

 **Chazz - 3500 LP**

 **Jaden - 1500 LP**

"Ah, how romantic!~" sighed Atticus, playing a tune in his ukulele before giving a thumbs-up to Chazz. "Both lovers sharing their pain and not allowing the other to suffer...Both romantic and tragic! And tragedy always brings romance closer!"

"Yeah!" agreed Chazz, giving a thumbs-up back.

"Yeah, yeah! I end my turn with a facedown!" said Jaden.

"Then, it's my turn! Draw!" Chazz said. "During my Standby Phase, I can now send Armed Dragon LV3 to the Graveyard to Special Summon Armed Dragon LV5!"

Armed Dragon LV5 - (WIND/Dragon) - LV5 - (2400/1700)

"Next, I activate Card of Sanctity, meaning we both draw until we have six cards each! Isn't that just romantic? We both get equality together like a couple would do!"

"Wait a second..." mumbled Syrus before gasping. "Oh no-! They're betting on love! Grrrr!" His eyes flared up with anger as he hollered, "Go, JADEN! BEAT THIS SUCKER! DON'T BECOME HIS!"

"Love?" questioned Chumley before realizing the stakes behind this duel. "Oh...Ohhhhh! Oh jeez, this is gonna be a really huge problem..."

"Ha! Keep dreaming! Jaden'll all mine by the time I win!" laughed Chazz mockingly, further angering Syrus and, secretly, Zane. "But first, a gift from me to you, Jaden! Go, Trap card! Gift Card! Now you gain 3000 Life Points!"

"Wait, what?" asked Jaden in confusion.

 **Chazz - 3500 LP**

 **Jaden - 4500 LP**

"Yes! A man should always take care of his lady! Presenting her with such a wonderful gift shows how much affection and love he's put into it!~" sang Atticus, playing his ukulele once more.

However, the others thought, _'Oh my God. Chazz, you're such an idiot.'_

"W-well...I mean...It was pretty nice of you to give me so many Life Points, so thanks!" giggled Jaden.

Just the cute expression on Jaden's face was more than enough to cause Chazz's heart to start thumping. He looked away with a pink flustered look before shaking his head. "I-Idiot! I didn't do it for you! I just...owed you a favor! And I just came to repay it back, that's all!"

"But...earlier, you said it was a gif-"

"I LIED!"

 _'Oh! So, he's the tsundere type, huh? Both passionate and ignorant at the same time. Interesting combo,'_ thought Atticus, taking a new sudden interest in the duel.

"Now, onto the duel!" said Chazz. "I summon Ebon Magician Curran in Attack Mode!"

Ebon Magician Curran - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV2 - (1200/0)

"Ahahaha! As long as I have her out on the field, nothing can stop me! Not even Jaden!"

"I fail to see how some girl with a whip is going to change anything," deadpanned Alexis.

"EEEEEEKKKK! SO CUTE!~ I COULDN'T BARE TO HURT A MONSTER SO CUTE!~" squealed Jaden as everyone else sweatdropped.

 _'He's...he's taking advantage of Jaden's weakness of unable to resist cute things!'_ thought Zane and Syrus, feeling irritated. _'I should have thought that sooner...'_

Chazz smirked before shouting, "Now I attack with both Monsters! Curran and Armed Dragon LV5! Attack directly!"

Lashing her whip forward and firing a twister-like blast from within his powers, both Ebon Magician Curran and Armed Dragon LV5 combined their forces to take out Jaden, dealing heavy damage to her Life Points.

 **Chazz - 3500 LP**

 **Jaden - 900 LP**

"With that, I'll end my turn!" said Chazz.

"My turn!" said Jaden. "Ooh!~ Nice! Okay, I activate the Field Spell, Fusion Gate! As long as we remove our Fusion-Material Monsters to the Graveyard, we can Fusion Summon as many times as we want! First off, I'll use Fusion Gate to Fusion Summon Burstinatrix and Avian to create Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"

With somewhat worried looks on their faces, Avian and Burstinatrix wasted no time in creating their fusion counterpart. Needless to say, he was _pissed off_ and staring very deeply within Chazz, sending chills down his spine.

Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

"Oh crap, kinda forgot about him," muttered Chazz. Ever since a...certain event, Chazz has been a little afraid of the Fusion Monster as he was very overprotective of Jaden and will _burn_ anyone to a crisp. He's already demonstrated his wrath to Chazz, but Chazz knew that if he wanted Jaden, then he'd have to get past the Monster himself.

 _ **"Chazz Princeton..."**_ It didn't help that Flame Wingman's palms held vengeful flames. _**"We meet again...for the last time. Do you have any words?"**_

Chazz gulped, feeling hot, but not the romantic type of hot. The sort of hot that screamed, "Oh God, he's going to catastrate me." kind of hot. Even so, he knew this sort of obstacle was just like overcoming a trial with the lover's overprotective parents. Yeah, it was that kind of scenario, and so...Dealing with a demonic Monster like this required not words, but actions alone.

And so, the first action/challenge Chazz gave towards Flame Wingman...was flipping him the bird.

Everyone but Jaden gasped in horror and shock, unable to comprehend what he was doing. Just what was he thinking?! Well, the humans thought that he was aiming such an offensive gesture towards Jaden and were angered at Chazz, while Flame Wingman was seething with rage, roaring as he took the bait.

"Chazz! What gives?! It's just a Monster!" shouted Syrus.

"Uh...Chazz? Buddy? You're not supposed to...you know! You're not supposed to do that to your lover!" cried out Atticus, panicking. What was Chazz doing?! By doing that, he was lowering his chances of success of Jaden loving him!

"Hmm? What's wrong?" wondered Jaden, being oblivious to even the finger gesture.

"What? Gah! No, it's not for Jaden! It's for her dumb Monster!" yelled Chazz before reverting to Flame Wingman. "You're going down, flamehead! You hear me?!"

Cracking his knuckles, Flame Wingman felt his anger rising more and more by the second the longer he glared at Chazz. _**"Oh, I heard you loud and clear...just as much as I'm going to enjoy hearing your screams when I'm through with you..."**_

 _'Hmm...Flame Wingman's one of my best, but he's no match for that Armed Dragon Chazz has got,'_ thought Jaden, glancing at her cards. "Oh wait, I got it! Okay, now I use Sparkman from my hand and activate Fusion Gate to Fusion Summon with Flame Wingman!"

 _'Wait a second...'_ thought Chazz. _'Last time she did that was against Camula and...Oh no! That means that new Fusion Monster will be stronger than my Armed Dragon! Eh, better than flamehead staying here.'_

Flame Wingman may be overprotective and a bit rash at times, but even he was no fool when it came to comparing the differences between power. He knew his current power was no match against Chazz's Armed Dragon LV5, so even though he was unsatisfied with him being the one to take down Chazz, at least his cousin would do the job for him.

 _ **"I may not be the one to finish you off, Princeton,"**_ spatted Flame Wingman as he was vanishing alongside with Sparkman. _**"But I assure you that you should sleep with one eye open toni-"**_

"Come on out! Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman!"

A burst of light exploded on the field, harming no one as the sunlight aided support onto the illumination of the new Elemental Hero. Garbed in shining armor, steel-like wings, and overall, baring a flashy appearance, Shining Flare Wingman takes the stage.

Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2100)

Glancing around, Shining Flare Wingman felt relieved as he murmured to himself, _**"Thank goodness my cousin didn't blow anything up for once. Well, this is the human realm so we can't pay any repair bills here, but still..."**_

"I think he threatened me before," pointed out Chazz.

 _ **"Yes...It's not the first time he's done that to other boys. I should really get him some anger management classes."**_

"Now, Shining's special ability activates!" said Jaden. "For every Elemental Hero in the Graveyard, he gains an additional 300 Attack Points on the field! Right now, there's only one, since I kinda used Fusion Gate twice to remove all those other Monsters, but now he gains 300 Attack Points!"

Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2100)

"Oh, but I'm far from done already! Next, I activate Fusion Gate again to fuse Wildheart and Necroshade from my hand to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Necroid Shaman!"

An ancient Japanese warrior with crazed and wild red hair while wielding a shakujō leapt on the field, releasing a cry from his mouth; most likely his own strange version of a battle cry.

Elemental Hero Necroid Shaman - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (1900/1800)

"Now his special ability kicks in! When he's Special Summoned, I can target a Monster you control and destroy that target!~ Then I can Special Summon a Monster from your Graveyard onto your side of the field! So, I destroy Armed Dragon LV5 to bring back Armed Dragon LV3!~"

Armed Dragon LV3 - (WIND/Dragon) - LV3 - (1200/900)

"Noo! My strongest dragon!" cried out Chazz.

"And now I attack!" said Jaden. "Go, Shining Flare Wingman! Destroy that Armed Dragon!"

The task was quite simple, as Shining Flare Wingman brought down his fist and smashed Armed Dragon LV3, effectively destroying him.

 **Chazz - 1900 LP**

 **Jaden - 900 LP**

"And that's not all! When Shining Flare Wingman destroys a Monster in battle, you get damage equal to Armed Dragon's Attack Points! A total of 1200!"

 **Chazz - 700 LP**

 **Jaden - 900 LP**

"Oh no! Chazz is gonna lose! All my hard work gone down the drain!" cried out Atticus.

"Oh, relax!" assured Chazz confidently. "The only Monster left is Ebon Magician Curran, and Jaden will have a difficult time trying to beat a cute Mon-"

"I attack with Necroid Shaman!" declared Jaden.

"Wha-?! WHY?!"

"Uh...Because it's a duel? Anyways, attack!"

It took less than a second for the strange-looking Elemental Hero to finish off the weaker Spellcaster-Type, bring the duel to a close.

 **Chazz - 0 LP**

 **Jaden - 900 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

"Yay! I win! I win!" cheered Jaden, jumping up and down. Poor Chazz was on his knees with his head down in defeat and despair.

"Yay! She won! She won!" encouraged Syrus excitedly as Zane nodded his head in approval. Both were just glad that she didn't have to date anyone at the moment.

Chazz was simply...shocked and hollow on the inside. He worked so hard to make Jaden his and while he did have fun with the duel, it wouldn't be able to satisfy the gaping hole in his heart. No...was the Chazz doomed not to know anything about love?

"Hey, so Chazz?" spoke up Jaden, walking up to him and offering a hand. "I have a question! So, what was the secret message anyways?"

"Eh?" Looking up at her, Chazz felt confused before growing annoyed. "You...You seriously didn't figure it out?! Really?! It was really obvious! How did you not figure that out?! Hell, I'm pretty sure that the others, even Syrus, figured it out!"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" demanded Syrus angrily.

"Chazz!" called out Atticus. "It may not be too late! You can still confess to her now!"

"Huh?" Come to think of it, Atticus did have a point there. Since Jaden was oblivious to things like this, and even though he lost and is supposed to return the Spirit Keys, he can still do this! "Right!" Getting up by himself, Chazz grabbed Jaden's hands, holding them close as he stared at her.

 _'HE'S DEAD!'_ thought Syrus while Zane remained calm with a dark aura.

"Jaden!" shouted Chazz, getting straight to the point. "I love yo-"

"UKULELES!" screamed Syrus at the top of his lungs while frailing his arms. "CHAZZ LOVES UKULELES!"

"What?!" Releasing Jaden's hands, Chazz glared at Syrus. "I do not! And that wasn't what I was going to say!"

"Yes you were!" said Syrus. "A-Atticus has been playing a ukulele this entire time! And you just wanted this duel because you wanted to hear the sound of a ukulele playing while dueling! Yes!"

That may be a rather pathetic and unbelievable excuse to anyone else but for someone like Jaden...

"Oh! I get it! Yeah, I understand the feeling of wanting some background music! Yeah, good on you, Chazz!"

...It would obviously work on her.

"Wha-?! Screw you, Syrus!" yelled Chazz. "Jaden, I-"

Suddenly, all across the island, an earthquake rattled about, sensing danger everywhere as any other students rushed for any buildings to take shelter. The others, however, remained as they are as they tried to keep themselves steady.

Somehow, this wasn't any normal earthquake but something much more powerful was causing it. Even Jaden could sense something was wrong and Banner's warning was coming back to her. Could this be what he meant?

Could there possibly be...the leader of the Shadow Riders?

* * *

 **Skit: Girl Talk**

"Hey, Jaden?" spoke up Alexis.

"Hmm? What's up, Alexis?" asked Jaden.

"Well...It's been bugging me for a bit but...haven't you noticed the way boys have started to look at you recently? Especially...Zane?"

"Hmm? Oh! Well, they challenge me to duels, except for Zane. Other than that, I'm perfectly fine to duel anyone!"

"Well, that's true, I guess...but what about Zane?"

"Zane? Oh! I've definitely got my attention on him!" Jaden chirped.

A surprised look came across Alexis' face. "Oh, really?" _'I honestly didn't expect Jaden to have feelings for Zane. Well, a lot of girls do. Maybe this might be some good news for Zane after all!'_

"Yeah! I'm gonna train hard and hard and before he graduates, I'm gonna challenge him to a duel and beat him!"

"Oh." _'Of course she would think of dueling. Wait, maybe now's my chance!'_ "Jaden, what do you think of Zane? Besides dueling? Like, do you like him?"

Jaden nodded. "Of course! He's a great friend to me! Even if he can be a bit serious at times! At least he's not emo like Chazz!"

"That's...not what I was going for, but your opinion of him sounds great, regardless. Jaden, do you hold any...romantic feelings for anyone?" asked Alexis carefully.

"Romance? Hmm...Dunno! I've never been in love before, so I wouldn't know!"

"Oh. Of course. You're still young and-"

"Ooh! Except for my cards!" squealed Jaden, hugging her deck close to her chest. "I just love them!~ Especially the cute ones like Winged Kuriboh!~ Eeek!"

 _'Zane, you've got another rival and it's called dueling,'_ thought Alexis with a sigh as she sweatdropped watching Jaden babble on about her cards.

* * *

 **Skit: Indirect Advice**

"...And that's all you need to know about Jaden Yuki," said Chazz, finishing his explanation on all he knew about Jaden.

"Wow, so a tomboy that loves cute things. Yeah, I can handle that," replied Atticus. "Okay, so I'll give you more dating advice after you become Jaden's boyfriend. Just to be safe, after all."

"Well, what advice can you give me right now?"

"Simple! Have fun during the duel! If she notices you being tense, she won't be able to enjoy it as much as you, so go wild! Have fun! Oh, and be sure to win the duel as well! After all, the stakes are all on you!"

"Got it! Thanks, Atticus!" said Chazz, nodding as he left to go get ready.

"Hmm...Jaden..I do remember her from the festival..." murmured Atticus, watching him leave. "And she is a member of the Animal Club...I probably shouldn't mention to him that I did tried to get her to kiss me during a kissing booth...Yeah, good idea."

* * *

 **Skit: Love War**

 _ **"Flame Wingman, calm down. We can just observe. We don't really need to charge into the human world,"**_ spoke Avian as Flame Wingman was preparing himself for battle. _**"In fact, we can't exactly attack humans, either! So just calm down!"**_

 _ **"I cannot. The time has finally come for a boy to confess to Jaden, and I refuse to stay here and await for that to happen!"**_

 _ **"Guys, face it. We all knew this was going to happen eventually,"**_ reminded Ocean. _**"It was only a matter of when."**_

 _ **"Flame Wingman, I love Jaden just as much as you. We all do and we clearly don't approve of Chazz Princeton,"**_ spoke Tempest. _**"But there are times when we must keep a cool head."**_

 _ **"Or, better yet. A hot head in order to frighten Princeton and assure he never comes near Jaden ever again,"**_ said Flame Wingman, attaching flamethrower gauntlets onto his arms.

 _ **"We'll protect Jaden! Bad boys should go away!"**_ exclaimed the three Hero Kids, saluting.

 _ **"Kuri kuri!"**_ ("That's right!") Even Winged Kuriboh agreed, as he was wearing a headband with a feather along with some Indian marks on his face while wielding a toy bow and arrow.

 _ **"This is going to take a while..."**_ mumbled Bubbleman as the others continued trying to persuade Flame Wingman and his constant growing army from going to the human world.

* * *

 **Sorry for the long wait! But anyways, I've been waiting for this duel for a while! Not exactly my best work, but not my worst either! In the anime, I personally thought this was Chazz's worst duel. He wasn't really trying that hard against Alexis, either.**

 **That said, read and review!~**


	38. Rise of the Sacred Beasts

**This is it, guys! The final battle of the whole main villain of the first season! Guys, let's cheer for Jaden on this one!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"Whoa...what's happening?"

Jaden voiced her own thoughts out loud as everyone glanced around aimlessly, wondering what was going on. One moment, the entire island was shaking as though an earthquake had taken place but now, to their relief, it's ceased. Earthquakes don't normally finish that soon, so something abnormal must be happening.

Unknown to anyone, the cause of the earthquake resided from underground where the Seven Spirit Gates laid, and although the keys weren't placed in the slots of the altar, the altar itself shined brightly before sending a green beam up in the sky; disappearing seconds later.

Once more, the ground started shaking, but this time, another area somewhere not too far deep in the forest was being affected badly by the earthquake. The earth underneath the tress in the selected area were rising up and being tossed aside as something was forming around the area. As evidence, seven sharp pillars rose up from underground high in the sky before the earthquake came to a stop.

Suddenly, the seven Spirit Keys tied around Chazz's neck glowed and floated, trying to make some sort of movement.

"W-what the hell?! The Spirit Keys! What's wrong with them?!" cried out Chazz, panicking as the keys were trying to fly away, dragging Chazz with their mysterious strength.

"Chazz! What are you doing?" called Alexis.

"I'm not doing this! HELP!"

Judging from the strange earthquakes and the currently strange activity of the Spirit Keys, the others could tell that Chazz wasn't making things up as he had no idea where he was running off to; only following the lead of the Spirit Keys. With no other choice, the others followed after Chazz, hoping they might find some answers in the location they were heading towards.

A few minutes passed and the closer the Spirit Keys were towards their destined location, the faster they dragged Chazz. Eventually, they started to lift upwards, also making Chazz hover in the air as though he was flying.

"Chazz! Hang on! I've got you!" called out Jaden, running faster and reaching her arms out.

"What are you talking ab-" He then collided face first on a weak tree branch, which broke off upon reaching contact. Upon reaching Chazz, Jaden extended her arms to go as wide and further as possible before catching him in her arms.

"Whew, you're sa-" The sudden heavy weight of Chazz's body came crashing down on her arms in seconds before she fell forward, dragging Chazz down with her.

The good news is that Chazz is safe and sound. The bad news? When Chazz hit the tree branch, the Spirit Keys pulled themselves out of Chazz's grasp and flew towards the seven pillars. One by one, each key was being absorbed into one of each pillar, disappearing slowly. The others managed to catch up to Jaden and Chazz before looking up, watching the absorption process in awe.

"Are they being absorbed?"

"What's going on with the keys?"

"Is something about to happen?"

"No way...the gates are going to open!"

"I bet Chazz did something! He had the keys, after all!"

"Chazz, what did you do?!"

"ME?!" yelled Chazz, facing everyone's burning glares at himself. "Why'd you shift the blame on me?! I didn't do this!"

Everyone's glare intensified as Atticus shook his head in disapproval. To be perfectly honest, Atticus did assist Chazz in stealing the Spirit Keys, and perhaps this was a terrible thing for Atticus to do, but he decided not to speak up in hopes of staying out of trouble and out of the end of everyone's deathly glares.

The seven pillars lit up and chimed together in a rhythm, beginning the process of the purpose of the Spirit Gates. "Everyone!" called out Sheppard, running towards the group of teens with Crowler right behind him.

"What's going on?" demanded Crowler, slowly coming to a stop in front of the teens. "Aha! I suspected as much! Jaden must have done something, didn't she?"

"Oh, come on! How could I have possibly done this?!" protested Jaden, waving her arms at the seven pillars. "And besides, I'm not the one who took the keys!"

Everyone immediantly pointed at the culprit behind the whole love fiasco. "It was Chazz!"

"I HAD A GOOD REASON!" defended Chazz, not wanting to be expelled by Sheppard. "But that's not important! Loo-!"

The ground shook only for a few moments as an altar sprung up from underground in the center of the crater area. The small center of the altar opened up, releasing a capsule that unloaded itself. The capsule held three cards, revealing to be none other than the infamous Sacred Beast cards.

Just as the group ran to catch a closer look, a voice echoed from out of nowhere. **"None have the right to possess these!"**

A plane suddenly flew past high above their heads, releasing a machine from the cargo pit. Several parachutes made the landing easier and softer for the machine, but they all released, causing a major crash landing on the ground beneath. Once the dust clouds cleared, a large robotic spiker-like walker transporting a glass tube that held an elderly man for life support appeared.

"Aaaah! Creepy!" cried out Jaden before peering her eyes closer. "No wait...that looks freakin' cool!"

"Just what...is that robot?" wondered Sheppard.

 **"Ah...Chancellor Sheppard, it has been a long time, so I am not surprised that you don't recognize me,"** spoke the elderly man inside of the glass tube. The only way he was speaking though the liquid inside the tube was through a gas mask connected to the life support.

Sheppard gasped, crying out loud, "It's Kagemaru! The school's superintendant! But what's he doing here?!"

 **"I helped build this school, so it is my privilege and right to take the Sacred Beast cards for myself! I will now conduct the ritual to revive the Sacred Beast right now!"**

"Does that mean you're the whole mastermind behind all of this?!" questioned Jaden.

"Yeah, right! You're gonna have to get pass us if you want those cards! And why did the seven Spirit Gates open on their own?" asked Chazz.

 **"Because I had set up everything from the beginning. I was the one who sealed the Sacred Beast cards away and entrusted the seven Spirit Keys to Chancellor Sheppard,"** revealed Kagemaru.

"Is that true, Chancellor?" Crowler asked, shocked to earn a nod from Sheppard.

Approaching the light which held the three Sacred Beast cards, Kagemaru continued his explanation. **"The seven Spirit Keys were nothing more than a tool to have you battle the Shadow Riders and to strengthen the fighting duelists here on this island. What's really required is Dueling Energy that was built up with each duel on this island. I arranged all the best duelists to come to this island, training under the academy and hoping that after so many years, I would acquire the power of the Sacred Beasts as well as immortality and world domination. Finally, all the conditions have been met and it is time for me to acquire the power!"**

"Do you honestly think we'll let you have your own selfish desires?!" shouted Alexis. "Even if we were being used from the start, there's no way we're letting you have those cards!"

"Yeah, that's right! We've come too far to give up now!" agreed Syrus.

Chumley spoke up as well. "We're the one who decide our own paths, so don't go ruining it for us!"

Bastion was about to retort as well when Zane beat him to the punch. "If you think you're going to take over world domination, you're sadly mistaken! I, Zane Truesdale of Obelisk Blue, will happily oblige in dueling you and taking you down!"

"Lay off! This guy's mine!" yelled Chazz. "If there's anyone in this island who think they'll get away from all of this chaos they caused, they're wrong! I, Chazz Princeton, will gladly beat them down over and over!"

"Hey, what about me?" spoke Atticus, playing around with his ukulele. "He's the one who turned me into a Shadow Rider, so I have just as much right to be in this duel than any of you!"

 **"NO!"** bellowed Kagemaru, ending all arguments. **"My opponent shall be...Jaden Yuki! She's the only one who managed to keep her own Spirit Key safe, plus she has the ability to communicate with Duel Spirits and she has more than enough Dueling Energy should I happen to win!"**

"Yay! I'm qualified!" cheered Jaden before sticking her tongue out to her friends. "Ha! Take that!~"

"Jaden, this isn't a competition or anything! It is literally the fate of the world at stake!" reminded Bastion as Chazz resisted the urge to run up and smack her in the head.

As if beginning the duel, the seven pillars crackled electricity and connected with one pillar to another, surrounding the area in an electrical field that seemed too dangerous to enter in and out.

 **"Oh, and there's one more thing. If you refuse to duel, then I'll see to it that this entire island sinks to the bottom of the ocean!"**

"Hey, that's not a choice! That's an ultimatum!" protested Alexis.

"Yeah! You're practically forcing Jaden to duel you!" complained Syrus.

 **"SILENCE! I am the one with power now and you shall obey!"** Having said that, the mechanical arms onto the strange medical device spread wide and snatched the three Sacred Beast cards.

"Crap! He's got the cards!" cursed Jaden.

Chazz shook his head, knowing it was pointless fighting a machine that was as tough as steel and weighed heavier than any of them combined. "Great, just great."

 **"Let the Shadow Games begin!"**

 _'If only I could transform into a robot spider, then we'd have the fight of the century!'_ thought Jaden, imagining herself as a destructive robot clashing with Kagemaru. _'Yeah...that'd be awesome!'_

"Hey, Jaden," Chazz muttered to her. "I'll leave this guy to you, but whatever you do, don't get yourself hurt, alright?"

"Huh?" Was Chazz...actually showing concern for her? Before Jaden could ask, Chazz turned his back on her and left, climbing up a small cliff to get to the others to watch the duel.

"Jaden, catch!" Syrus cried out, throwing a backpack at her. Unfortunately, the backpack hit Chazz dead on in the face, causing him to slide down the cliff and fall on his back.

"Gah! Son of a bitch!"

"Chazz! Are you alright?" asked Jaden, managing to catch the backpack.

Recovering himself, Chazz grumbled, "Syrus, I will get you for this! I know you did that on purpose! Hey, Jaden! You better not lose, got it?"

 _'Hehehe,'_ thought Syrus sinisterly. Okay, he didn't intend on Chazz actually being hit in the face by the backpack. He really did throw it for Jaden to catch, but that was a nice little bonus!

"Okay, Chazzy! I'll do it for you and the others!" promised Jaden, unzipping the backpack to take the duel disk out. "Okay, Kagemaru! Get your game on!" Just as Jaden was about to drop the backpack, a thud caught her attention, which happened to be the Emerald Tablet Banner had given her in his final moments. Stuck between the pages was a card which she picked up and shuffled in her deck. If it had belonged to Banner, then she definitely need to use it for his sake and for the duel as well!

"Jaden, could you give my backpack back?" called Chumley.

"Sure!" Using all of her strength, Jaden threw it as far as she could. Unexpectedly, as Chazz was climbing up the wall, he got a boost up...by being hit in the back of the head by a certain backpack. "Oops! Sorry!"

"Damnit, not again!" cursed Chazz as Syrus was laughing to himself. "And stop laughing, damnit!"

 **"Let us begin our final showdown! The Shadow Game duel!"** spoke Kagemaru.

"Bring it, goldfish bowl! Get your game on!" taunted Jaden.

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Kagemaru - 4000 LP**

"I'll start things off!" said Jaden. "I summon Burstinatrix in Defense Mode!"

Burstinatrix - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (1200/800)

"I set a card facedown and end my turn! Just try me now, Kagemaru!"

 **"I accept your challenge. My turn, draw!"** Interestingly enough, Kagemaru was using the mechanical arms in his machinery to move only use his duel disk, but to draw cards and hold them as well. **"I shall set three Trap cards facedown."**

"I'm starting to think this won't be much of a challenge after all," said Chazz, sounding a little disappointed.

"Huh? Why would you think that?" asked Syrus.

"It's quite simple, really," interpreted Bastion. "There's no need to intentionally declare 'Trap' or 'Spell' when you set a facedown card."

"Oh, that's right!"

Having overheard the conversation in the background, Kagemaru explained, **"Yes, normally that would be the case except this is a required condition in order to summon a Sacred Beast."**

"I've never heard of such a strange condition like that before!" admitted Jaden, surprised.

 **"Jaden, if you want to see the three Sacred Beasts so much, then allow me to bring them out for you right away. I sacrifice all three of my Trap cards to Special Summon Uria, Lord of Searing Flames!"**

A twister of blazing flames flew upwards and swirled around in the air before the flames vanished. In the place of the flames was a long red dragon resembling Slifer the Sky Dragon as he roared triumphantly upon making his first appearance; his roar running across the entire island.

Uria, Lord of Searing Flames - (DIVINE/Divine-Beast) - LV10 - (0/0)

 **"Behold! The almighty Uria, Lord of Searing Flames!"**

 _ **"B-Boss!"**_ cried out Ojama Yellow's voice from within Chazz's deck. Taking out Ojama Yellow's card from his deck, Chazz saw Ojama Yellow panicking and on his knees, weakened. **" _B-Be very careful! Something's up and whatever it is, it's-!"_**

"Oh, can it! If you're scared, just don't look!" scoffed Chazz before putting away his deck. Just another one of his complaints. Honestly, what could possibly be worst than what's happening right now?

* * *

 _In the Spirit World..._

While the human world appeared completely normal, the Spirit World was growing worst and worst by each second. All of the Duel Spirits were on their knees, panting heavily as sweat dripped from their bodies. Something was wrong with their bodies and the entire Spirit World, and they could sense a very powerful presence in the human world. Just what was happening that was jeopardizing theur world.

 _ **"It's...hard to breath!"**_

 _ **"I can't move my legs!"**_

 _ **"Someone...help!"**_

 _ **"My wings can't fly anymore!"**_

 _ **"Ow...It hurts!"**_

* * *

 **"I now activate Uria's special ability! Trap Destruction!"** announced Kagemaru. **"Once per turn, I can select 1 facedown Spell or Trap you control and destroy it!"**

Emitting a shriek, Uria's power echoed throughout the entire field, forcing Jaden's Trap card to be revealed and instantly be destroyed.

 **"When it comes to Spells or Traps, none can stand up to the wrath of Uria! In addition, his other ability is just as effective as the first! His Attack Points are determined by the number of Trap cards in my Graveyard x 1000, and since I have 3, he has 3000 Attack and Defense Points!"**

Uria, Lord of Searing Flames - (DIVINE/Divine-Beast) - LV10 - (3000/3000)

 **"Uria, burn Burstinatrix to nothing but ashes! Hyper Blaze!"**

An orange-yellow beam surrounded by flames fires from Uria's jaws and overpowered Burstinatrix quite easily, leaving her defense useless. The blast was so powerful, the remants of flames were thrown around in the swirling air that formed from the blast, nearly burning Jaden as she shielded herself to avoid the flames.

 **"I will now end my turn with that!"**

Zane knew the situation would get dangerous, but he didn't expect it so soon. "Summoning Uria on the first turn...and one with 3000 Attack Points to boot...Jaden's going to need a miracle to get out of this one."

 _'Calm down and think this through! Don't let him know you're scared! Actually, don't be scared at all!'_ thought Jaden, clenching her fists not just out of fear, but for excitement of the duel as well. _'You knew full well he was going to use those Sacred Beasts eventually in this duel, and even though I'm scared and this duel means the fate of the world, I can't help but be happy! This is just the start of a thrilling duel for me!'_

"My turn, draw!" said Jaden. "I summon Bubbleman in Attack Mode!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"And when he's summoned to the field all alone, I get to draw two more cards from my deck to my hand!"

"It's good that she summoned him for more cards, but why didn't she play him in Defense?" wondered Atticus.

Chazz had to agree with Atticus on that one. "Yeah, her Bubbleman's clearly no match against Uria. Either she wants to gamble on the two cards she just drew, or she's got a strategy that none of us knows."

"There's more," added Bastion. "If Uria is this strong, then just imagine how much stronger the other two Sacred Beasts are. Maybe Jaden wants to hurry up and finish Uria off before the other two come?"

Zane remained calm while the others were confused and scared. "Have faith in Jaden. We all know that she's gone through tough situations like this. Even so, if she doesn't defeat Uria before the other Sacred Beasts come, her chances of winning are going to be slim to none."

Staring at her cards for a while, Jaden nodded as she came up with a plan to take down Uria. "Alright, I've decided! I'm activating Polymerization and fusing Bubbleman with Avian and Sparkman in my hand! Come on, Elemental Hero Tempest!"

With the combination of the three heroes, the hero bearing the power of the winds and weather appeared on Jaden's side to act as her guardian and warrior for battle.

Elemental Hero Tempest - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2800)

Kagemaru didn't seem concern with the appearance of an even powerful warrior. **"He may be strong, but he's still no match for Uria!"**

"Well, not right now, no," said Jaden confidently. "But with a change of scenery, my Monster will be even stronger! Time for a more fitting stage! I activate the Field Spell, Skyscraper!"

Buildings towered over the playing field and caused the atmosphere to become less menacing and a little bit more welcoming for the Elemental Heroes as a city would suit them proper than a dusty and lonesome environment.

"Alright, now this is what I'm talking about! Skyscrapers are the best place for heroes to fight in! When an Elemental Hero I control battles with your Monster, who has more Attack Points, my Elemental Hero gains 1000 Attack Points during damage calculation only! But that's enough for me! Tempest, fire!"

Elemental Hero Tempest - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (3800/2800)

At Jaden's command, Tempest aimed his gauntlet blaster at Uria and, thanks to the boost-up he gained from Skyscraper, his power intensified to the point where it was able to overwhelm Uria just as he did with Burstinatrix.

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **Kagemaru - 3200 LP**

"Aw, yeah! Direct hit!" cheered Jaden. "It was super effective!"

"Yeah, go Jay!" shouted Syrus.

"Now that she's destroyed one of the Sacred Beasts, she still has a chance!" stated Chumley.

 **"Impressive. I did not expect you to take out such a powerful Sacred Beast after I just summoned it,"** spoke Kagemaru. **"Perhaps this is why you are the excellent 'alchemist' Banner recommended to me. And he was right. I'm going to enjoy taking your Dueling Energy away once this duel's over!"**

"As if! I set a card and end my turn!" said Jaden.

 **"If you think that's all Uria has to offer, then you're sadly mistaken! I draw! And now I activate Uria's special ability from within the Graveyard! I discard the Trap, Chain Burst, from my hand to the Graveyard! This, in turn, can Special Summon Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, back to my field if he's destroyed last turn and I discard a Trap Card! But, the turn I use the Graveyard effect, I cannot activate his other effects and if I control another Monster, Uria cannot attack."**

A sudden burst from a pillar of fire rose up from behind the buildings, burning anything the pillar came in contact with as Uria was revived from the Graveyard and much more powerful than before.

"The situation's gotten much more worst than I thought," spoke Zane. "With the resurrection of Uria simply by discarding a Trap card, that would mean Uria's more stronger than before! 4 Trap cards in Kagemaru's Graveyard!"

Uria, Lord of Searing Flames - (DIVINE/Divine-Beast) - LV10 - (4000/4000)

 **"Behold the power of the Sacred Beasts, Jaden Yuki! Uria, destroy her Tempest!"**

Growling angrily at Tempest, who was the one who destroyed him in the first place, Uria wasted no time in seeking his revenge by showering Tempest with his heated beam filled with flames, causing the winged warrior to defend himself.

"Not so fast! I activate Tempest's effect! By sending a card on my field to the Graveyard, Tempest isn't destroyed!" shouted Jaden despite her losing some Life Points.

 **Jaden - 3800 LP**

 **Kagemaru - 3200 LP**

 **"Tch...I end my turn."**

"My turn, then!" said Jaden. "I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw two new cards! Next, I play the Spell, H - Heated Heart and I'm using it on Tempest to raise his Attack Points by 500!"

Elemental Hero Tempest - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (4300/2800)

"Tempest, attack Uria again! And after that, I'll end my turn!"

Soaring high towards Uria's level, Tempest steaded his focus onto Uria and fired another blast from his gauntlet blaster, destroying Uria yet again.

 **Jaden - 3800 LP**

 **Kagemaru - 2900 LP**

Kagemaru winched in pain, yet still held onto the duel. **"No matter how many times you beat him, Uria will always rise! It's my turn! From my hand, I discard the Trap, Jar of Greed, to the Graveyard to activate Uria's revival effect! And with 5 Traps in the Graveyard, his Attack Points increase!"**

Uria, Lord of Searing Flames - (DIVINE/Divine-Beast) - LV10 - (5000/5000)

 **"Now I play my own Pot of Greed, letting me draw two new cards! Next, I activate the Field Spell, Fallen Paradise!"**

With the entire field of buildings vanishing and reverting into a wasteland filled with jagged-looking mountains and dark clouds filling the skies, that also meant Skyscraper had to be destroyed, which meant Tempest could no longer get the power up that kept him going for so long.

Elemental Hero Tempest - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2800)

 **"Thanks to Fallen Paradise, once per turn, I can draw two additional cards so long as I control a Sacred Beast! Now, I'll set three Spell cards facedown and...I'm sure you know what this means by now, no?"**

Jaden gasped. "No! It can't be! Oh, goddamnit!"

 **"Behold! The second Sacred Beast! Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder!"**

The three Spell cards revealed themselves before turning into ice, shattering into pieces that hovered together and merged into several ice pillars. Those ice pillars then crackled before shattering, making way for a yellow Sacred Beast with skull-like wings and a fierce snarl.

Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder - (DIVINE/Divine-Beast) - LV10 - (4000/4000)

Everyone stared in amazement and fear at the sight of not just one powerful Sacred Beast, but _two_ powerful Sacred Beasts. Jaden already had enough trouble dealing with Uria's ressurection and continuous power-ups, but with another threat at hand, it was too much.

 **"Hamon, strike down Tempest! Thunder of Fallen Paradise!"**

Raising his head upwards and facing the dark clouds, Hamon unleashed a thunderbolt from his jaws, striking the skies as they merged together and darkened. Suddenly, lightning-like strikes came crashing down like arrows; all towards Tempest. Tempest, in an attempt to save his mistress, shielded Jaden with his body, crying out in pain before being destroyed.

"Tempest!"

 **Jaden - 2600 LP**

 **Kagemaru - 2900 LP**

 **"Now, Hamon's special ability activates! When he destroys a Monster in battle, you get inflicted an additional 1000 Points of Damage!"**

A jolt of lightning shot down near Jaden's feet, causing her to fly back and fall on her back. She screamed in pain, but managed to stand up on her own with a slight head wound that was bleeding a little.

 **Jaden - 1600 LP**

 **Kagemaru - 2900 LP**

 _ **"B-Boss..."**_ Hearing the weak voice of his Duel Spirit, Chazz took out his deck, ready to reprimand Ojama Yellow when he immediantly changed his mind upon being astonished by the weakened state of not just him, but all his other cards as well.

"Hey, everyone check their cards just in case!" ordered Chazz.

Confused, everyone did as Chazz told them to do and glanced at their cards. Shock doesn't even begin to describe their situation as their cards were slowly fading, leaving only the cards but not the images within.

"What the?! My cards!"

"All of my Monsters! They're fading!"

"Mine, too!"

'What's going on?"

 **"It's only natural,"** spoke Kagemaru calmly as his two Sacred Beasts illuminated with energy pouring into them. **"The Sacred Beasts not only feed on Dueling Energy, but also the life energies of your Monsters as well. All except for Jaden because she's conducting a Shadow Duel with me."**

"I get it now! The Sacred Beasts are beings that absorb the life energy of other Monsters to gain more power!" said Zane, watching energy slowly flowing towards the Sacred Beasts. "No wonder they were sealed away! They were far too dangerous not only to the world, but also to other beings as well!"

 **"Exactly. However, my power to control all three Sacred Beasts is not yet complete. To fully control them, I need Jaden's full Dueling Energy and the power to control Duel Spirits, which is exactly what Jaden has!"**

"That's why you want me?" demanded Jaden. "And I don't control Duel Spirits! They're my friends!"

 **"It matters not! For when I win this Shadow Duel and absorb all your powers, I'll take the Sacred Beasts out and they'll absorb all Duel Spirits within the world! And then, the Sacred Beasts will grant me immortality, allowing me to become God of this world! Oh! I can feel it! The power coursing through me! Gaaaaaaaahhhhh!"**

While the absorption process was still commencing, part of the Sacred Beasts' energies had been flowing onto Kagemaru's body. The wrinkles in his old body have slowly been fading away and his body's been growing muscles. His pale skin no longer appeared pale, his gray hair reverted into long, flowing black hair and he appeared to be growing...younger and stronger?

Suddenly, with a new burst of power and sheer willpower, Kagemaru smashed the glass tube, causing the liquid from inside along with the broken glass to spill all over the ground. Kagemaru, revealed as a muscular man with only trousers on, took the duel disk from the machinery with a confident smirk on his face.

"AAAAHHHH! STRANGE GUY HAS APPEARED!" screamed Jaden, freaked out.

"Idiot, that's Kagemaru!" corrected Chazz.

"Oh...Yeah, I knew that!"

"Like hell you did!"

Before they could continue their duel, Kagemaru turned and grasped onto the machinery. "I no longer need this!" With a yell, he lifted up the heavy machinery with all his might before tossing it far away; a faint explosive sound heard from a distance. "Hahaha! All this youth in this body! It's just the first step to immortality! Come, Jaden! I shall absorb your fighting spirit into my body!"

"Grrr...! Bring it on!" challenged Jaden. _'Great, two Sacred Beasts?'_

Chuckling at the new power of having his old, strong body back, Kagemaru said, "I was hoping to finish you off with Uria this turn, but on the turn that Uria's revived through his Graveyard effect, he can't attack when there are other Monster on my field, so I guess I'll end my turn. But don't worry; next turn will be your demise!"

"Yeah? Don't count on it!" said Jaden, drawing her card. "I summon Wroughtweiler in Defense Mode!"

Wroughtweiler - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (800/1200)

"Then, I'll set a card facedown and end my turn!"

Overflowing with confidence, Kagemaru scoffed at her moves and insulted, "Do you seriously think you can win with those pathetic moves? Don't underestimate the power of my Sacred Beasts, for they'll be the one who'll make me God of this world!"

Jaden already knew that right now, she couldn't beat the Sacred Beasts as she is, but with a stroke of luck, she might find a way to overcome this difficult task.

"My turn, draw!" said Kagemaru. "Thanks to Fallen Paradise's effect, I get to draw two additional cards because there's a Sacred Beast on my field! Go, Hamon! Attack now!"

Thunder rose up from Hamon as he charged electricity from his body up towards the clouds, which struck lightning down in three different directions onto Wroughtweiler.

"Hamon's effect now activates! When he destroys a Monster in battle, you lose 1000 Points of Damage!"

"JADEN!" Syrus screamed, watching a large bolt of lightning strike down Jaden. Jaden hollered in pain as the spot she was in exploded, causing her to fall on her side before attempting to stand back up again.

 **Jaden - 600 LP**

 **Kagemaru - 2900 LP**

"W-Wroughtweiler's effect activates!" stammered Jaden, breathing in and out. "When he's destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, I can bring back Polymerization and Elemental Hero Bubbleman from my Graveyard and back to my hand!"

"Too bad you're not going to be able to use any of those two cards, but now I'm going to hit you with a direct attack!" bellowed Kagemaru. "Uria, attack her directly!"

Uria roared, charging up a gigantic fireball stored with power and hatred before firing a sure-to-hit blast that would take away the remaining Life Points Jaden had.

"Not so fast! I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Flute of Summoning Kuriboh!" Jaden said. "This lets me Special Summon Winged Kuriboh from my deck!"

Winged Kuriboh - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV1 - (300/200)

Kagemaru didn't seem pleasure with the results of his turn, even when the explosion of Winged Kuriboh nearly blew Jaden away. "Tch...I end my turn."

"Whew, thanks Winged Kuriboh!" thanked Jaden right before the spirit of Winged Kuriboh bounced up to Jaden and nuzzled her cutely. A card then slid from her deck right into her hand automatically before Jaden read the effects. It seemed the reason the card was added to her hand was because Winged Kuriboh was destroyed.

Come to think of it, this was the same card that was in Banner's Emerald Tablet! If that was the case, then maybe Banner truly did mean for her to have it! After all, it was added to her deck after Winged Kuriboh was destroyed, and not many owned a Winged Kuriboh, so it was almost as if Banner predicted this to come. If that was the case, entrusting her with this special card means that Jaden will have to win after all!

"I draw!" Jaden said, filled with new vigor. "I summon Bubbleman in Attack Mode!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"If he's summoned and there's no other cards left on my field, I get to draw two more cards! I now activate the Spell, Metamorphosis! I sacrifice Bubbleman to Special Summon a Fusion Monster of the same level! Come out, Neo Bubbleman!"

Bubbleman's appearance grew sharper and a little stylish with new lighter armor that resembled some fish fins on his body.

Elemental Hero Neo Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior/Fusion) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"Next, I equip Neo Bubbleman with Bubble Blaster, giving him an 800 extra Attack Point boost!"

Elemental Hero Neo Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior/Fusion) - LV4 - (1600/1200)

"Neo Bubbleman, attack Hamon! Go!"

Kneeling down on one knee and aiming for his target, Neo Bubbleman unleashed a barrage of bubbles and water onto Hamon, who was struck by lightning which gave him a good charge before he fired back with an electrical attack of his own. The two attacks collided and struggled against each other before somehow, the water blast overwhelmed Hamon's beam and destroyed him, causing a huge explosion.

"What?! How did Hamon lose?! He should be several times stronger than that weakling!" cried out Kagemaru, shocked.

"It's simple!" called out Jaden. "Neo Bubbleman's effect destroys the Monster it battle with! And I don't take any damage since Bubble Blaster takes it for me, which it'll be destroyed, but it'll be well worth it!"

Elemental Hero Neo Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior/Fusion) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"Next, I'm laying down a facedown and ending my turn!"

"It's my turn!" said Kagemaru, still ticked off by the fact that one of his Sacred Beasts was destroyed by a mere weakling. "Thanks to Fallen Paradise, since I control Uria, I get to draw two more cards! Uria, destroy her Monster with Hyper Blaze!"

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Bubble Illusion!" shouted Jaden. "Because Bubbleman, or rather, Neo Bubbleman's on my side, I can activate a Trap from my hand! And I choose Hero's Rule 1 - Five Freedoms! It removes a total of five cards from our Graveyards! And I'm removing five Traps from your Graveyard!"

"Excellent!" complimented Bastion. "Uria's Attack Points are determined by the number of Traps in Kagemaru's Graveyard!"

"Yeah!" added Chazz. "And Uria's Attack Points are 5000, so if Jaden removes 5 Traps, Uria will have nothing!"

The flames scorching inside of Uria's jaws died down and faded into nothing as Neo Bubbleman aimed his blaster at the huge red dragon. Neo Bubbleman wasted not a second longer as he released another barrage of bubbles at Uria, allowing the Sacred Beast to be destroyed yet again.

 **Jaden - 600 LP**

 **Kagemaru - 2100 LP**

"How could a weakling such as your Monster defeat a mighty Sacred Beast?!" questioned Kagemaru. "Fine, if that's the way it's going to be, then I activate Ressurection Tribute! This activates when you destroy a Monster of mine in battle! I'm allowed to destroy one of your Monsters and I choose that Neo Bubbleman!"

Before Jaden could completely comprehend what he was saying, Neo Bubbleman fell to pieces, leaving not a single trace of him.

"That's not all! I also get to Special Summon a Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode, ignoring any and all summoning conditions! Rise up, Hamon!"

Rays of lightning from the sky crashed down onto the ground, causing the almighty Hamon to rise from beneath the ground after being resurrected.

Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder - (DIVINE/Divine-Beast) - LV10 - (4000/4000)

"Next, by discarding a Trap from my hand, I can bring back Uria in Defense Mode! Rise once more, Uria!"

Lava and fire merging together rose from underground, slithering around in the air before materializing as Uria, controller of the flames. However, because there was only 1 Trap in the Graveyard, he was weaker than before.

Uria, Lord of Searing Flames - (DIVINE/Divine-Beast) - LV10 - (1000/1000)

"Now I activate a Spell, Phantasmal Martyrs! It can only be activates while I control Uria or Hamon! All I have to do is send 2 cards from my hand to the Graveyard and 2 Phantasmal Martyr Tokens are automatically Special Summoned to my field in Attack Mode!"

Phantasmal Martyr Tokens - (DARK/Fiend) - LV1 - (0/0) X3

"Not only did he summon Tokens, but what's worst is that because he sent Divine Wrath, a Trap card, to the Graveyard, Uria's power will increase by another 1000!" reminded Bastion.

Uria, Lord of Searing Flames - (DIVINE/Divine-Beast) - LV10 - (2000/2000)

Smirking, Kagemaru replied, "Now that my two beasts are back on the field, they're itching to have a bite of revenge upon you, Jaden. But before that, I sacrifice all three Phantasmal Martyr Tokens to summon the third and final Sacred Beast! Come forth, the most powerful of all the Sacred Beasts! Raviel, Lord of Phantasms!"

A beam of energy fired from the heavens and downwards, acting as a summoning for the third Sacred Beast. Once the light of the beam died down, standing in all of his glory, Raviel appeared, whose said to have power that rivals Obelisk the Tormentor.

Raviel, Lord of Phantasms - (DIVINE/Divine-Beast) - LV10 - (4000/4000)

"Crap, crap, crap!" cursed Jaden, clenching her fists.

"This is bad!" grunted Zane. "Now all three Sacred Beasts have gathered together in one place!"

Much to everyone's surprise, the three Sacred Beasts' bodies glowed as particles of energy flowed into their own bodies, filling them with the energies from Duel Monsters all across the world. Because all three Sacred Beasts have appeared, the absorption process has dramatically increased in speed as the cards all over the world began vanishing at a faster pace; Duel Spirits slowly dying in agony.

"Power...Power...POWER! I CAN FEEL IT! MORE POWER COURSING THROUGH MY VEINS!" bellowed Kagemaru as the energies gathered by the Sacred Beasts were flowing into Kagemaru, making him stronger and stronger.

"I understand now! Why the Superintendant looks much younger!" gasped Sheppard. "It's a result of him absorbing the life energies of the Duel Spirits for himself!"

"Yes!" spoke Kagemaru. "And when I win this duel and gain the power to control the Duel Spirits, I will release the Sacred Beasts upon the world and have the world bowing to me as their immortal God!"

Chazz said, "If Jaden loses, it's basically the end of Duel Monsters everywhere! Nobody can stop Kagemaru if he wins!"

Jaden could acknowledge that Kagemaru is indeed strong, but at the same time, she could sense that he had a weakness as well. "You know, Kagemaru? I sorta pity you."

"What?!" Just hearing something like that felt insulting towards Kagemaru.

"No matter how many Monsters or enemies you beat, if you continue like this, I think nobody would think of you as a friend. And I'd think that'd be pretty lonely, wouldn't you agree?"

"As if I needed friends to begin with!" yelled Kagemaru. 'I'll just eliminate anyone who gets in my way!"

Just as Jaden thought, he was acting selfish and immature, just as Chazz was before, and she was the only who can stop him now. "Then, I'll defeat you here and now! I won't let you get away harming Duel Spirits or my friends!"

"Then, I dare you to come at me!" challenged Kagemaru. "But remember, you have no Monsters on your field, while mine is filled with the three Sacred Beasts! No matter how you look at it, in any situation, it's impossible to beat my Sacred Beasts! I'll end my turn for now! Let's see what you've got!"

Accepting his proposal, Jaden drew her card. "My turn, draw! First, I activate the Spell, Dark Factory of Mass Production! Now, I can add two Normal Monsters from my Graveyard and into my hand! And I'm adding Burstinatrix and Avian! Then, I'm activating Polymerization and fusing them together to create Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"

The Fusion Monster of both fire and wind showed up sooner than expected, only to glance behind his shoulder and glare at Chazz. He knew now wasn't the time to go up and burn the bastard, and he knew Jaden needed his help right now, so he would cease his revenge...for now.

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

"Very well, but Raviel's special effect activates!" said Kagemaru. "When you summon a Monster, I'm allowed to Special Summon a Phantasm Token to my field!"

Phantasm Token - (DARK/Fiend) - LV1 - (1000/1000)

Jaden pondered on what to do next. _'I know Flame Wingman can take out Uria, but if he does that, then the other two Sacred Beasts will take me out! Plus, there's that Trap revival ability of Uria's! What should I do?'_

 _ **"Jaden...Jaden..."**_

"That voice...Banner?" wondered Jaden, turning her head in time to see a small light flying towards her with Pharaoh chasing after the light as if it were a plaything.

 _ **"Yes, it's me! Your professor! Jaden, you must now use the card you found in the Emerald Tablet! That card can only be used by someone extremely worthy of being an alchemist, and I believe you are the key to it! You must call your mind out to the card you wish. If you do that, then the card will resonate with your imagination, granting you three wishes!"**_

Jaden gasped. "Wow...three wishes?! Okay! My first wish is to have an endless supply of fried shrimp! My second is to have Kagemaru defeated! And my third is to have an endless supply of wishes!"

 _ **"Jaden, that's not how it works. Just picture the card you want and-"**_

Before Banner could finish, Pharaoh leapt high enough to devour the light containing Banner's soul, gulping it down his tummy before running off, leaving things a little unanswered for Jaden.

 _'Okay...not gonna question that,'_ thought Jaden before glancing at the mysterious card. _'So, just picture the card how I want it to be, huh? Huh, wouldn't it be funny if I asked for a picture of me beating up Chazz in a duel? No, wait! Get serious, Jaden! You're in the middle of an important duel! Right now, the card I desperately need is...'_

Concentrating on her thoughts onto one single card, the card she was held was not the card she discovered in the Emerald Tablet, but the card she really needed; Fusion Recovery! It came at a cost though, half of her Life Points, but her Life Points were low anyways and this was a desperate situation, so this counted as a necessary emergency!

 **Jaden - 300 LP**

 **Kagemaru - 2100 LP**

"I got it...I got it!" cheered Jaden before getting serious. "Now I activate the Spell, Fusion Recovery! Now, I get back Sparkman and Polymerization from my Graveyard back to my hand!"

"Who cares if she gets them? There's still no chance for her to win!" said Chazz.

"Don't give up so easily! Jaden hasn't, so let's not give up on her!" shouted Alexis.

"I activate Polymerization and fuse Sparkman with Avian!" announced Jaden. "Come out, Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman!"

The hero that would illuminate a new path towards the future and help save the world made his appearance quickly, as his own world was on the brink of desutrction thanks to the Sacred Beasts.

Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2100)

"A second Fusion?!" exclaimed Kagemaru as another Phantasm Token appeared automatically thanks to Raviel's effect.

Phantasm Token - (DARK/Fiend) - LV1 - (1000/1000) X2

"For each Elemental Hero I have in the Graveyard, Shining Flare Wingman's Attack rises by 300! And right now, I've got 7 laying right in my Graveyard!" revealed Jaden.

Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (4600/2100)

"But there's more! Now if he attacks and destroys a Monster in battle, you get dealt damage equal to your destroyed Monster's Attack Points! So, go and end this, Shining Flare Wingman!"

Pressing his palms together, Flare Wingman concentrated his energy into one huge energy ball as he flew towards Hamon. Once he finished, Flare Wingman released an emerald-colored energy ball with high power at Hamon, effectively destroying him as pieces of the great Sacred Beast fell onto the ground.

"Now his special effect activates! Finish this, Shining Flare Wingman!"

Less than a second later, Shining Flare Wingman came face-to-face with Kagemaru; his armor illuminating brightly as the remaining piece of Hamon gathered, shielding Kagemaru from the light emitting from the Elemental Hero.

"What the?! HOW?!"

Kagemaru chuckled. "How fortunate for me and not for you. You see, on the turn that Hamon's destroyed in Defense Mode, all damage to me becomes zero!"

 _'Awww! Goddamnit!'_ Jaden wanted to complain out loud. _'Well, I'll get him next time! For now, I think I should use my second wish!'_

 **Jaden - 150 LP**

 **Kagemaru - 2100 LP**

"Okay! I'm laying down a facedown and ending my turn!"

"Then it's my turn now!" said Kagemaru. "Due to the effect of Fallen Paradise, I get to draw two more cards! And now I switch Uria into Attack Mode! Now I activate Raviel's effect! By offering two of my Phantasm Tokens to Raviel, for this turn only, I can increase his Attack Points by the same amount as my two Tokens!"

Raviel, Lord of Phantasms - (DIVINE/Divine-Beast) - LV10 - (6000/4000)

"So that's why the Token ability was part of Raviel's powers!" cried out Bastion. "The Token ability was just to boost up Raviel's strength!"

"Raviel, take down Shining Flare Wingman!" ordered Kagemaru, hoping that this would also take out Jaden as well so he can hurry with his conquest for world domination.

Jaden was fully prepared for an upcoming attack, which is why she decided to pull out her facedown card. "I activate my second wish, the Quick-Play Spell, De-Fusion, splliting Shining Flare Wingman!"

Raviel's claws were about to slash down on Shining Flare Wingman, when he was suddenly split into the two counterparts that were part of his creation, causing Raviel to miss. Sparkman and Flare Wingman were immediantly placed in Defense Mode, as their current strength were no match against the Sacred Beasts.

"Fine, but since De-Fusion requires a special sort of summoning, I now get two Phantasm Tokens!" pointed out Kagemaru. "I commend you for coming up with such a cunning plan, but your two Monsters will now be annihilated!"

Phantasm Token - (DARK/Fiend) - LV1 - (1000/1000) X2

"And now, Raviel attacks Flame Wingman! And Uria, attack Sparkman!"

The two Elemental Heroes were clearly no match for the two Sacred Beasts as they were handed down quite easily and destroyed.

"I end my turn!"

"My turn, draw!" said Jaden. "I summon Clayman in Attack Mode!"

Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

"Because of Raviel's effect, I get another Phantasm Token!" reminded Kagemaru.

Phantasm Token - (DARK/Fiend) - LV1 - (1000/1000) X3

Glancing at Banner's card, Jaden prayed deeply within her heart. _'Please...grant my last wish!'_

 **Jaden - 075 LP**

 **Kagemaru - 2100 LP**

"Now! I activate the Spell, Miracle Fusion!" yelled Jaden. "This removes from play Fusion-Material Monsters on my field and Graveyard to Fusion Summon a brand new Hero! I remove from my Graveyard, Avian, Burstinatrix, and Bubbleman, along with Clayman on my field to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Electrum!"

Making a reappearance and showing up at Jaden's desperate hour of need, the hero of light combined with all four common elements arrived.

Elemental Hero Electrum - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV10 - (2900/2600)

Looking at Banner's card one more time, Jaden hoped that everything leading up to this point was worth it, along with Banner's card. "Now I play Sabatiel - The Philosopher's Stone! When equipped onto Electrum, Electrum's Attack Points are multiplied by the number of Monsters on your field! There's a total of 5, and I'm pretty sure multiplying by that with Electrum's current power would be pretty high!"

Elemental Hero Electrum - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV10 - (14500/2600)

"Go, Electrum! Finish this once and for all!" yelled Jaden with all of her willpower.

Wielding a two-bladed weapon that immensely increased his strength five times over, Electrum felt an unbelievable amount of strength pouring inside of him. Feeling confident that he could easily defeat all three Sacred Beasts on his own, Electrum charged forward, slicing Raviel in half, which caused a huge explosion, indicating the end of the duel.

 **Jaden - 075 LP**

 **Kagemaru - 0 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

"No! How could this be?! Nobody can defeat the almighty Sacred Beasts! NOBODY!" cried out Kagemaru in disbelief that the three powerful Duel Monsters were beaten by a child.

With the defeat of Kagemaru as well as the end of the duel, Uria, the only remaining Sacred Beast, crumbled and collapsed as he vanished, never to be seen again. The dark skies cleared up and everything started returning back to normal. Kagemaru was groaning, on his knees as the energy that was transferred from the Sacred Beasts towards him was returning back to Duel Monsters all around the world.

Knowing that the world was now in safe hands, Jaden turned back to the card, Sabatiel - The Philosopher's Stone, amazed at how much power it contained...until it started vanishing without a single trace.

"Aww! I wanted to use my next three wishes!" complained Jaden before sighing. Well, it wasn't always good to be greedy, so maybe this was for the best. Still, she would be forever grateful towards Banner, who handed her the last of his strength to help win this duel.

The remainder of Kagemaru's strength faded along with the rest of the Sacred Beasts' energy, reverting Kagemaru back into a crippled old man as Jaden rushed up to him to check on him.

Looking up at Jaden, Kagemaru spoke softly, "Yes...I know what you're thinking, but I really am a pitiful, old man. All I wanted was to feel young again, and everytime I saw youngsters enjoying their youth I wanted to regain my own youth at least one more time at all costs. Without the power of the Sacred Beasts, I couldn't even stand!"

"Dude, what are you talking about?" wondered Jaden gently. "You're pretty strong yourself! You were able to drive me up the corner of a wall thanks to your dueling! If you were able to do that, I'm sure you can do amazing things like standing! Yeah, in fact, you should do that right now!"

"R-right now? With my own strength?" wondered Kagemaru.

"Yup! Do it by yourself with your own strength!"

Nodding, Kagemaru held onto Jaden's shoulders for support as he tried to stand on his own two feet. Upon succeeding so, he stumbled around a little, but managed to keep himself steady enough for him to stand properly.

"I...I did it! I actually did it!"

"Yay! Good job!" cheered Jaden, hugging Kagemaru. Unfortunately, her hug was a little too strong, as she started to accidentally break the old man's back.

"Gaaaaaah!"

"Jaden!"

"Oh, God! We gotta help him!"

"Jaden, you're squeezing him too tight!"

"I want her to squeeze me tight..."

About half an hour later, Kagemaru, with a new broken back, had to lay on a bed as his bed was being air-lifted by a helicopter towards a hospital.

"...In all honesty, I didn't know he would have a broken back from a bear hug," spoke up Jaden, waving goodbye to Kagemaru.

"Jaden, if you squeeze a weak, frail man too tightly, of course they're going to have a few broken bones," scolded Bastion.

"Who cares? I'd say he deserved it! That was just a light punishment compared to all the trouble he's put us through! He should be lucky that's all he's getting!" scoffed Chazz.

While the others watched Kagemaru fly away towards a hospital, Sheppard turned and sealed the three Sacred Beast cards back in the altar before it vanished along with the seven pillars, swearing an oath to himself never to unleash the power of the terrible beasts for as long as he lived. He'd rather bring all secrets to the Graveyard than let another bad guy discover the cards.

Everything was going well for the entire group. With the defeat of Kagemaru and the sealing of the Sacred Beasts, there would be no more menacing threat that would come to the island. There would be nothing to fear!

"Oh, by the way, did you know that next week, there are promotion exams?" spoke Crowler.

Well, it was fun until it lasted.

* * *

 **Skit: Carriage**

"Man...why do I feel so lightheaded?" groaned Jaden,grasping at her head.

"Well, you have a bleeding forehead. We should take you to the infirmary," advised Bastion. "Someone should carry her and take her to Miss Fontain-"

"I volunteer as tribute!" spoke Syrus quickly, raising his hand.

"Hey, I'm stronger, and I...kinda caused this mess, so I'll take responsibility!" growled Chazz.

"We don't have time to debate," said Zane, stepping in. "It'll be easier with me to carry-"

"No, Zane! You mustn't do that! You're in a relationship with my sis, remember?" said Atticus. "I'll be her charming prince!~"

"Atticus, since when was I in a relationship with Alexis? I don't like her in that way!"

 _'I don't feel the same either, but ow,'_ thought Alexis, a bit hurt by Zane's way of saying things.

"Yeah! Why are you butting in?!" demanded Chazz to Atticus. "You helped me with the love problem, remember?"

"Yeah...well, that got called off when Jaden kinda didn't respond to your feelings, so-"

"ICE CREAM!" cheered Jaden, rushing towards the truck that just passed by the group. The back of the open truck had crates filled with them and on the labels of the crates were ice cream pictures.

"Oh, another delivery truck towards the school cafeteria," said Sheppard.

"Jaden! If you're injured, ice cream isn't good for a sick patient!" yelled Bastion, chasing after her.

* * *

 **Skit: Midnight Anticipation**

Creeping up to the figure covered in bedsheets, Flame Wingman readied his demonic arm, narrowing his eyes. _**"I warned you before to keep one eye open, didn't I? Well, no matter. Prepare to die."**_

"Wow, you must have a serious Jaden-complex," spoke Chazz, leaning against the open doorway of his room.

 ** _"Wha-? How did you-?"_**

"Let's just say, I am very sneaky. Also, that's a dummy I placed under there just in case. I knew it wouldn't last much of a distraction, so I decided to come forth."

Flame Wingman lowered his arm before cracking his knuckles. _**"I'm not the only one after your head, Princeton. The entire dorm is surrounded by those who truly wish to protect Jaden, so you're surrounded and- Hey! Don't run away when I'm talking to you!"**_

"Come and get me, bro!" yelled Chazz, flipping him off as he turned around and leaped over the railing, landing perfectly on his feet before running off.

 _ **"I'm not your bro, turd!"**_

"I'm not your turd, guy!"

 _ **"I'm not your guy, pal!"**_

"I'm not your pal, buddy!"

 _ **"I'm not your buddy, dork!"**_

The chase and fight between Flame Wingman and his Jaden supporters against Chazz and the Chazz supporters, which consisted of the Ojama brothers and some other Duel Spirits Chazz knew, continued throughout the night. It was truly a clash to be remember...with no other witnesses. But the objective was mostly for the love of Jaden, the innocent cinnamon bun they loved. Nobody knew the conclusion of this fight.

Well, at least until Chazz had to be sent to the infirmary with a broken leg, a couple of bruises, and he was nearly comatose.

* * *

 **Wow, this duel was long! But I finally did it! And now, hope you guys enjoy!~**


	39. Carebringer

**Before we continue with anymore episodes, I'll do a couple of side stories!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"Chazz, quit moving so much!" scolded Fontaine as her patient was attempting to get out of bed...again. It's only been a few days since he was admitted to the infirmary for some injuries he refused to testify on where he got them.

"Aw, come on! I'm feeling better already! I can even bend my leg and all!" complained Chazz, stretching his supposed leg, which was placed in a cast.

"Even so, you're required one more day of bed rest! And you're not leaving until tommorow!"

"Screw that! That's nothing that's stopping me from going out that door right now and-"

"Hey, Chazzy!~" sang Jaden, entering the infirmary with a basket in her hands.

"...On second thought, never mind. I'll happily stay here for the night."

Fontaine sighed, placing a hand on her head. "Finally! Jaden, I have other duties I have to attend to as a teacher, so would it be alright with you if you stayed with Chazz for tonight? You can leave right in the morning afterwards."

Jaden nodded. "Sure! No probs! Hehehe!~"

Once Fontaine collected all of her belongings and left the infirmary, Jaden pulled up a chair and prompted up right next to his bed with a curious look on her face. "So...what do you want, slacker?" asked Chazz.

"Oh, I just wanted to visit ya! And now, we get to have our very first sleepover with each other! Yay!~ Oh, but we have to get Syrus and Chumley to make it an official sleepover!"

"Wait!" called out Chazz. "Let's...not. How about we have a...a...sleepover together?" He mumbled the last part out, looking away with a blush on his face, yet Jaden was able to hear the last parts of his sentence.

"Hmmm? But won't it be boring with just the two of us? Shouldn't we have more people?" asked Jaden.

"It's fine! How about next time? For now, we can call it a...welcoming sleepover ceremony? Whatever it is you want to call it," said Chazz, hoping that might convince her.

"Ooh! Then, that's fine! But, next time we have a sleepover, you have to join us! Got it? You have to promise!" Jaden demanded, being persistent.

"Fine, fine! If it'll convince you to have this two-person sleepover, then yeah."

In actuality, the only reason Chazz bothered to have this sleepover was to spend more time with him and Jaden alone. Okay, maybe the love duel was a bit of a fiasco and didn't go according to plan, but by bonding with Jaden some more, maybe he could learn a couple of things about her, like her favorite fo-Okay, it was sweets and fried shrimp, but perhaps some more information wouldn't hurt. Besides, Jaden might develop a bit of an interest in him!

"Yay! So, what do you want to do now, Chazzy? We could play games with each other! ...Er, I didn't bring any board games, but we could just play regular Duel Monsters!" offered Jaden.

"Yeah, sure. Just bring up a table, why don't ya?"

Complying with Chazz's request, Jaden spotted an unused table and brought it over; with the table being incredible light and having plenty of room. They placed their decks on the table and rearranged the cards before beginning to play.

About halfway throughout the duel, Jaden suddenly raised her hand. "Gotta pee! Don't do anything to my cards, Chazz!" She got up from her chair and ran out of the infirmary.

"But there's a bathroom right over-Aaand, she's gone," said Chazz. He glanced back at the entire field on the table, remembering that the only Monster she had out was apparently his current worst enemy.

Flame Wingman.

Just looking at the card made Chazz want to just rip it to shreds, but he knew that Jaden would be upset and likely never forgive him. Hell, the rest of the Elemental Heroes might go after his head if he did that, and dealing with one Elemental Hero was bad enough. Therefore, he did the one thing he could do; pound his fist several times against the card.

 _ **"Stop doing that!"**_ yelled Flame Wingman, appearing in spirit form right in front of Chazz. _**"That hurts!"**_

Chazz, having gotten used to being accompanied by Duel Spirits, wasn't really surprised to see him. "Oh, don't be such a wimp. You've dealt with other attacks, so I'm sure a bit pounding won't hurt that much. Pussy."

 _ **"Don't push your luck. I may have morals preventing me from further hurting someone defenceless, but that doesn't mean I won't hold back once you recover."**_

"Yeah...About that, during our game we're playing, Jaden told me something really interesting. Something about her yelling at you about hurting me. Well, I did tattle on you, so it's to be expected you'd be in trouble."

Flame Wingman, not wishing to recall the terrible memory, felt a tick mark forming. _**"Yes...Well, that wasn't a pleasant memory to remember, thank you very much."**_

"You're welcome."

 _ **"I WAS JOKING YOU IMPUDENT BRAT!"**_

"So, what are you here for? You here to hurt me again?" asked Chazz, laying back against his bed with ease as well as a confident smirk Flame Wingman wished to wipe out.

 _ **"As much as I wish to, I can't. No, I'm here to warn you that if you do anything...intimate with Jaden, you will regret it."**_

"And I'm here to tell you that if you hurt me again, Jaden will be the first to know, and I bet you're the type who'll easily crumble to a simple scolding by someone you cherish most."

 _ **"Princeton..."**_ growled Flame Wingman. _**"Are you threatening me?"**_

"I dunno, are YOU? Because, you're the one who started this whole war in the first place," countered Chazz, smirking widely. Payback was sweet after all. "And besides, I won't hurt Jaden. I mean, I'm not afraid to hurt girls, but that doesn't mean I like to. And although Jaden can be annoying-"

 _ **"YOU WILL NOT INSULT MY PRINCESS LIKE THAT!"**_

"Hey! She can be annoying sometimes and even you know it! Anyways, she can be... _untolerable_ at times, but I'm not gonna punch her because of that." Chazz's face softened a bit upon thinking about Jaden and how he grew to like her.

Flame Wingman was seething with rage and wanted to chomp Chazz's head off with his demonic arm, or watch him burn to the ground, but he knew he wasn't allowed to use his powers in the human world unless absolutely necessary. But at the same time, he believed in Chazz's words, knowing he wouldn't harm her. He hated to admit it, but Chazz has...changed from an irritable prick to being one of the good guys, even if he kept some of his annoying traits.

 _ **"...I have other duties to attend to, so for the time being...I will be keeping an eye on you, Princeton."**_ With that said and done, Flame Wingman vanished, leaving nothing but peace and quiet in the infirmary.

That is, until Chazz chose to smash his fist against the Flame Wingman card.

 _ **"OWWW! WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!"**_ hollered Flame Wingman, reappearing once more.

"I'm back!~" sang Jaden, causing Flame Wingman to vanish back into the Spirit World, not wishing to see Jaden for fear of her scolding him again.

"...Wimp," muttered Chazz, crossing his arms.

"What was that, Chazz?" Jaden asked, walking back to her seat.

"Nothing. Let's just continue the game."

Jaden nodded and fished her hand into the basket she brought along, taking out a cookie before crunching on it with a delighted look on her face. "Mmmm! So good!~"

"Jaden, where did you get those?" Chazz had been meaning to ask her what the basket was for.

"Oh! These were made by Miss Dorothy! They're so good! And she told me to give them to you!"

"Then, why haven't you?"

"..." Jaden tried to avoid the question by slowly eating her cookie before taking another from the basket.

"HEY! I WANT SOME TOO!"

"BUT THEY'RE SOOOOO GOOD!"

* * *

 _In the Spirit World..._

 _ **"I still can't believe he's still moping over what Jaden said,"**_ commented Avian, looking over to Flame Wingman, who was sitting at a corner with a depressed aura surrounding him.

 _ **"Granted, he did deserve to be yelled at, but I didn't think he'd be affected by this much,"**_ admitted Burstinatrix.

Some others walked up to Flame Wingman to comfort him. _**"There, there, Flame Wingman! You'll be okay! It's not that bad! Jaden's a forgiving person! She'll forget about this soon enough!"**_ assured Lady Heat, patting him on the back.

 _ **"I guess we got a lucky pass, considering that we were kinda involved in the whole ambush, too,"**_ spoke Sparkman, looking at Tempest and Thunder Giant.

 _ **"Yeah, but to think he'd be upset by Jaden calling him a meanie,"**_ said Tempest. _**"Still, I can feel his pain...I'd be upset too if I were in his situation."**_

 _ **"Everyone would be upset, sure, because they're overprotective but that'd be a little childish, being upset by being called a meanie by our owner,"**_ said Burstinatrix.

 _ **"What they doing now?"**_ wondered Wildheart, acting as the caveman-like man that he is.

 _ **"They're just...talking now. I think their game ended. And they're eating cookies,"**_ replied Woodsman.

* * *

"And then, I tried to make the cookies properly, and when I had Syrus eat them, he said they were good! Oh! And he had a green face!" giggled Jaden, telling tales of her cooking adventures to Chazz.

Chazz, swallowing his cookie, asked, "Uh...You ever wonder if it's because you're a terrible cook?"

"How mean!" pouted Jaden. "But...yeah, you're right. I guess my cooking skills are a bit...off."

Scoffing, Chazz crossed his arms. "You mean, awful! Everything you make ends up one disaster after another! Everyone else is afraid to tell that to your face because they're afraid of hurting you!"

"Chazz..."

"But...I guess your cooking skills have improved, so it's not always that bad..."

Jaden's face lit up from his compliment. "Chazz...!"

Flustered, Chazz shouted, "D-Don't get the wrong idea! I'm not complimenting or anything! I'm just speaking the truth! That's all!"

"Yup! I know!~ Still, thanks!"

"Tch...Whatever." Spotting some cookie crumbs near her mouth, Chazz wanted to point them out to Jaden, but got a better idea instead. He leaned forward and licked them clean with one sweep of his tongue before pulling back with a red face. "You...You had crumbs! That's all!"

Jaden, surprised by his action, simply laughed and smiled. "No probs! Thanks!"

* * *

 _In the Spirit World..._

 _'Oh, no,'_ thought some of the Duel Monsters as they knew everyone else had seen what had just occured. As further evidence, they felt the others' powers spike up immensely from witnessing such a scene.

 _ **"Jeez, they're powering up!"**_ exclaimed Hero Kid #2.

 _ **"Yeah!"** _ agreed Avian. _ **"Their powers are going up! In fact, they're over-"**_

 _ **"Don't you dare finish that reference It's getting really annoying!"**_ yelled Burstinatrix.

 _ **"I was going to say that it's over the charts!"**_

 _ **"Oh. Well, that's ok-"**_

 _ **"I mean, if we had to compare their powers by numbers, then it's probably over 9,000 or something."**_

 _ **"DAMNIT! I DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER REFERENCE OF THAT!"**_

Winged Kuriboh, having an idea of his own, flew up to the center of the room and started shrieking loudly to gain everyone's attention, eventually quieting them down as he began to explain his short, but effective plan.

* * *

"Goodnight, Chazz," yawned Jaden, noting how late it is as she slipped into the same bed as him.

...Wait, what?

"H-HOLD ON! WHY ARE YOU SLEEPING WITH ME?!" exclaimed Chazz, backing up against the wall with a face as red as cherries.

"Hmm? Why? Miss Fontaine told me to stay here for the night, and I'm obeying her orders! Besides, I can't sleep on the floor!" said Jaden, grinning.

"That's not what she me-" Chazz paused, thinking this over. This wasn't any sexual, but he could send her away right now. But on the other hand, he could let her sleep with him for tonight, and it'd be the closest he'd get to Jaden. Plus, if they got caught, Jaden could simply testify like the innocent girl she is. "...Alright, fine! You can sleep here for tonight!"

"Yay! Thanks, Chazzy!"

"Here!" Chazz tossed his pillow to her.

"Huh? Don't you need it, Chazz?" asked Jaden, tilting her head.

"No! Those who sleep without a pillow are...are cool! Yeah!" That was a poor excuse for Chazz to tell, since he couldn't tell her he simply wanted her to have the pillow.

"Oh! Okay!" Jaden threw the pillow back at Chazz's face, causing him to grunt in surprise. "Then, I'll sleep without the pillow!"

"No, dipshit!" cursed Chazz, pressing the pillow back into her face. "YOU take the damn pillow!"

"Gaah! Aah!" Taking back the pillow, Jaden pouted. "Alright, alright! Jeez!"

Then, Winged Kuriboh appeared out of nowhere, leaping onto the bed and bouncing up and down out of excitement. _**"Kuri! Kuri! Kuri kuri kuri!"**_ ("Jaden! Jaden! I wanna sleep with you!")

"Awwww!" When it came to Winged Kuriboh, there was no way Jaden could ever resist the cute winged furball as she hugged him. "Of course you can sleep with us!~"

 _'Damnit!'_ thought Chazz. He knew full well what the little rascal wanted. He was trying to interfere between him and Jaden! He bet that Flame Wingman and the others were behind this and ordered Winged Kuriboh to check up with them!

Jaden lifted the covers so that Winged Kuriboh could pop right in. Afterwards, Winged Kuriboh snuggled close to Jaden, purring out of affection as Jaden smiled before closing her eyes, falling asleep within a few seconds.

Having seen this many times in movies, Chazz slowly moved his arm as he grew closer, wanting to wrap Jaden's waist and hold her in an embrace before he slept. Before he got the chance to, his hand was slapped away by Winged Kuriboh, who was glaring intensely at him.

That didn't stop Chazz though, as he made several more attempts afterwards. However, each time he did, Winged Kuriboh would always slap his hand away, preventing him from touching Jaden.

Eventually, Chazz gave up and turned to his other side, facing away from Jaden. Looks like he's got another obstacle to settle with.

* * *

 **Done and done with the short chapter!~ If you guys are curious, my other GX fanfic, Cherished Evolution, is up with a new chapter! Now, hope you guys had a nice 4th of July!~**


	40. Heartgiver

**Alright, an upcoming duel to start!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"Jaaaaddddeeeeennnn!" called out Syrus, running up to her as Jaden was simply taking a jog.

"Hmm? What's up, Sy?" Jaden asked curiously, stopping her jog as she allowed Syrus to catch up to her.

Taking a few moments to rest and catch his breath, Syrus swallowed and thought, _'This is it, Sy! Just confess to her right here and now! You've got this! This may be your only chance! Now...NOW!'_

"Jaden! Will you please...be...DUELING ME?!"

 _'Agh! You idiot!'_ Syrus thought, wanting to smack himself in the head.

Without questioning it, Jaden grinned and nodded. "Sure! Let's go for it! Right now!"

"R-right now?! Here?!"

"Well..." Seeing how the area around them seemed a bit too obscured and distracting from the narrow road, cliff, and trees surrounding them, it didn't seem like the ideal spot for a duel. They needed a huge spacious area for their duel. "Ooh! How about near the lighthouse? It's not far from here and it has plenty of room!"

"O-Okay!" Surprisingly enough, Syrus found himself agreeing to Jaden's terms, following after her as another plan was hatching in his mind. _'Wait! Maybe I still can do this! Okay!'_

Shockingly, the spot Jaden selected just so happened to be around the same area where he and Jaden first dueled. Back then, Syrus was considered a wimp and was rather hesitant and nervous, not having a lot of confidence. But things have changed and he truly did believe that he has gotten stronger from back then.

"Alright, you ready?" called out Jaden, activating her duel disk.

"Wait! I have...a proposal!" started Syrus. "If I win...then...then you have to go out with me!" _'YES! I SAID IT! KINDA!'_

"But..." Jaden tilted her head. "I already am out with you."

Syrus mentally groaned, forgetting how oblivious Jaden could truly be with situations of love. "I...Okay, if I win, then you have to do what I say! For...for a week! Yeah!"

"Okay! Then, if I win, then until the entire school year is over, you have to give me your share of fried shrimp and dessert!" proposed Jaden.

"What?! How is that fair?!"

"Well, I mean...you can pretty much order me to do anything for an entire week, like homework and laundry and stuff! Isn't this fair?"

When Jaden phrased it in that way, it sort of makes sense, so in a way, her offer was just as fair as Syrus'. Not wanting to leave room for argument, Syrus nodded. "Okay, okay! I guess we can settle with that."

"Mmmm!~" Imagining the taste of fried shrimp and the tasty dessert caused Jaden to drool. "I can't wait for tonight's dinner!~ Okay, let's do this!"

"Y-Yeah!"

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Syrus - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"Here I go!" said Syrus. "I summon Gyroid in Defense Mode!"

Gyroid - (WIND/Machine) - LV3 - (1000/1000)

"Then, I set a card and end my turn!"

"My turn, draw!" said Jaden. "I summon Elemental Hero Wildheart in Attack Mode!"

Elemental Hero Wildheart - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1500/1600)

"Now, go! Attack his Gyroid!"

"Not so fast! I activate Supercharge!" shouted Syrus, drawing two cards. "This can be activated only when you declare an attack while the only Monsters I control are Machine-Type Roid Monsters! This means I can draw two cards!"

"Yeah, but the attack will still continue!"

"Not if I activate Gyroid's effect! Once per turn, he can't be destroyed in battle!"

Jaden appeared surprised for a second before smirking. _'Oh? Syrus really did improve from last time! I can't wait until I go full out on him!~'_ she thought. "Awesome move, Sy! Okay, I'll end my turn!"

"My turn!" Syrus said. "I summon Submarineroid in Attack Mode!"

Submarineroid - (WATER/Machine) - LV4 - (800/1800)

"Because of Submarineroid's effect, I can attack you directly! Go, Submarineroid!"

Since the ocean was close to them, Submarineroid dove right in, slamming into Jaden after leaping out of the water. He jumped right back into the water before appearing back to his owner's side.

 **Syrus - 4000 LP**

 **Jaden - 3200 LP**

"After the Damage Step, I'm allowed to switch Submarineroid back into Defense Mode!"

"Nice, Syrus!" praised Jaden.

Syrus blushed from her compliment before focusing on his thoughts. _'I did it! I got Jaden to acknowledge me as really strong! Still, that won't be enough! I have to win this duel to win her love! And not let this be another fiasco like Chazz pulled off!'_ "I'll end my turn with one facedown!"

"My draw!" Jaden looked at her hand and nodded. "I activate Polymerization and fuse Wildheart with the Bladedge on my field to create Elemental Hero Wildedge!"

The Monster greatly resembled Wildheart donning only parts of the golden armor belonging to the great Bladedge, wielding even a mightier broadsword than his other weapon.

Elemental Hero Wildedge - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2600/2300)

"Wildedge can attack each of your Monster only once! So, go unleash your wrath!"

With the immense strength he held within, Wildedge easily slashed through both roid Monsters, leaving behind a mess of destruction before returning to his master's side. Plus, since they were in Defense Mode, Syrus luckily didn't take any damage.

Syrus gasped. "O-Oh no! I forgot to activate that!"

"Sorry, Sy! This is it!~ I play the Quick-Play Spell, De-Fusion!" stated Jaden. "Now I get back Bladedge and Wildheart to the field to finish you off!"

Elemental Hero Bladedge - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV7 - (2600/1800)

Elemental Hero Wildheart - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1500/1600)

"Now, attack both of you and finish this!"

Seeing this as his opportunity to shine, Syrus declared, "I activate the Trap, No Entry! All Monsters in Attack Mode have to change to Defense Mode! Then, you have to discard one card, Jaden!"

While Bladedge kneeled down in Defense Mode, Wildheart didn't as he continued charging towards Syrus. "Wildheart's effect prevents him from being affected by Traps!"

"Oh no-!"

Syrus cried out as Wildheart showed no hesitation in slicing him down before jumping back for distance.

 **Syrus - 2500 LP**

 **Jaden - 3200 LP**

"And I'll end my turn with that!~" spoke Jaden, grinning as she gave him a wink.

Flustered, Syrus thought, _'Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! She winked at me! SHE FRICKIN' WINKED AT ME! DOES SHE LIKE ME?! IS THAT A SIGN SAYING SO?! WHAT SHOULD I DO?! HOW SHOULD I RESPOND?! SHE'S THE FIRST GIRLFRIEND I EVER HAD! I MEAN, THE FIRST FEMALE FRIEND I EVER-'_

"-Y? Sy? Syrus?!" called out Jaden, raising her hands, trying to snap him out of it.

Meanwhile, Bladedge and Wildheart were talking amongst themselves. _**"Me no get it,"**_ spoke Wildheart, confused. _ **"Must finish as soon as possible? Why?"**_

 _ **"Okay, let me clarify you in a way you'll understand,"**_ sighed Bladedge. _**"Must. Finish. Fight. Quickly. Flame Wingman. Appearing. Bad. Flame Wingman. Kill. Innocent. Boy. Syrus. Innocent. Boy."**_

Suddenly understanding from the coded message, Wildheart exclaimed, _**"Me will save innocent boy! Flamey go down!"**_

 _ **"That's...close enough, I guess?"**_

"SYRUS!"

"Huh? What? I didn't do it!" cried out Syrus, making hand-chopping motions with his hands.

"...Sy, it's your turn, remember?"

"Oh, right! M-My turn!" Syrus checked his hand and nodded, sure that this would lead him to victory. "I play Monster Reincarnation, discarding a card to bring back a Monster from my Graveyard! I choose Submarineroid! And now, I'll activate Polymerization and fuse Submarineroid, Drillroid, and Steamroid from my hand to create an even stronger Monster! Go, Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill!"

A large pinkish machinery with a gigantic drill that could be the Duel Monster's weapon/nose, dug from underground and appeared, making track marks all over the ground.

Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill - (EARTH/Machine/Fusion) - LV8 - (3000/2000)

"Holy wow, that's a huge Monster!" gasped Jaden, grinning excitedly as ever. "You never told me that you had such an awesome Monster before, Sy!"

Confidently, Syrus placed his hands on his hips and thrusted his chest up. "Of course! It was meant to be a surprise! To show how strong I've got!" _'Actually, I just got this lucky bad boy from a card pack a few days ago! Man, how lucky I was!'_

 _ **"...Crap, he's going to aim for me,'**_ spoke Bladedge, bringing his arms closer for extra defense.

Confused, Wildheart turned to him. _**"Hmm? Why? Bladey in Defense! No damage!"**_

 _'For someone who can barely talk properly, he can be smart sometimes,'_ thought Bladedge; his way of praising Wildheart. _**"Even so, I pose a much better threat than you, so of course he's going to attack me first."**_

"I attack Elemental Hero Bladedge!"

 _ **"See? What'd I tell ya?"**_

"Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill's effect activates! During battle between him and a Monster in Defense Mode, the difference between Jumbo Drill's Attack Points and your Monster's Defense Points are inflicted to you, Jaden!"

 _ **"Wait, wha-"**_

Before Bladedge could comprehend what was happening, his armor was shredded into pieces with ease along with him as he was utterly being destroyed.

 _ **"NOOOOO! BLADEY!"**_

 **Syrus - 2500 LP**

 **Jaden - 2000 LP**

Confidently, Syrus said, "And with that, I'll end my turn!"

"Okay, my go then!" said Jaden. "First, I'll activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw two new cards! I activate Polymerization and fuse Avian with Burstinatrix to create Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"

Wildheart paled upon seeing the arrival of the famed and overprotective Elemental Hero, recalling Bladedge's warnings and how he was going to turn poor innocent Syrus into nothing but a pile of ashes.

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

 _ **"Flamey...Bladey said you hurt innocent child. Innocent Syrus. Please do not hurt,"**_ pleaded Wildheart.

Flame Wingman didn't appear to be listening to his fellow comrade, as he was crackling with evil laughter while holding flames in both palms, glaring intensely at Syrus, who was oblivious to his every movement. _'Yes...Well, he's not a Princeton, but he is still a potential love interest! HE MUST BE ELIMINATED!'_

Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill, noticing the intense aura surrounded Flame Wingman, frowned and inched closer to Syrus, shielding his master from any danger done. He's heart of Flame Wingman and his group being extremely overprotective of Jaden, as it was common known in the Spirit World thanks to their reckless actions.

"I now activate Skyscraper!" yelled Jaden before tall buildings stretched upwards and surrounded the entire duel in a luxurious city. "Whenever one of my Elemental Hero attacks a Monster much stronger, they gain 1000 Attack Points!"

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (3100/1200)

"Attack the super mega ultra vehicle Monster!"

"Jaden, that's not his na-"

 **BOOM!** A sudden explosion coming from Flame Wingman's attack combusted and burnt down Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill, causing the vehicle-like Monster to collapse before exploding.

 **Syrus - 2400 LP**

 **Jaden - 2000 LP**

"Flame Wingman's special ability activates!" shouted Jaden. "You take damage equal to super mega whatever's Attack Points!"

"...Oh, no," gulped Syrus as Flame Wingman slowly landed in front of him. It was almost as if the reaper was coming to get his soul, reach out, and ignite the demonic ar-Oh, shoot.

"AAAAAAAAH!"

 **Syrus - 0 LP**

 **Jaden - 2000 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

"Yay! I won! I won!" squealed Jaden, jumping up and down as Syrus fell on his back.

"It...was her win," admitted Syrus, panting. "Yet...Why does it hurt everywhere...?"

Walking up to Syrus, Jaden offered her hand. "Tight duel, Syrus! You've really grown! And man, if I didn't have that card combo in my hand, you definitely would have finished me off! Nice, Sy...?"

Syrus didn't realize it, but he was crying, unable to hold back the tears. He worked so hard to earn Jaden's love, yet even with his hard training and efforts, Jaden still beat him, and now he probably won't get another chance to confess!

"Syrus?! Did I do something wrong?!" exclaimed Jaden, panicking. "Did I hit you or something?"

Syrus sniffled and shook his head. He probably never had a chance anyways,but even so, in his heart, he'll still love Jaden. Maybe...right now wasn't the right time to confess.

"No...It's nothing. Let's go eat dinner, okay? I still owe you my dessert and fried shrimp today, remember?"

* * *

 _Later, at dinner..._

Syrus was only gone for a few minutes because he had to use the bathroom, but when he got back to the dining hall, in his tray was much more fried shrimp than before! "Huh?" he wondered, confused as he looked at Jaden.

Jaden may be trying her best, but even an amateur could tell that by her turning away and whistling that she must have planted more fried shrimp into his food. Perhaps it was a way to make up for him crying? Even though Jaden never actually did make him cry.

Smiling, Syrus felt a little better, knowing that this was one of Jaden's ways of caring. She may enjoy fried shrimp, but she enjoyed her friends' company even more, which goes to show how much she cares for her friends.

"HEY! WHO TOOK ALL MY FRIED SHRIMP!" screamed Chazz.

Why did things have to turn downhill already?

"Uh...It was me!" lied Jaden, raising her hand before running out of the dining hall. "YOU'LL NEVER CATCH ME!"

"GET BACK HERE, SLIFER SLACKER! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

...Might as well eat the fried shrimp while watching.

* * *

 **Alright! Time for the next chapter pretty soon!~**


	41. Magna Chum Laude

**Before we get to the whole Zane duel, there's one more filler episode we must do! Bear with me, guys!~**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"Ha! I've got you now, SirE-HeroAwesomeCuteness!"

"Not if I try this skill on ya, TurboSlayer9000! Hi-ya!"

"Not so fast! I'll activate one of my special skills! The Reflector Detector skill!"

"No! No that! That's one of the most rarest skills in the game!"

"Yup! And it's heading right after your HP, Jay!"

"Nooooooo! I lost!"

"Ahahaha! I am the supreme ruler of all this! Bow before me, SireE-HeroAwesomeCuteness!"

"Grr...! Someday! Someday I will have my revenge, TurboSlayer9000!"

Jaden and Syrus were playing a simple game of Dragon Duels, facing each other in a round of fighting which required all of their gaming skills until finally, Syrus laid victorious along with his own avatar character.

Thinking about her loss in Dragon Duels reminded Jaden about how she might flunk in the Promotion Exams coming up soon, depressing her. "Sy...These Promotion Exams are supposed to be the toughest of the year, right? I'm not sure I can do it..."

"Now, don't be like that!" encouraged Syrus proudly, still gloating in his victory. "You just gotta get your game on! ...Wow, I must be hanging around you too much if that's gonna be stuck in my head."

Still, Jaden felt a little better from Syrus' words, especially since he even quoted her favorite catchphrase. Glancing at the top bunk of their bed where Chumley's back was turn to them, Jaden commented, "Hey, is Chumley going to be alright if we don't wake him up?"

"Well, Chumley's been up until daybreak today, and it hasn't been the first time, either. He's been putting a lot of effort into studying and getting ready for the Promotion Exams," revealed Syrus, a little concerned. "Poor guy...He must be really tired."

"How long has this routine been going on?"

"Maybe when the Promotion Exams were announced and that it was coming? I dunno, but he has to be under a lot of pressure."

"Yeah..." agreed Jaden, feeling pity for Chumley. "I mean, he was forced to repeat the same year twice and all."

"Jaden! Shhh!" whispered Syrus. "He might hear you!"

"Oh! Shoot! Right! Sorry!"

Unknown to both of them, their roommate who was supposedly asleep, was actually wide awake and had eavesdropped on the two. In fact, he couldn't get a wink of sleep as his mind was filled with worry over the Promotion Exams. His feelings were a bit hurt from his friends literally talking behind his back, but he knew there was some truth to it.

 _'They're right, after all...This is my last chance,'_ Chumley thought, snuggling close to his bedsheets.

* * *

It was a peaceful day in art class, where everyone was assigned to drawing their own ideal card design and describe it. Syrus, having finished his masterpiece, held it up for Jaden to see. His work of art happened to be a version of Dark Magician Girl, except she was much more curvier, had a bigger size in a certain...aspect in her body, and it greatly resembled Jaden should she happen to become more girlier.

"Jaden! Jaden! Jaden! Look what I drew! It's Dark Magician Heroine!" cried out Syrus excitedly. "Isn't she both cute and beautiful? Ahh...If only she were real..." What Syrus was really thinking was, _'If only Jaden was like that...and if she wore the Dark Magician Girl costume again...'_

"Yeah, she does!" said Jaden. "Great job trying to redraw Dark Magician Girl, Sy!"

"But...But it's not exac-"

"Check out my new Elemental Hero!" squealed Jaden excitedly, glaring at Syrus with stars in her eyes. "It's my most powerful hero! I call him...Elemental Hero Enforcer! That's such a cool name for such a badass hero!~'

Jaden's drawing of her own Elemental Hero...was like that of a child's. It didn't even look right and it looked like someone scribbled all sorts of colors onto a stickman with a sword. Still, since this is Jaden's childish creation, and the fact that anyone's art can pass, it was still a pretty good drawing.

 **Elemental Hero Enforcer - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV12 - (1000000/1000000)**

 **1 Elemental Hero + 1 Elemental Hero**

 **This card cannot be destroyed or affected by your opponent's card effects. This card cannot be destroyed in battle. This card is treated by all other Attributes. Once per turn, this card can destroy all cards on the opponent's field. This card cannot have its effects negated. This card can negate all opponents' card effects.**

 _'No matter how you look at it, her Monster is too OP!'_ thought Syrus, having read the Monster's stats. _'As if anyone can actually beat something like that!'_

"Isn't it so badass?!" asked Jaden, expecting an answer.

"Huh? Oh...yeah! It's so badass that...that nobody can beat it!"

"Yeah? Yeah! I know, right? If this ever gets published, I plan to use it against Chazz and rule the world! Ahahaha!"

 _'Not before it gets banned, I'm sure,'_ Syrus thought.

Getting up from her seat and turning around to face Chumley, Jaden tried to get a closer look at Chumley's painting. "So, what'd you do, Chu-Oh, wow! That looks awesome!"

"Huh?" Hearing Jaden's exclamation, Syrus got up and glanced at Chumley's creation. "That's amazing, Chumley! I didn't know you were such a talented painter!"

Chumley's painting was truly that worthy of an artist, as it capture not only the main focus of the entire piece, but also the background and even the smallest details as well. It was a painting of a grand canyon in the middle of the desert, and if Chumley wasn't a current student at Duel Academy, he'd fit for an amazing artist.

"That's such a great rock, Chum!"

Syrus sweatdropped. "...Jaden, you do that it's the Ayers Rock in Australia, right?"

"Ayers...Rock? Never heard of it."

Chumley happily explained, "They call it the center of the world, and it's the sacred ground of the Aborigines. You see, a long time ago, I went camping to Australia with my Dad, and that's where I saw it!"

Other students began noticing Chumley's amazing work of art and began complimenting it, impressed by the skilled hard work and how it was just like how a true artist would show it.

"Wow, that's pretty cool!"

"Nice brushstrokes!"

"That looks awesome!"

 **"Ahem! Chumley Huffington, please report to Chancellor Sheppard's Office at once!"** announced Crowler; his face being shown on the classroom monitor.

 _'You know, I wonder if I can get like a huge black marker and scribble all sorts of things into that face,'_ thought Jaden, curious to know whether or not that would actually work.

Thinking he was in trouble, Chumley got up. "Well, I have to go. See you, guys."

Seeing him leave, Syrus turned to Jaden. "You think it's about the Promotion Exams?"

Jaden shrugged her shoulders. "Dunno. Well, I'm gonna draw Crowler with a moustache and a kitty face!"

"...Why?"

"Because I feel like it!"

* * *

 _At Chancellor Sheppard's Office..._

"Um..." Nervously, Chumley stammered, "A-Am I in trouble o-or something...?"

Sheppard chuckled at his question and shook his head. "No, no! In fact, I called you here to discuss your future! Along with some good news! Here!"

Being handed a card, Chumley took one look at it before realizing what it was. "This card! I recognize it! I drew this!"

"Of course! The card that you designed was the winner in the contest that was sponsored by Industrial Illusions! It's an official card now, so congratulations!"

While Chumley was happy he received a card he personally designed himself, he was still a little confused. "I'm glad, but who-"

 **"Chumley-boy!"** called out a rather unexpected guest featuring from the TV monitor and connecting to Duel Academy networks; Maximillion Pegasus himself. **"** **I'm glad to finally meet you! There were so many cards, yet yours truly captured my attention! It was so marvelous that I just had to contact the school to get to know you! In fact, if your school recommends you, then I'd like to officially welcome you as a card designer for my company! Well, have a good day! Chao!~"**

As soon as the message ended, the monitor returned to normal, causing Sheppard to continue his talk with Chumley. "It's a great opportunity for you, Chumley! Of course I'll recommend you to the company."

"Wow, really? Thank you, sir!" thanked Chumley, still astonished over the news. After all, Industrial Illusions is one of the most popular gaming companies in the world, right next to Kaiba Corp, so it would be a huge privilege to attend as an employee there.

"Chancellor Sheppard? If I may interrupt for a brief second?" spoke Crowler.

"Yes? Go on."

"Well, our Chumley has been repeating the grade twice, hasn't he? Plus, he hasn't even passed the Promotion Exams! That is why I cannot allow such a student to attend there!"

"W-well, I understand your point there," Sheppard responded. "So, what do you propose we settle this, Crowler?"

"It's simple, really!" bragged Crowler. "I'll recommend him if he beats me in tommorow's practical exam. HOWEVER! Depending on the outcome of the duel, he will be expelled immediantly!"

 _'Yikes! Oh man, I really gotta do my best tommorow!'_ thought Chumley, worried.

Sheppard didn't seem too concern about the matter. "Chumley, I know this may seem hard, but please do your best tommorow and good luck!"

Donning a grinning face of mischief, Crowler promised him, "And I assure you, I won't be holding back at all tommorow!"

His promise of obtaining victory right in front of Chumley caused the boy to even worry more about tommorow as he started to head out. He barely noticed Jaden and Syrus hiding near the entrance until they came up to him.

"Chumley! What happened in there?! Did something good happen?" asked Jaden excitedly.

"Well..."

Seeing the card in his hand, Jaden reached out and grabbed his wrist, holding it high for her to see the card. "Wow! Cool! This looks like that Air's Rock thingie you painted before!"

"Ayers Rock, Jaden," corrected Syrus. "But I heard there was a card making contest! Did you win, Chumley?"

"Well, yeah...but..."

"But that's great! Awesome! You're definitely gonna use the card for the Promotion Exams soon, right?"

"I guess..."

"Sweet! I can't wait until we can see your duel!"

"...Yeah..."

Late at night, Jaden yawned and stretched her limbs, wanting to grab some fresh air since it was getting a little stuffy and hot inside of her dorm room. Well, summer was approaching soon and the weather was growing hotter, so that was to be expected.

Once outside, she never expected to see Chumley crotched down, staring at the ocean waves. "Chumley, what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be getting some sleep?"

"Yeah...it's just that...I was offered a position in Industrial Illusions as a card designer."

"Wow! That's great, Chum!"

"It is, but the school needs to recommend me in order for me to get that position. Crowler refused to unless I can beat him in a duel tommorow. If not, then he's going to expel me, and we all know how strong he is!"

Jaden groaned, knowing how troublesome Crowler can be. "Man, why does Crowler have to be like that? Stupid Crowler...If I was in your position, I would have kicked him in the nuts!"

 _'I think that'd give him more of an excuse to expel you,'_ thought Chumley, sweatdropping.

Clasping a hand on his shoulder, Jaden encouraged, "I'll help you train to beat that stupid Crowler! Plus, you might have the chance to use that new card of yours to win! It'll be fine! Just remember that the most important thing about dueling is to have fun!"

Chumley smiled and nodded, grateful to have such nice friends like her. "Yeah...You're right. Thanks, Jaden."

* * *

 _The next day, at the Duel Arena..._

"...Atticus, why is Jaden wearing a cheerleading uniform?" questioned Alexis as she and her friends were all seated in their seats, about to watch Chumley's Promotion Exam duel.

All save for Jaden, who donned a red cheerleading uniform with pink and white frills and was leaping up and down, cheering for Chumley while holding onto pink and white pompoms.

"Why's everyone assuming I had something to do with it?" wondered Atticus as all eyes were on him.

"Atticus!" called out Jaden, raising her pompoms. "Thanks for bringing me the outfit! It looks super cute! If this'll help Chumley, then I'm willing to cheer for him as long as I can! Gooooo Chumley!"

Once again, everyone's tense glares were getting to Atticus. "Okay, okay! Fine! I did it! I heard that Chumley was having some sort of Promotion Exam today and offered Jaden some additional help that she could give to Chumley! I'm a growing man with needs!"

"Atticus..." spoke Chazz before giving him a thumbs-up. "Good job."

"Chazz!" scolded Alexis. "We all know full well this isn't for cheering Chumley up!"

"I know...but..." Looking far into the distance as if he's a man that's experienced so many things, Chazz replied, "But in this situation, Atticus is a _god."_

Syrus was practically drooling and awaiting for a chance for Jaden to jump even higher. _'Just a little higher...come on...come on...!'_

"...Men," groaned Alexis, shaking her head in disgust. Honestly, could they go through one day without any perverted fantasies? Well, on the other hand, Bastion seemed to be avoiding Jaden's direction and focusing on the duel, so it wasn't all that bad.

"Chumley, I expect you to do your very best and not hold anything back during your Promotion Exam duel, alright?" informed Crowler, about to face off against Chumley.

"Y-Yes, sir!"

"And straighten your back! Look confident!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Hmm..." Nodding in approval, Crowler said, "Since I'm being generous, I'll allow you to take the first move!"

"Oh! Thank you, sir! Alright, let's do this!"

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Chumley - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Crowler - 4000 LP**

"My move!" said Chumley, starting things off. "I'll set a Monster and end my turn!"

"That's all? How disappointing!" scoffed Crowler. "I play the Spell, Magnet Circle LV2, to Special Summon 1 Level 2 or lower Machine-Type Monster from my hand! I Special Summon Ancient Gear! And with its effect, it allows me to Special Summon another Ancient Gear!"

Ancient Gear - (EARTH/Machine) - (100/?)

"Now I sacrifice my two Ancient Gears to Tribute Summon Ancient Gear Golem!"

Ancient Gear Golem - (EARTH/Machine) - LV8 - (3000/3000)

In fear of the frightening Machine-Type Monster towering over him, Chumley was taken aback while Crowler was ready to go all-out. "Ancient Gear Golem, attack! When Ancient Gear Golem attacks a Monster in Defense Mode, the difference between his Attack Points and your Monster's Defense Points are inflicted to you as damage!"

As the huge fist of the Monster approached Chumley's set Monster, it flipped over, revealed to be Des Koala. who caught the fist, yet was still damaged in the process.

Des Koala - (DARK/Beast) - LV3 - (1100/1800)

 **Chumley - 2800 LP**

 **Crowler - 4000 LP**

"Just what I've been waiting for! I activate Des Koala's Flip effect!" announced Chumley. "You get hit 400 Points of Damage for each card in your hand! And you have 2!"

Before Des Koala could go down, he decided he might as well take some Life Points away from his owner's opponent, as he hacked and slashed at Crowler, causing the teacher to shriek from the two shockwaves.

 **Chumley - 2800 LP**

 **Crowler - 3200 LP**

"That's pretty amazing! I guess Chumley has improved!" admitted Syrus.

Jaden nodded. "I know, right? I helped him improve last night! Remember that duel he had with his Dad? He completely forgot about Des Koala's effects and high defense and instead used him in Attack Mode. But now that he knows, he won't make the same mistake twice! Gooo...Chumley!"

"Fine! Wasn't expecting any damage, but now I shall end my turn!" said Crowler.

"My turn! Draw!" Chumley said. "I summon Eucalyptus Mole in Defense Mode!"

Eucalyptus Mole - (EARTH/Plant) - LV3 - (300/1300)

"Next, I set a card and end my turn!"

"Hmph. It seems you haven't learned anything. No matter how many defensive Monsters you put up, my Ancient Gear Golem will crush them and still inflict damage to you!" shouted Crowler, drawing his card. "And now another demonstration! Ancient Gear Golem, crush his Monster now!"

Eucalyptus Mole was instantly destroyed the moment one of Ancient Gear Golem's fists was thrown at them, thus activating Ancient Gear Golem's effect and delivering damage towards Chumley.

 **Chumley - 1100 LP**

 **Crowler - 3200 LP**

"Even though I lost points, I was hoping you'd do that!" Chumley said. "Because now, thanks to Eucalyptus Mole's effect, I get to Special Summon a Koala Monster from my deck! And I choose to Special Summon Big Koala!"

Big Koala - (EARTH/Beast) - LV7 - (2700/2000)

"Oh, please! He may be powerful, but he's not stronger than my own ace Monster!" bragged Crowler. "Now I think I'll summon Ancient Gear Soldier in Defense Mode and end my turn!"

Ancient Gear Soldier - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1300/1300)

"My turn again!" Chumley said. "Alright, I can use this! I activate the Spell, Wild Nature's Release! Now a Beast-Type or Beast-Warrior-Type Monster gains Attack Points equal to their Defense Points until the end of this turn! That means Big Koala's way stronger than your so-called Ancient Gear Golem!"

Big Koala - (EARTH/Beast) - LV7 - (4700/2000)

"Wow! 4700! Not even Crowler can top that!" gasped Alexis.

"Yeah! He can win this! He can win!" cheered Syrus, standing up from his seat.

Jaden began jumping up and down, pompom fisting the air. "Yeah, that's the way, Chumley! Go, go, go!"

"Now, destroy that Ancient Gear Golem, Big Koala!" ordered Chumley. "CHARGE!"

Charging forward, Big Koala closed the distance between himself and the huge golem before tackling it to the ground, bringing the golem shattering as gears, screws, and bolts scattered around.

 **Chumley - 1100 LP**

 **Crowler - 1500 LP**

 _'Hmm...not bad at all,'_ praised Crowler, impressed by the level of development Chumley was going through.

"Now I activate my Trap, Beast Soul Swap!" announced Chumley. "1 Beast-Type Monster, that is Big Koala, returns to my hand and I Special Summon another Beast-Type Monster from my hand with the same Level as the Monster I just returned! Now I Special Summon a second Big Koala!"

Big Koala - (EARTH/Beast) - LV7 - (2700/2000)

Confused, Syrus asked, "Wait, why would he swap out for the same Monster after he just powered it up?"

"Wow, you really are just as clueless as Jaden," stated Chazz.

"Syrus, this is because of Wild Nature's Release," explained Bastion. "You see, at the End Phase of Chumley's turn, the Monster affected by Wild Nature's Release is destroyed."

"However, Chumley can still avoid that dangerous effect if he swaps out for another Big Koala, even if it was weaker than the last one," replied Alexis. "Having a Monster is better than not having any at all."

Jaden grinned. "Hehehe! Even I knew that! I guess my IQ's better than yours and Chazzy's, huh Sy?"

"Hey, you're one to talk!" pouted Syrus.

Noticing his name being called, Chazz shouted, "Hey! My IQ's isn't worst! Take that back!"

"Meh!~" teased Jaden, sticking her tongue out childishly at him. "But more importantly, since this is still Chumley's Battle Phase, and he managed to Special Summon a Monster, he can still attack!"

"Des Koala, take out Ancient Gear Soldier!" Chumley ordered.

The second and new Desk Koala leapt forward and slammed Ancient Gear Soldier to the ground, leaving it nothing but bolts and pieces by the time the Beast-Type was done with it.

"I'm setting a facedown and ending my turn!"

 _'Hmm...this year has done better for Chumley after all. But still, I cannot let him win so easily!'_ thought Crowler. "My turn, draw! I activate Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two new cards! Now I activate the Spell, Ancient Gear Factory!"

From behind Crowler, a large machinery structure that could be passed as a fortress rose up from the ground; its most notable trait being the star setting above the machinery.

"Once this card is activated, I can select an Ancient Gear Monster in my hand and show it to my opponent! I choose Ancient Gear Golem, and soon, I will be able to summon him!"

"Wait, how's he going to do that?" wondered Jaden.

"Yeah!" agreed Alexis. "To summon a Level 8 Monster, you need two sacrifices, and Crowler doesn't have a single Monster on his field!"

"No, there's a way around that trick that doesn't require Monsters on the field," spoke Sheppard, who was also sitting on the sidelines.

"Chancellor Sheppard! When did you arrive?!"

"That doesn't really matter. What's more important is the move that Crowler just played."

"And let me further explain the effect of Ancient Gear Factory," continued Crowler. "I can remove from play Ancient Gear Monsters in my Graveyard whose total Levels are equal to double of Ancient Gear Golem's Level. So, essentially, I need a total of 16 Levels for me to summon the Ancient Gear Golem in my hand, and I have just the Monsters! So, I'll summon him right away!"

The Ancient Gear Factory quickly operated like an actual factory would; placing supplies and rusted items into the furnace of the machinery as the Spell itself started to activate while the pumps and engines assisted as well as the star setting glowing up. Eventually, Ancient Gear Factory opened its gates, revealing another new Ancient Gear Golem.

Ancient Gear Golem - (EARTH/Machine) - LV8 - (3000/3000)

"Whoa, that is so cool!~" squealed Jaden excitedly. "I wish there was an Elemental Hero Spell card like that! I would have wrecked the heck out of Crowler!"

"Yeah...no," said Syrus, sweatdropping.

"Chumley, I will admit that you have grown stronger," started Crowler. "However, that will still not be enough to defeat me! Ancient Gear Golem, attack his Big Koala!"

One blow from the newly refined Ancient Gear Golem was enough to take down the huge blue koala, causing Chumley to flinch, but never give up.

 **Chumley - 800 LP**

 **Crowler - 1500 LP**

"Now I activate my Trap, Animal Trail! This can only be activate if a Monster I control is destroyed by battle!" shouted Chumley. "Now I get to add a Beast-Type Monster from my deck to my hand, and I select Des Kangaroo!"

"Summon as many Monsters you want! It won't change anything!" taunted Crowler. "I discard a card from my hand to activate Ancient Gear Drill! Due to this card's effect, I'm allowed to select any Spell card from my deck and set it on my field! With that, I shall conclude my turn!"

"Chumley's really is in deep trouble," muttered Syrus.

"He's trying so hard, but he has less Life Points than Crowler," mumbled Alexis.

Bastion said, "If this continues, Chumley will be overwhelmed and it'll be over for him."

Chazz rolled his eyes. "I'll admit he did a pretty good job coming this far, but we all know he's gonna los-ow!" A pompom was thrown at his face, causing him to growl and toss it away. "Okay, who threw that?!"

Furious at Chazz's comment, Jaden shouted indignantly, "Don't give up on him, jerk! Chumley can still win this if we believe in him!" Turning back to the duel, Jaden jumped up and down and cheered, "Give it you all, Chumley! Don't listen to stupid jerks like Chazz! Go, go, go!"

Eventually, everyone including an annoyed Chazz, joined in the cheering, giving encouragement to Chumley, making Chumley feel touched and as though he was at the center of attention.

Thinking back on the school year, Chumley realized that even though there were life-threatening duels, there were mostly duels meant for fun and for challenges, but each duelist participating in those kinds of duels gave it their all no matter what. If they truly did their best, then Chumley shouldn't call it quits simply because the situation was bad for him.

"I...I learned something from this school ye-No, from everyone here," spoke Chumley. "It's that you should always have fun in a duel, no matter the circumstances! Because that's truly how you live! I'm truly glad I never gave up when I failed the last two times!"

Everyone felt touched by his speech, even Crowler, who stood proudly in front of the Slifer Red student. _'Chumley...There's one thing you didn't realize...it's that this is your first step towards the path of your future...'_

"My turn, draw!" spoke Chumley, gasping at the card he drew. In fact, it was the same card that he personally designed; the card resembling Ayers Rock.

It was like everything began yesterday; when Chumley went to that Australia trip with his father. At first, he had been planning to throw his deck away on the top of Ayers Rock, but found that he couldn't muster up the courage to do so. Despite his failures, he still loved dueling. As if responding to his prayers, the sun rose up on that day, and Chumley saw a beautiful image that would never vanish from his mind; also being the inspiration of his chosen card.

"I activate the Spell, Ayers Rock Sunrise! It was just like that sun on that day! It was telling me not to give up on my dreams! And now, thanks to Ayers Rock Sunrise, I can Special Summon 1 Beast-Type from my Graveyard, and I choose Big Koala!"

Big Koala - (EARTH/Beast) - LV7 - (2700/2000)

"Also, for each Beast, Plant, and Winged-Beast-Type Monster in my Graveyard, your Monsters lose 200 Attack Points for each one!"

Ancient Gear Golem - (EARTH/Machine) - LV8 - (2600/3000)

"Next, I play Polymerization and fuse Big Koala with Des Kangaroo to Fusion Summon Master of Oz in Attack Mode!"

Both Beast-Types merged together, creating a combination of brute strength and teamwork as Master of Oz, who was pumped up than ever, stood high and mighty on top of the vivid image of Ayers Rock on the field.

Master of Oz - (EARTH/Beast/Fusion) - LV9 - (4200/3700)

Staring at Master of Oz with admiration and awe, Chumley thought, _'So, these are the fruits of my hard results this year, huh? It's amazing...'_

Crowler wished that he could allow Chumley to duel, but as a teacher, he cannot allow his emotions to cloud his mind. _'I cannot understand him because I haven't gone through the same trials he has. If possible, I would like to lose for him, but I cannot allow personal feelings to affect your future. Understand that this is a part of the harsh reality as an adult!'_

"Master of Oz, finish this once and for all!"

As Master of Oz grew closer, Crowler prepared himself as he yelled, "I now activate the Quick-Play Spell, Limiter Removal! Now, all of my Machine-Types have their Attack Points doubled!"

Ancient Gear Golem - (EARTH/Machine) - LV8 - (5200/3000)

"Oh, no!"

With a clash of blows between the two Monsters along with a power boost, it was quite clear who was the victor in the end. Although he did his best, Master of Oz was a second too late as Ancient Gear Golem's fist connected with him first as the Machine-Type was stronger and faster than him, bring an end to the duel.

 **Chumley - 0 LP**

 **Crowler - 1500 LP**

 **Winner: Crowler**

Chumley tried to keep it in, but he couldn't as tears streamed down his eyes. He lost, and now he was never going to be recommended! All thoughts of his selfish desires ceased once he heard applause from the audience, and he realized that his friends were still cheering for him, even though he lost.

"Whoa, that was an awesome duel! The best I've seen of Chumley, yet!"

"Yeah! Way to play!"

"I couldn't have done it better, myself!"

"Meh, he did his best, so I guess it's fine."

Although he was still happy his friends supported him, Chumley was still sad. "Thanks guys...But, I still lost..."

"Oh, hush with all the whining and crying!" scolded Crowler, walking up to him. "Yes, you did lose in this duel and in your Promotion Exam, but the result wasn't that matter. It was to prove whether or not you had the courage and talents to face your future, and you most certainly did. So, yes. I will recommend you, Chumley Huffington, to be part of the Industrial Illusions Company."

Seeing Crowler offering his hand, Chumley took it, shaking it with newfound respect towards not only to everyone who supported him, but towards his new path to the future as well.

"I'll miss Chumley...Even though he has some bad habits, he was still a good friend," muttered Syrus, tearing up.

"Come on! We shouldn't be all sad like this! We should be happy and stuff!" replied Jaden, slapping Syrus on the back. "Besides, if Crowler didn't recommend him, I was gonna put glue and chicken feather in a bucket and dump it all on him!"

"You were going to WHAT?!"

"Uh...Gotta go! Aaaaahhhh!"

"Get back here, young lady! I'm not finished with you! Glue and chicken feathers?! Don't you know that if you do that, it'll take weeks to clean myself?! Don't you run away! I will assign you more homework!"

Chumley and the others laughed as Crowler was chasing down the female Slifer Red, enjoying the comical scene before them. What remained important from this duel wasn't the results themselves, but the bright future for another person, whose work would benefit others and bring happiness. Eventually, one of those works will even help save the world itself, but that's a tale for another time.

* * *

 **Skit: Opposite of Cheering**

"Guys, I don't think Chumley's really getting into it with all my cheering!" complained Jaden, stopping to catch a break.

"Jaden, I think he's a bit focused on his dueling now than with your cheering, but I'm sure he appreciates your help," assured Alexis kindly.

"Really? Then, I'll be more of a help to him right now!" Jaden said, thinking of a new strategy. After all, if cheering on others helped them, then discouraging the enemy could be the same. "GO, GO, CHUMLEY! DESTROY CROWLER! KNOCK HIM FLAT ON THE GROUND!"

"Jaden!" exclaimed Syrus, shocked. "Are you insulting Crowler?!"

"Yeah, why?"

"...Why didn't you tell me beforehand! I would have joined in, too!" Syrus stood up and yelled, "Booo! Boo, Crowler! Go, Chumley! Destroy him! Bend him to your will!"

"Yikes, that's a bit dark," spoke Chazz. "Meh, I'll join in, too. The prick deserved it for when he treated me badly back before I left Duel Academy. Go to hell, Crowler! Suck it, you narcissitic bastard!"

Hearing their insults, Crowler twitched before hollering, "Alright, that's enough! If you don't stop right now, I will give you all detention until the end of the school year!"

"That's not really far ah-"

"5 HOURS."

Everyone immediantly shut up after that.

* * *

 **Skit: Target Begone**

 _ **"I'm actually surprised, Flame Wingman,"** _ spoke Bubbleman as they were watching Chumley's duel. _**"You're actually quiet and cooperative this time, even with Jaden being a cheerleader in this. I thought you'd be mad."**_

 _ **"Oh, no. I'll allow an exception this time. But that's simply because this Chumley boy is leaving. If he wins, he goes to Industrial Illusions. If he loses, then he'll be expelled. No matter the results, the boy will vanish from Duel Academy, never to steal my Jaden's heart ever!"**_

 _ **"He wasn't even part of the Love Candidate List!"**_ some of the other Elemental Heroes exclaimed.

 _ **"And soon after, we will hunt down and target Atticus Rhodes!"**_ declared Flame Wingman along with some others who nodded their head.

 _ **"I thought you were going all out on Chazz Princeton?"**_ wondered Sparkman.

 _ **"He's now #2 on the List! Atticus Rhodes is first, because of his flirtatious nature, and the fact that he tricked Jaden into wearing a cheerleading uniform! How dare he?! And now all sorts of perverts are going to look at our Jaden!"**_

Even the others had trouble countermeasuring that argument, as Atticus can be a potential heartbreaker. 

* * *

**Finally! It took me hours to finish this but I did it and added in new things! Come on, guys! One more filler episode! Besides, it was a touching chapter with character development so let's give Chumley a break! Besides, the whole world saving thing is kinda important since Chumley does help Jaden later on!**

 **Well, read and review!**


	42. The Graduation Match

**The moment you've all been waiting for! The duel between Zane and Jaden is finally here! Before we continue, I HAVE AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER! PLEASE SEE IT!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

Around late afternoon, Zane was laying on his bed inside his cozy, high-class Obelisk Blue bedroom, staring up at the ceiling with nothing but lingering thoughts in his mind. It was about the announcement presented to him along with all other third-year students earlier this morning.

Apparently, he was the third-year student who managed to get high scores on all of his exams and was given the traditional privilege of initiating a final duel to end the school year. Clearly, the winner would be the top student of Duel Academy, and since Zane was participating in the final duel, he was given permission to select anyone he chooses to duel against him.

It was already made clear in his mind who he would choose. It was always obvious from the very start. The one person he would duel is the one person who managed to defeat most of the Shadow Riders, saved the world from Kagemaru, and helped out others with an enthusiastic and kindhearted attitude that might help out Duel Academy once again.

Jaden Yuki.

Her actions weren't the only reason why Zane himself fell in love with her. Yes, he was starting to admit that his feelings for her were genuine and must be known to her eventually. But anyways, her kind spirit to always help out others, even her enemies, along with her own funny moments and huge passion for other things were a huge part of how Zane came to fall in love with her. The bonus one was how cute she was, just as he secretly thought that his little brother was cute, and an extra bonus was that he knew Jaden would soon blossom into a beautiful young woman one day.

Getting up from his bed, Zane reached for his bedroom balcony, lightly pushing the window open and allowing the cool breeze to flow into his room as he stared at the upcoming sunset.

 _'Who will I duel? The answer is obvious; one that's worthy of my attention,'_ thought Zane. _'Jaden, it's about time we had our rematch.'_

* * *

 _Later, at the Slifer Red Dorm..._

"ZANE?!"

It came as a huge shock for both Syrus and Jaden when Zane actually came to visit them. No, not just that, but to the Slifer Red Dorm itself as well! No Obelisk Blue would be caught dead near the Slifer Red Dorm; which is the lowest ranking of all three ranks. Except, perhaps Alexis since she is a good friend.

"Not to be rude, but we're kinda surprised to see you, Zane!" said Jaden, allowing Zane access to their room. "It's not often th-Okay, this is pretty much your first time here, but what are you doing here?"

Glancing around the room, Zane already knew that the Slifer Red Dorm was in a pretty bad shape compared to the other dorms, but he didn't expect it would be this bad. Then again, it did look sturdy enough and although the entire building was old, just cleaning and remodeling the place would be enough to make the Slifer Red Dorm a nice, cozy home.

"You know, in all of my three years here at Duel Academy, not once have I step foot at the Slifer Red Dorm," admitted Zane. "It's a lot nicer than the rumors say."

"So? Whatcha think about our room?" asked Jaden, expecting a nice answer from Zane. "Is it good? Better than Chazz's? I mean, his is like, real small and we've got three beds plus some cute stuffed animals! So? So?"

"Hmm..." Examining the room one more time, Zane crossed his arms. "It's tastefrent."

Although Jaden and Syrus had no idea what the word meant, they unconsciously knew it meant as an harmless insult as they fell backwards awkwardly. "I...I can't tell if he's insulting our room or not..." muttered Syrus.

"What does tastefrent mean?" wondered Jaden, sitting up curiously. "Is that even a word?"

"Jaden," spoke up Zane, offering a hand to her, which she took before he helped her up. "I want you as my opponent for my Graduation Duel."

"Huh? HUH?!"

"Wait, you want Jaden as your opponent?! But this is like, your most important duel of the year!" cried out Syrus.

Zane nodded, patting Jaden on the head before walking away. "Exactly. Good luck out there tommorow, Jaden." Having said what he came here to do, Zane opened the door to leave when he stopped. "Oh, and the door looks like it's going to tear apart soon. I'll talk to Chancellor Sheppard about making repairs to your dorm soon."

After he left, Jaden couldn't stop the grin on her face as she started squealing. "EEEEEEKKKKK! OH MY GOD! I GET TO COMPETE IN THE LAST DUEL OF THE YEAR! YAAAAAAAYYYY!"

"Jaden!" shouted Syrus; his eyes fired up with determination. "I know Zane may be your toughest opponent, and even though he's never lost, except for that one exception with Camula, he's going to put everything he's got into dueling you! So, please respond back using all of your strength!"

"Sy..." Giving him a thumbs-up along with a wide grin, Jaden replied, "Obviously! I was going to do that from the start anyways! So, all you have to do is cheer me on and say, Get your game on!"

"Huh? Oh, okay! Ahem! Get your game on!"

"No, louder than that!"

"Oh! Get your game on!"

"Louder, I said! LOUDER!"

"Get your game on!"

"Even louder! At the top of your lungs!"

 **'GET YOUR GAME ON!"**

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in the forest..._

"Did you hear the news? Zane's going up against Jaden in his own Graduation Duel!" commented Alexis, chatting with Bastion and Chazz.

Bastion nodded. "Yes, it's already spread across the campus. It's a little abnormal for a third-year to request a first-year to duel with him, let alone a Slifer Red, but since this is Jaden we're talking about, it's no surprise."

Chazz was beyond frustrated as shown of him childishly stomping his foot. "GRRRR! It's not fair! Why does Jaden get all the fun?! I should be the one dueling her!"

"But you're not a third-"

"SURPRISE!" called Atticus, leaping down from a tree, causing the three others to scream out of surprise before realizing it was Atticus. "Hmm...A duel between two worthy opponents...One that uses intution, and one that uses intelligence...wonder who'll win?"

* * *

 _Late at night..._

Jaden wanted some private time by herself to recollect her thoughts before the final match tommorow at the Duel Arena, where the entire school would be watching her and Zane duel to the bitter end.

Thinking back now, it's been a long string of adventures ever since the start of the school year. From one event to another, she's been caught up in one incident that would impact her future, and with each winning duel, she's gained much more experience than she ever thought, especially that one duel where the entire world was at stake. And it wasn't just her dueling skills that lead her this far. Without the aid of her friends, she wasn't sure where she'd be right now.

One thing's for sure. Her skills up until tommorow will be tested at the grand Graduation Duel tommorow, where she'll be faced up against the top student of Duel Academy. It's where, like Chumley, she'll be taking her steps towards creating her own future.

Winged Kuriboh suddenly appeared, nudging her by the shoulders as he alerted her that someone was approaching her. Turning around, Jaden saw Zane, who also wished to catch up to his own thoughts before the duel tommorow.

"...Hey, Zane!" said Jaden, mustering up a smile. "What's up?"

"..." Turning around, Zane spoke, "I just wanted some fresh air. That's all. ...Tommorow, if you can, meet me near the lighthouse at nighttime. There's something important I have to tell you."

"Huh? Why not now?"

"...If I say it, it'll distract you from our duel tommorow, and that wouldn't be any fun, would it?" He left once again, leaving Jaden in confusion.

"Just what is it that he wants to talk to me about?"

* * *

 _The next morning..._

 **"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME TO THE ANNUAL GRADUATION DUEL OF THE YEAR!"** bellowed Crowler, speaking clearly and loudly from the microphone as the audience cheered at the arrival of Jaden and Zane along with them walking onto the dueling platform. **"Both duelists are ready to begin, yes?"**

"Yeah!"

"Yes."

 **"Then, let the duel...BEGIN!"**

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Zane - 4000 LP**

"Think I can go first?" asked Jaden, receiving a nod from Zane. "Alright, I draw! I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman in Defense Mode!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"And when he's out on the field with no other cards out, I can draw two new cards! I'll set two cards facedown and end my turn!"

"My move," said Zane calmly. "I activate Polymerization and fuse the three Cyber Dragons in my hand to Fusion Summon Cyber End Dragon!"

"Wait, he's already taking out his most powerful Monster?!" exclaimed Bastion, shocked.

The three Cyber Dragons merged together to form Zane's trump card Monster, who roared loudly as they stepped onto the field, ready for battle.

Cyber End Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV10 - (4000/2800)

"But before I attack, I'll activate Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying one of your Spell or Trap cards!" shouted Zane. "Don't think I didn't take note of your two facedowns, Jaden!"

The twister appeared and blew away one of Jaden's two facedowns; one revealing to be Mirror Gate, a Trap card that would have caused some trouble for Zane had he not activate Mystical Space Typhoon.

"Aw, man!" cried out Jaden. _'Well, if that doesn't work, then I'll just use my other card!'_

"I atta-"

"Not so fast, Zane!" countered Jaden. "I activate my other facedown Trap, Hero Ring, and equip it to Bubbleman! Now, Monsters with 1900 or more Attack Points can't target Bubbleman!"

"...Fine. I set a card and end my turn," finished Zane.

Jaden drew her card. "My turn, draw! First, I activate Polymerization and fuse Avian with Bubbleman in order to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Great Tornado!"

A huge tornado burst from out of nowhere, causing wind to mess around all over the field, nearly sending anything flying but slowly calming down once the appearance of the strong Elemental Hero of wind arrived.

Elemental hero Great Tornado - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2200)

"And when he's Fusion Summoned, I get to halve all the Attack and Defense Points of all your Monsters, Zane!"

Cyber End Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV10 - (2000/1400)

"Now, attack, Great Tornado!"

By summoning two wind tornados around his palms, Great Tornado placed them together to create a larger tornado which was merged from the two tornados, creating an effective blast that was enough to destroy Cyber End Dragon.

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **Zane - 3200 LP**

"She did it! She managed to beat Zane's most powerful Monster!" cried out Bastion.

"Yes!" cheered Jaden.

But, Zane wasn't quite content with the results. "I activate my Trap, Call of the Haunted, returning Cyber End Dragon back to the field in Attack Mode!"

"Fuck!"

Jaden's attitude and surprising choice of words was to be expected from this sudden turn of events during the duel, as she had worked hard to destroy Zane's biggest threat Monster, only for it to be resurrected much stronger.

Cyber End Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV10 - (4000/2800)

Seeing as there was nothing she could do to further destroy the resurrected Monster, Jaden said, "I activate the Continuous Spell, Branch! Then, I'll end my turn with a facedown!"

"My turn," said Zane. "I summon Cyber Dragon Zwei in Attack Mode."

Cyber Dragon Zwei - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV4 - (1500/1000)

"Attack her Fusion Monster, Cyber End Dragon!"

All three heads of Cyber End Dragon lunged forward, wrapping Great Tornado tightly with their steel-like necks as their jaws opened wide, filled with brimming energy before they blasted Great Tornado away.

 **Jaden - 2800 LP**

 **Zane - 3200 LP**

"Branch! now activates!" shouted Jaden. "If a Fusion Monster of mine is destroyed, I'm allowed to Special Summon one of the Fusion-Material Monsters used for that Fusion Monster! I Special Summon Bubbleman!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"That won't stop me!" said Zane. "Cyber Dragon Zwei, attack Bubbleman! And when my Monster attacks, he gains 300 Attack Points during the Damage Step only!"

Cyber Dragon Zwei - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV4 - (1800/1000)

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Bubble Shuffle!" Jaden said. "I can target Bubbleman on the field and a face-up Attack Position Monster you control and change both of them to Defense Mode!"

Both Bubbleman and Cyber Dragon Zwei ceased their fighting stances and kneeled down in a calm manner as bubbles scattered all throughout the field.

Cyber Dragon Zwei - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV4 - (1500/1000)

"Then, the effect of Bubble Shuffle still continues! I have to sacrifice Bubbleman, but in return, I get to Special Summon another Hero from my hand! I Special Summon Elemental Hero Woodsman from my hand in Defense Mode!"

Elemental Hero Woodsman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1000/2000)

"Not bad, but that still won't be enough to take me down," reminded Zane. "I end my turn."

"My turn!~" sang Jaden. "Because of my Standby Phase, Woodsman's effect activates, letting me take Polymerization from my Graveyard! And now that I've got it...Hehehe...It's finally time to summon one of my most powerful Monsters! I use Polymerization to fuse Woodsman along with Elemental Hero Ocean in my hand to bring out the one and only...Elemental Hero Terra Firma!"

With a mixture of earth and water together, it was a simple formula to allow a regular flower to grow. However, this was a warrior being grown through the hardships of two Elemental Heroes, and with their combined forces, they merged to create one of the strongest Elemental Heroes in history.

Elemental Hero Terra Firma - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2000)

"Terra Firma?! That's an extremely rare card!" gasped Bastion. "How did Jaden get ahold of that?!"

"I've heard that only a few possess such a powerful card," commented Zane. "But only those who can wield it properly can bring out the full power of Terra Firma. Do you have what it takes to accept that challenge, Jaden?"

"What challenge?" wondered Jaden. "You know this isn't the first time I've summoned him, right? I totally used him against some bullies who were bullying a small kid, and won! Yay for me!~"

 _'It seems she does have some experience with Terra Firma,'_ Zane thought. _'Then again, she does own a Hero deck, so it's to be expected.'_

"Oh! Before I attack, I'm gonna summon Elemental Hero Heat in Attack Mode!"

Elemental Hero Heat - (FIRE/Pyro) - LV4 - (1600/1200)

"But! I'm not done! Now I activate Terra Firma's effect! Once per turn, I can tribute an Elemental Hero and he gains Attack Points equal to that Hero's own power until the End Phase! I sacrifice Heat!"

Raising her palm, Heat transformed into a swirling mist of fire that flew around Terra Firm, invigorating him with newfound power.

Elemental Hero Terra Firma - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (4100/2000)

"Alright, now I attack! Terra Firma, get rid of Cyber End Dragon!"

Arms lifted up in the air, Terra Firma used his control of the earth to bring forth burning roots of fire to wrap around Cyber End Dragon, destroying the three-headed dragon.

 **Jaden - 2800 LP**

 **Zane - 3100 LP**

"She took down his dragon a second time!" exclaimed Chazz.

"Yes, she did a successful job, but the damage was very minimal," commented Bastion. "Look at how much Life Points Zane still has! It'll take more than beating his dragons for her to defeat him."

"Aww yeah! I end my turn now!"

"Draw," spoke Zane. "Just because you defeated my Cyber End Dragon twice doesn't mean you should be celebrating so soon, Jaden. I activate Card of Demise, meaning I get to draw 5 cards, but after 5 of my turns, I have to discard my entire hand."

"Zane doesn't usually play risky cards like that," spoke Alexis. "What's going on?"

"Haven't you seen his hand?" questioned Bastion. "Card of Demise was the only card left in his hand, and considering the fact that he only has one Monster and that his ace Monster was taken out, it was the only card he could play at the time, with the 5 cards to decide his fate."

"Well, when you put it that way, that makes sense..."

Zane continued by revealing a Spell card from his hand. "I activate Cyber Dragon Zwei's effect! Until the End Phase, if I reveal a Spell card from my hand, Cyber Dragon Zwei's name is changed to Cyber Dragon. I now summon Proto-Cyber Dragon to the field."

Proto-Cyber Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV3 - (1100/600)

"While on the field, Proto-Cyber Dragon's name can be Cyber Dragon as well. Now I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Photon-Generator Unit! By sacrificing two Cyber Dragons on my field, I can now Special Summon Cyber Laser Dragon from my deck!"

Cyber Laser Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV7 - (2400/18000)

"He's really cool-looking!" awed Jaden. "Hey, think I can borrow him so I can zap Chazz with him in our next duel?"

"You bitch! I'm right here, you know!" yelled Chazz from the sidelines.

"Lalalala!~ I can't hear you!"

Zane chuckled, shaking his head. "Unfortunately, he's not for sale. And also, it'll be unfortunate for you Jaden, when I activate his special ability. Once per turn, I can destroy a Monster with Attack or Defense Points greater or equal to Cyber Laser Dragon's Attack Points. That means Terra Firma will be destroyed!"

With one shot from Cyber Laster Dragon's jaw, Terra Firm was incinerated, leaving not even a speck of ash.

"Nooo!" cried out Jaden. "Oh, wait! Branch! I activate Branch! That means that since Terra Firma was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, I get to Special Summon one of his Fusion-Material Monsters to the field! I Special Summon Elemental Hero Woodsman in Defense Mode!"

Elemental Hero Woodsman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1000/2000)

"He may have high defense, but he still won't be a match for Cyber Laser Dragon! In addition, I still haven't attacked yet!" reminded Zane. "Cyber Laser Dragon, destroy her Monster!"

Like Terra Firma, Woodsman met the poor, unfortunate fate of being executed from a laser attack.

"I set a card before ending my turn."

"My turn!" said Jaden, not giving up. "I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw two more cards! Then, I set a card and activate the Continuous Spell, Supply Squad before I end my turn!"

"My draw," stated Zane. "Impressive, Jaden. You managed to figure out a way around Cyber Laser Dragon's effect and even put up some defense."

"What's my brother talking about?" wondered Syrus.

"It's simple, really," spoke Bastion. "You see, Cyber Laser Dragon's effect makes it so it can destroy a Monster with Attack or Defense Points higher or equal to its own Attack Points. But, Zane can't use that effect right now because her Monster is Set, meaning it's like a mystery Monster."

"Ohhh!"

"I summon Proto-Cyber Dragon from my hand in Attack Mode," continued Zane.

Proto-Cyber Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV3 - (1100/600)

"Then, I activate my facedown card, Attack Reflector Unit! By sacrificing Cyber Dragon on my field, I can Special Summon a Cyber Barrier Dragon from my deck! Proto-Cyber Dragon's effect makes it so he's announced as Cyber Dragon while on the field, so I sacrifice him!"

Cyber Barrier Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV6 - (800/2800)

"Cyber Laser Dragon, destroy her Monster, now!"

With one blast from his jaws, Cyber Barrier Dragon easily dealt with Jaden's Set Monster, which revealed to be Phantom Magician.

Phantom Magician - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV3 - (600/700)

"Phantom Magician's effect activates!" shouted Jaden. "When he's destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Hero Monster with 1000 or less Attack Points from my deck in face up Defense Mode! But first, I activate the effect of Supply Squad! Once per turn, if a Monster I control is destroyed by battle or card effect, I get to draw 1 card! Now I Special Summon Burstinatrix from my deck in Defense Mode!"

Burstinatrix - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (800/1200)

Zane knew that even though his Cyber Barrier Dragon was highly strong in terms of Defense, not even he could stand up against Burstinatrix's defense when it comes to attacking. "Fine, then I'll end my turn."

"My turn!~" said Jaden, excited. "Ooh! I set a card, and then I activate the Spell, Soul Charge! With it, I can Special Summon as many Monsters as I want, under the cost that each Monster I Special Summon makes me lose 500 Life Points each! Oh, and those Monsters can't attack this turn, either! So, I'm Special Summon three Monsters!"

"But wait, that would mean she would lose 1500 Life Points! That's too much!" cried out Syrus.

"Just what is she planning?" wondered Bastion as three new Monsters popped onto Jaden's field.

Elemental Hero Woodsman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1000/2000)

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

Elemental Hero Avian - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (1000/1000)

 **Jaden - 1300 LP**

 **Zane - 3100 LP**

"I will end my turn with that!"

"Then, it's my turn," said Zane. "Now-"

"Not so fast! I activate my facedown card!" declared Jaden. "Elemental Burst! All I have to do is Tribute a WIND, WATER, FIRE, and EARTH-Attribute Monster on my field and I get to destroy all cards on your field!"

"So that's why she used Soul Charge earlier!" gasped Bastion. "She needed to gather the necessary ingredients in order to play the card!"

All four of her Monsters split into their necessary elements; earth, water, fire, and wind before surrounding Zane's field and destroying all of the Monsters he struggled to summon.

"Yahoo! I did it!" cheered Jaden.

"But you're in the same situation as I am," reminded Zane calmly. "And it's still my turn, remember?"

"...Crap baskets."

Searching through his hand, Zane spoke, "I activate Card of Sanctity, meaning we both draw until we have 6 card each in our hands, which so happens that we don't have any, so it's convenient for both of us. Fortunately for you, I don't have any Monsters in my hand, so you're safe for the time being."

"Whew! For a second, I thought I was toast!"

Zane smirked. "Who said you could relax? I activate the Equip Spell, Future Fusion! I send my deck to the Graveyard, Fusion-Material Monsters and Special Summon the one Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck that requires those Fusion-Material Monsters! I send three Cyber Dragons from my deck and Fusion Summon Cyber End Dragon!"

Cyber End Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV10 - (4000/2800)

"...I'm screwed."

Zane shook his head. "Not quite. The turn I activate this effect, Cyber End Dragon can't attack this turn, so you're safe for now. I set a card facedown and end my turn."

"My draw!" yelled Jaden. "Okay! I can do this! I activate the Spell, Dark Factory of Mass Production! Now I get to target two Normal Monsters in my Graveyard and add them to my hand! I choose Avian and Burstinatrix! Then, I activate Polymerization and fuse the two Monsters I just got and Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

"But don't think I'm done yet! I'm entering the Battle Phase and activating the Quick-Play Spell, Frontline Fusion! I can Fusion Summon using this card only during the Battle Phase, and I choose Sparkman and Flame Wingman! I Fusion Summon Shining Flare Wingman!"

Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2100)

"For each Elemental Hero in my Graveyard, he gains 300 Attack Points for each, and I count...11!"

Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (5800/2100)

"She can do it! She can win!" cheered Syrus.

"Attack!" declared Jaden. _'This is it! I can win! I can win!'_

Unfortunately for her, Zane was one step ahead of her. "Not so fast! I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Battle Fusion! Since you're attacking my Fusion Monster, Cyber End Dragon gains the same amount of Attack Points as the one your Hero has right now!"

Cyber End Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV10 - (9800/2800)

Seeing that there was nothing left in her hand that could save her from this huge outcome, most would have faltered and given up, but instead, Jaden gave him a grin as their Fusion Monsters began to duke it out. "Wow, Zane! That was a tight duel! I'm gonna miss ya!"

"And I, you, Jaden," agreed Zane. "And that's why I'm passing down the torch to you."

"Huh?"

"Once I leave here, you'll be the next top student of this school. Despite your grades and your rank, you'll be the best, so make me proud!"

Jaden grinned wider. "Obviously! Hehehe!~ But, when I graduate and become a pro, I'm coming after you next, Zane! So don't think that this is gonna be our last duel!"

Zane nodded as the explosion from the battle results ran off, leaving his Monster as the victor. "You can count on it."

 **Jaden - 0 LP**

 **Zane - 3100 LP**

 **Winner: Zane**

Everyone stood up and applauded for the two respectful duelists, congratulating them for performing so earnestly and for giving it their all for the final graduation duel of the year, which they all enjoyed.

Feeling pride swelling up inside of him, Zane said, "Jaden, I-Jaden?"

Right after the duel was over, Jaden was curled up and had fallen asleep out of exhaustion, breathing in and out and smiling in her sleep. Before he knew it, Zane fell to his knees the moment he started moving. He didn't even realize how exhausted he was himself until now.

"I guess...it'll be okay to take a break..." muttered Zane, smiling to himself at how breathtaking the duel truly was.

* * *

 _Later, that night near the lighthouse..._

"Guys, why are we here?" wondered Syrus, hiding behind some bushes with his other friends.

"Shhhh! I'm trying to capture the moment where my bestie confesses to a girl for the first time!" hissed Atticus, adjusting his camera to where Jaden and Zane were talking.

"What?! How can you tell they're going to confess?!" shouted Chazz. "T-They could just be talking like good old friends for all we know!"

Atticus gave him a look. "Really? A guy and a girl going out in the dark, all in private, just chatting like good old friends? Come on, this is obviously a confession scene, and you know it!"

"You guys, this is all wrong! We shouldn't be eavesdropping like this!" said Alexis.

"...Could you make it so we can all hear what they're talking about?" asked Bastion curiously.

"Bastion!"

"What? I simply wish to know so that I may try it out on a girl someday, too!"

 _'I could just see it now, Flame Wingman and his goons watching all of this and trying to formulate a murder mystery plan. The target? Zane,'_ thought Chazz, looking up at the stars as though the Duel Spirits lived there, though some actually do.

Listening to Jaden chat on and on about her school life was entertaining and all, but Zane knew that he'd have to tell her here and now about what was on his mind. _'Besides,'_ he thought, glancing behind his shoulder. _'The others must really be dumb enough to think that I wouldn't notice them eavesdropping. But this is fine so long as they don't interfere.'_

"Jaden," spoke up Zane, getting her attention. "Please listen to me. This is very important. I like you."

 _'HE'S GOING FOR THE STRAIGHT FORWARD PART!'_ Everyone thought, shocked.

Jaden smiled. "Awww, how sweet! I like you, too!"

Of course, Zane knew that she was naive in terms of love, so he had to correct her. "No, Jaden. As in, I LIKE LIKE you. In a way, it means I do love you romantically."

"Oh...HUH?!" Understanding full well now what Zane was saying, Jaden's face changed into a light strawberry color as she proceeded to freak out. "You mean, like the dating kind of love?! The sort of mushy, gushy love where the boyfriend takes his girlfriend out for dates, beats up any guy who goes near his girlfriend, kiss and watch movies?! That kind of love?!"

 _'Wow, she just summarized a good dating love despite never having a boyfriend,'_ thought Zane, mildly impressed. "Yes, Jaden. That. What do you think of me?"

"Me? Well...I think you're a really good duelist who could beat anyone's ass! I mean, if you were able to beat me, you have a chance against the King of Games!"

"Yes...I did expect that kind of answer from you. But, is there anything else?"

"Well..." Fiddling with her fingers, Jaden thought carefully. "I...I never did see you in a sort of love kind of thing. I always thought you were the cool, calm type who was a jerk to his brother."

 _'Ouch,'_ Zane thought, feeling a painful memory sprouting in his mind. Yes, back in the past, he did treat Syrus badly and strictly, but he realized before that that wasn't the proper way for Syrus to become a great duelist. Besides, thanks to his friends, Syrus has greatly improved.

"But now I see you as a respective duelist who's still cool and all, and someone who I could gladly kick your ass in if you make Syrus upset again."

 _'Why does it feel like I'm the lonely teenager being scolded by a girlfriend's mother? Because it feels that way to me!'_ Zane thought, winching. Okay, maybe he did deserve a bit of Jaden's anger since she was defending Syrus and he had to admit, he was a jerk to him in the past.

"Plus...Now that you kinda talked to me about your feelings, I feel a bit warm and fuzzy inside," admitted Jaden, placing a hand on her heart area. "But...I don't even know if I love you or not. I can't tell."

Zane sighed; the moment of truth becoming at hand. "Yes, and that's another matter I wanted to talk to you about. I thought it hard last night and decided...I can't love you."

"EH?!" Jaden, including her companions from behind the bushes, exclaimed. "Wait, then what was the point of confessing to me, then?!"

Zane shook his head. "No, I...I just had to get these feelings out of my chest before I leave Duel Academy soon. The reason why I called you here wasn't just for confessing, but to tell you my reason for my rejection."

"Wow...Being told to be loved and being rejected...I'm so confused."

"I know, but I want you to listen what I have to say. Jaden, I really did have a crush on you and this was the first time I felt such a thing. But we can't be together because I'm going to graduate soon, and long-distance relationships never work out properly. I wanted to tell you personally because I don't want you getting any wrong ideas."

"I'm...really not sure about these feelings, but why can't long-distance relationships work?" wondered Jaden.

Zane answered, "It's because two people in love are far away that they almost never work. If someone you love is lingering for you, they would want you to stay close to them. Cell phones and photos in letters don't have the same love affection when it comes to long-distance. I'm just saying that you deserve someone better than me, Jaden."

Having listened to Zane, Jaden nodded. "I...I get it. Sorry if I was a bother to you, Zane.

"What? No, you were never a bother to me, Jaden. You never were and never will be. Your kindness and strong will might get you a lover one of these days, and I'm sure whoever he is, he'll take proper care of you and...will be a better person than I am."

Jaden nodded, smiling. "You, too! I hope you find a nice girl someday too! Someone who's beautiful like Alexis and much nicer than Chazz!"

" I WILL FRICKIN'-"

"Chazz, no! You'll give us away!"

Zane smiled back. "I hope to find someone like that too, Jaden. Thank you."

The two of them nodded towards each other before turning around to leave for their parted destinations, cutting off any possible and lingering feelings for each other after their chat together, as they knew a brand new day would arrive the next day to shine for their future.

* * *

 **ATTENTION! ATTENTION, FOLKS!**

 **First, I wanted to say thank you for all your support, but unfortunately, I will be putting this on Hiatus for a while and stop working on this Fanfic. HOLD IT! That doesn't mean I won't return to this fanfic! I will return to this story and continue onto Season 2! The reason being this way is because I have to help out my family, continue onto schoolwork and stuff, and will have to prepare for college, so I'm a busy girl.**

 **That being said, while I will stop working on this story for the time being, I will work on my other fanfics to entertain you guys!**

 **Also, did you seriously think that was the end of the whole Jaden x Zane franchise? NO! If Zane returns to the other seasons, then it's likely they might have a chance, especially since he spends some time in Season 3! But you have to admit, Zane's reasoning is sound because Jaden's still younger and a first year, while Zane's older and a graduate student, so naturally, not all relationships would work out.**

 **That being said, read and review and I will come back to this fanfic someday!~**


	43. Back to Duel

**Ya all ready for this?! It's the return of the Gender Generation! Whoo! Alright, after that vacation and updating a new chapter after watching my new, favorite anime, it's time!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

With the start of a fresh new school year, not a lot of things have changed ever since Jaden and her friends returned for their second years. The things that have changed however, were a bit of a twist on campus as it was no longer Sheppard who was Chancellor, but Crowler was promoted the temporary role of Chancellor, causing a bit of mishaps at the beginning of the school year.

Surprisingly, Crowler hasn't done any expelling for any Slifer Red students...yet. Still, now that Crowler was Chancellor, even if temporarily while Sheppard was on vacation, everyone was incredibly wary and were on their top, best behavior. Oh, and as an added bonus, a short French man named Bonaparte was now assuming the role of Vice-Chancellor and practically acted as Crowler's assistant.

Meanwhile, throughout the summer, Jaden was practically forced to get a new makeover for her new appearance. But with all things considered, her appearance wasn't so bad. She still wore the male Slifer Red uniform, but her hair was different, for it grew a little out of its short streak and more like a girlish short style hair, making her appearance more feminine. Plus, her bangs grew out a little and brought light to her bright and cute-looking chocolate-colored eyes, making her even more attractive in appearance.

Basically, she was now more feminine-looking than she was during her first year, and it was a good change in pace for her as well.

Now, she was challenged to a duel by a silver-haired freshman who politely went to her dorm room and requested a duel, hearing how famous she was all over campus. Naturally, Jaden eagerly accepted, and now the two of them were beginning to face off near the ocean on the rocky plains.

"Okay, new guy! Come at me with all you've got! It's game time, or as I would like to call it, get your game on!" replied Jaden cheerfully.

Meanwhile, observing from above the cliffs, Dorothy and Syrus were mere spectators wishing to see the duel. "Jaden...she's as cheerful as always, but must she start off with a duel in her second year?" questioned Dorothy.

"Well, you know Jaden, and her usual antics," sighed Syrus before continuing to glare down at the silver-haired freshman, hoping that if he stared hard enough, lasers might pop out of his eye sockets and burn him. "Whoever that guy is, he better not lay a hand on Jaden!"

Dorothy sighed and shook her head. "Young love...it's amazing what it can do to people."

"It'll be great, dueling you!" complimented the silver-haired freshman.

Putting on her duel disk, Jaden said, "Awww! That's sweet! Oh, and by the way, what's your name? Sorry, I forgot to ask you your name!"

"You can just call me A.P."

"Cool name!"

"Not as cool-no, not as beautiful as you are, Jaden," said Aster, winking at her.

Most girls would gush over and squeal at receiving such a compliment from a handsome teen like Aster, but Jaden, being oblivious to love as ever, only took the compliment like a friend instead of overreacting. "Thanks! You're pretty beautiful, too!"

Aster couldn't help but be annoyed. "You know, guys don't like being called beautiful."

"Oh! Sorry if I offended you!"

"It's cool. Heh, you're just as polite as you are beautiful!" Aster gave a bow of courtesy towards Jaden before standing up straight.

Syrus was clutching onto the grass with his fists, growing ever so close to ripping them out. _'URGE TO KILL...RISING...'_ He thought with his body trembling with anger.

Seeing a duel about to occur between A.P and Jaden, Alexis and Chazz walked up to Syrus and Dorothy, having pieced together what might have happened that lead to this event.

"I've never seen that guy around. I guess Jaden's dueling a freshman?" assumed Alexis.

"Figures that she'd be in the mood for dueling," said Chazz. "So, who's she dueling?"

"Well, he's anonymous, but he says his name is A.P.," replied Syrus. "And believe it or not, he's the one who challenged Jaden, not the other way around! But something's up about him..."

"Hey, you're right! He does seem familiar!" said Alexis.

"Yeah!" agreed Chazz.

Syrus sweatdropped. "Actually, I wasn't really talking about his looks. In fact, I think he's a bad guy!"

"What makes you say that? Syrus, you just met the guy so he can't be that bad," said Alexis.

"He was flirting with Jaden!" cried out Syrus, angrily tearing the grass from the ground. "I saw, I heard, I WAS THERE! He kept giving her compliments and continuing to call her beautiful and stuff like that!"

"What?!" yelled Chazz. "He can't do that! I'M supposed to do that!"

"...Yeah, right! As if you can do any better!"

"Hey! The reason I haven't is because Jaden's too stupid to realize who's in love with her or not! If she's so dumb about love, then obviously, she can't tell about flirting as well!"

"Don't call her dumb!"

Alexis and Dorothy rolled their eyes at the boys argument before turning back to the duel. "Boys."

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **A.P. - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"Since you're still a newbie at Duel Academy, I'll let you go first!" offered Jaden.

"Thank you very much," spoke A.P. before drawing his card.

"I wonder what sort of deck he has?" wondered Alexis.

Syrus and Chazz, who stopped fighting amongst themselves, returned back to watching the duel with interest. "Yeah, I'm kinda curious too! I hope this guy's not as bad as Chazz was when Jaden first beat him!"

"Hey, what was that?!" yelled Chazz, offended and insulted. "I'll have you know that I've gotten stronger throughout the summer, and if I can get strong, there's no way that a newbie like A.P. can't be-"

"I summon Ojama Yellow in Defense Mode!" shouted A.P., shocking Chazz. "And then, I'll end my turn!"

Ojama Yellow - (LIGHT/Beast) - LV2 - (0/1000)

"Awwww! Such a cute move!" awed Jaden. She knew thanks to Chazz's Duel Spirits that Ojama Yellow and his brothers were fun and cute, since they liked her and all, so she deemed them cute in return. Though, she couldn't really understand why they kept saying they would be her future brother-in-laws.

"Are you kidding me?!" exclaimed Chazz, both offended and feeling praised at the same time. Offended because A.P. down there used a weak move on his first turn, but praised because if A.P. used Ojama Yellow, a weak card nobody would even think of using besides Chazz, then A.P. must have been inspired by Chazz to place such a card in his deck.

"Well, ignoring Chazz aside," spoke Alexis. "That can't be all that A.P. has to offer. What's his plan?"

"To be honest, I don't think he has much of a plan," spoke Dorothy. "You see, this morning, he came up to me in the campus school shop, requesting for any cards. I only had a few card packs available, but he bought them anyways. New random cards placed into a deck! I told him he wouldn't win many duels if he had random cards in his deck, but then he told me it was only a temporary deck."

"What? So, he's just playing Jaden?" gasped Alexis.

"That's not even his real deck?!" shouted Chazz angrily. "Man, I really hate that guy now! And here, I thought someone was really inspired by my dueling style!"

"What style? I didn't even know you had any," pondered Syrus.

"I WILL CATASTRATE YOU, SY!"

Looking at her cards, Jaden knew the perfect wake-up call to show A.P. how to make a more effective move. "Alright, then! First, I activate the Spell, Double Summon, letting me Normal Summon twice, then I summon my cute and adorable White Magician Pikeru!~"

White Magician Pikeru - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV2 - (1200/0)

Watching Jaden squeal over how cute her Monster was, A.P. was not impressed, but kept a calm expression on his face. _'What? And here I thought she was finally going to summon an Elemental Hero! Well, girls love cute things, so this is to be expected, but still...'_

"Oh! But I'm not done yet! I use the effect of Double Summon to Normal Summon Elemental Hero Sparkman!"

Elemental Hero Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1400)

A.P's expression changed into a relieved one. _'Finally! So, Jaden's deck is a Hero deck, just as the rumors proclaimed. Not bad, but I'll see what other skills she has using her Hero deck.'_

"Time to battle! Pikeru, attack Ojama Yellow!~"

Puffing her cheeks, Pikeru fired an orb of light at Ojama Yellow, taking him out with one blast and leaving the young Spellcaster quite satisfied.

"And now, attack him directly, Sparkman!" shouted Jaden.

Sparkman flew high in the air and unleashed sparks from his palms, electrifying A.P. as he took the hit head on.

 **A.P. - 2400 LP**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"Yay! Okay, I end my turn!"

Smiling, A.P. rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he laughed the pain off. "Whoa, you are pretty good, Jaden! I never expected you to be quite this good at all! Guess I've got a lot to learn when it comes to using Ojama Yellow!"

"Placing Ojama Yellow in Defense Mode wasn't a bad move," said Jaden. "But you should have done more on your part, like placed some facedowns to make the other person unsure whether to attack you or not. That way, you can be making bluffing tactics and when you find the right card, you can strike back!"

A.P. could have agreed more. "You're right. I'll remember that for next time. My turn!" _'As long as I keep her entertained, she's bound to reveal a lot of her usual dueling style and tactics to me. I just have to play along and continue pretending being a newbie.'_ "I'll place a card facedown and-"

A musical ringtone interrupted A.P.'s move, startling both duelists as A.P. took out his ringing phone. "What is it?" wondered Jaden.

"Don't worry! It's just my cell phone!" assured A.P., waving it in the air to prove it before answering his call. "Hello?"

"Why that little-! How dare he talk to his phone at a time like this!" shouted Chazz, irritated.

"Yeah! Now we have to wait for who knows how long until he finishes his call!" complained Syrus.

Jaden didn't seem to mind A.P. talking to his phone in the middle of their duel as she was lost in her own thoughts while whistling a low tune, looking up at the bright blue sky and patiently waiting for A.P. to finish.

A.P. was still talking to his phone, nodding back and forth to his caller. "Yes, I'm dueling her right now. Is there anything you needed to talk to me about?"

 **"...The Reaper of Death is in reverse. It's a card of rebirth."**

Understanding his words, A.P. simply replied, "Yes, I understand. Well, I have to go." After hanging up, A.P. bowed his head apologetically to Jaden. "I'm sorry for the interruption."

"Huh?" Snapping out of her thoughts, Jaden shook her head. "No, no! It's fine! I didn't really think it was that long anyways! Well, it's still your move, A.P.!"

Turning to his cards, A.P. thought, _'If I keep acting like a newbie, I won't be able to see much of Jaden's strategies, so I guess I'll have to be serious now!'_ "I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Reload! This means I can add all the cards I have in my hand back to my deck, shuffle it, and draw the same number of cards I just put back into my deck!"

"Oh! So you played that card just to get a fresh hand? Nice move!" complimented Jaden.

"Well, you did give me some new advice, so I decided that if I was going to have a better chance at beating you, I'll have to get some new cards, thus some new strategy," responded A.P. kindly as he shuffled his deck.

"I'm glad! Keep this up, and you'll be a really good duelist in no time!"

Once he finished shuffling, A.P. drew his new cards, which seemed perfect to turn the tables around and force Jaden into a corner all at the same time. "Time to show you what I've got! I activate the Field Spell, The Sanctuary in the Sky!"

A beam of light burst from the ground before spreading around, illuminating the field before the field itself transformed into a haven of heavenly clouds with an ancient temple right behind A.P.

"Whoa! So awesome! Now things are starting to heat up!" said Jaden, impressed.

 _'How nonchalant of her, being excited just because of some scenery change,'_ thought A.P. coolly. "I summon Warrior of Zera!"

Warrior of Zera - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1600)

"Then, with The Sanctuary in the Sky and Warrior of Zera out on the field, the conditions have been met! I now sacrifice Warrior of Zera to Special Summon Archlord Zerato!"

Archlord Zerato - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV8 - (2800/2300)

"Next, I activate Archlord Zerato's special ability! By discarding a LIGHT-Attribute Monster from my hand to the Graveyard so long as The Sanctuary in the Sky is active on the field, he can destroy all Monsters on your field!"

An orb above on of the heavenly pillars in the field shined for a brief moment before shooting out lasers at Jaden's two Monsters, leaving her wide open for a direct attack.

"Archlord Zerato, attack her directly! Sacred Surge!"

Hovering high in the air like an angel, Archord Zerato flapped his sacred wings over and over, firing feathered arrows at Jaden.

 **A.P. - 2400 LP**

 **Jaden - 1200 LP**

"Jaden!" cried out Syrus, worried.

Alexis glanced suspiciously at A.P. _'Just who is this guy? Judging from Dorothy's testimony and the way he's acting now, it really does seem like he's been testing Jaden!'_

"I end my turn!" shouted A.P. before looking concerned. "Are you okay? I'm sorry, a gentleman such as myself shouldn't have harmed a kind, helpful, and beautiful girl like yourself like that."

 _'THIS GUY!'_ thought Chazz and Syrus, raging from the inside.

Jumping back to her feet, Jaden grinned with excitement. "BEST. MOVE. YOU. EVER. DID! I can't believe how much you improved in such a short time! Now things are really getting interesting! My turn! I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman in Attack Mode!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (1200/800)

"With him all alone on the field, I get to draw two more cards! Now, I activate Polymerization and fuse him and Clayman in my hand to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Mudballman in Defense Mode!"

Bubbleman's head and parts of his blue armor combined with Clayman's heavily defensive body, providing for one of the best and ultimate defense of the Elemental Hero archetype.

Elemental Hero Mudballman - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (1900/3000)

 _'Finally, some fusion action! She's putting up some hardcore defense! Not bad, but it won't last long!'_ thought A.P. with a smirk.

"I'll just set a card and end my turn!" said Jaden. "You're doing pretty good, A.P., but a few pointers, first. You have zero cards in your hand, and my Monster's Defense Points are higher than your Monster's Attack Points. If you don't draw a LIGHT-Attribute Monster on your next turn, you won't be able to use that ability of yours. On the other hand, I can't attack, but my defense should help me out for a while."

"Hmph. So child-like, thinking everything will be okay with one draw," muttered A.P. before speaking up. "Wow, you truly are intelligent! If you keep this up, you'll be a pro duelist just like Yugi Muto!"

"Wow, being compared to a great duelist by a freshman? I feel so happy right now!" cooed Jaden, loving the feeling of being praised.

The spectators merely sweatdropped at her act. _'As always, Jaden is just too child-minded. And isn't it a bit too soon to be confident?'_

"But, I want to ask something," said A.P., growing a bit serious and more like his usual self. "Isn't relying on a lucky draw a bit too much? It all depends on fate, in the end."

"Fate? No, it's not about fate. Listen, drawing is a moment where a duelist communicates his heart to his spirits," explained Jaden, placing a hand over her heart. "And when a duelist communicates with such spirits, they're called Duel Spirits!"

"So, the rumors are true? Do you really believe in Duel Spirits?" questioned A.P.

Jaden nodded. "Yup, I can hear and see them! They're my friends! Isn't that right, Kuriboh?~"

Upon being called upon, Winged Kuriboh chirped and nuzzled his fur against Jaden's face, loving the sensation and attention he got from his master.

While Jaden was happily interacting with Winged Kuriboh, A.P. didn't see any Duel Spirit. _'Hmm, when I heard that she gave Zane Truesdale, a duelist who entered the Big League, a hard time, I expected her to be more mature and less child-like. Well, not everything's as it seems. It's just like he predicted...'_

"My turn!" said A.P. "You know, it does seem like I'm about to lose in a game of luck. Still, I believe dueling isn't all about luck. I was taught that luck and destiny are different. That a person's destiny has already been determined at birth, and that's why everything in the future can be predicted. Who will win and who will lose...It's clear that I may lose to you."

Although a little confused, Jaden seemed to understand the gist of it was relying on destiny. "I dunno who told you that, but thinking that destiny is in control of your life is pretty boring. Plus, I don't really go for the philosophical way of thinking. Personally, I think the world's way interesting if it's unpredictable! Just like how you keep surprising me with these new and stronger moves you've got!"

"Huh, thanks for the compliment, but it won't do much in this duel," said A.P. "What will happen next has already been determined. Confused? You won't be! I activate the Trap card, Beckoning Light! All I have to do is discard my entire hand, and I get to choose a LIGHT-Attribute Monster in my Graveyard and add it to my hand! Then, I discard that Monster in order to activate Archlord Zerato's effect to destroy your Fusion Monster! Then, I'll have him attack you again!"

Taking flight in the air once again, Archlord Zerato fired winged arrows at Mudballman, destroying him before the arrows changed directions to aim for Jaden.

However, Jaden had a backup plan should she ever be rendered defenseless once again. "I activate my facedown Quick-Play Spell, Flute of Summoning Kuriboh! From my hand or deck, I get to Special Summon Winged Kuriboh!"

Winged Kuriboh - (LIGHT/Fairy - LV1 - (300/200)

Once Winged Kuriboh took the hit for her, Jaden said, "Thanks, partner. Now, what was that about destiny? Because my Monster just overwritten mine by protecting me!"

"Huh, fancy that," said A.P. "But of course you would overwrite your own destiny. After all, you're the legendary duelist who can talk to Duel Spirits, so it's obvious your Duel Spirits care about you deep enough to protect you!"

"Huh? I'm called a legend around campus? That's so neat!" giggled Jaden, feeling complimented already.

 _'As if! Wow, it really is easy to make her happy, but I guess that's a good thing for my part,'_ thought A.P.

* * *

 _Flashback..._

 _Sitting near a table with tarot cards laying around, a white-cloaked man flipped over one of them. "The Chariot...is reversed. You know what this means. You are to lose to Jaden Yuki, as predicted in the cards."_

 _"Yes," said A.P., understanding the situation even though he hated losing on purpose._

 _"I understand you must be frustrated at the thought of throwing the match, but understand for the sake of your next victory, you must observe Jaden's abilities. Learn from them and have countermeasures ready."_

 _"I know, but is she really worth losing?"_

 _"Yes. She is merely a stepping stone for you to grow further. Do this, and next time you duel her, you will not fail."_

* * *

 _'His predictions have never failed me, but even so...'_ thought A.P., having some doubts.

"Here I go! My turn!" said Jaden. "I activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw two more cards! Good, I activate Fusion Recovery, letting me bring back Polymerization and Bubbleman to my hand! Then, I summon Bubbleman to the field again and activate his effect to draw two more cards!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (1200/800)

"Next, I play The Warrior Returning Alive, and bring back Sparkman to my hand! I set a card and play Polymerization to fuse Avian, Sparkman, and Bubbleman from my hand to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Tempest!"

Elemental Hero Tempest - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2800)

"Now I attack!"

"Nooo! If she does that, it'll be a draw!" cried out Syrus.

"Uh...Syrus? Did you forget Tempest's special ability?" pointed out Alexis.

"He's an idiot, so of course he wouldn't remember," scoffed Chazz, unimpressed.

"I activate Tempest's effect!" shouted Jaden as Tempest released a laser-like cannon from his gauntlet. "By sending a card on my field to the Graveyard, Tempest won't be destroyed in battle with another Monster!"

Just as Jaden proclaimed, she sent her set card to the Graveyard just in the nick of time as Tempest's cannon fire destroyed Archlord Zerato in a large explosion.

"What now?" asked A.P. "It's impressive you managed to destroy my Monster, but that means that you have no more Monsters to attack with."

"Oh, but I'm not done! I activate the Quick-Play Spell, De-Fusion!" shouted Jaden. "It defuses Tempest back into Sparkman, Bubbleman, and Avian!"

Elemental Hero Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1400)

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (1200/800)

Elemental Hero Avian - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (1000/1000)

"Attack, all three of you! Storm Barrage!"

Shooting themselves into the air, all three Elemental Heroes fired long-ranged attacks in accordance to their elements, taking out A.P.'s remaining Life Points by working together as a team.

 **A.P - 0 LP**

 **Jaden - 1200 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

"Yay! I win, I win!" cheered Jaden before running up and kneeling in front of A.P. "Hey, you okay? I'm sorry if I hurt you."

Shaking his head, A.P. looked up at Jaden. "I'm alright. Rather, I should be thanking you for helping me improve my skills. Here, a reward from me to you." He got on one knee, took her hand, and kissed her palm.

 _'HE SERIOUSLY NEEDS TO DIE!'_ Those murderous thoughts came into the minds of Syrus and Chazz as jealously hit them in ways they never knew possible. All they could focus was that some hand and some stranger had just kissed Jaden's hand.

"Huh? I don't really see how this is a reward, but okay!" said Jaden, taking her hand back.

 _'Most girls would faint or get all excited, but she just acted like it's a normal thing. The rumors have said that she's a tomboy, so that might be it,'_ thought A.P., turning around to leave. _'Still, I don't get why Satorious wanted me to duel her so badly. This is the first time I've doubted his predctions, and although Jaden is a decent duelist, I don't see how this'll help me grow up to be a better duelist...'_

Walking up to the cliffs after A.P. left, Jaden grinned at her awaiting friends. "That was pretty tough, since I'm not really the mentor type, but it was a pretty sweet duel, don't ya think?"

"Yeah, you did great out there, Jay!" praised Syrus.

"Hmph, next time, less bragging!" said Chazz, crossing his arms. "Though...I guess you did a decent job."

"Jaden, it's only natural for you to be nervous, tutoring a freshman for the first time. But for the first time, I think you still did a good job," assured Alexis.

"Yeah...I've still got some training to do," admitted Jaden. "But man, he was really good!"

"Ah!" gasped Syrus, bending down and searching through his backpack before puling the new Duel Monsters magazine out. "I thought his name was suspicious! A.P.! That stands for Aster Phoenix!"

"So? He's got a cool name. So what?" wondered Jaden.

"W-Wait, are you serious?!" exclaimed Alexis, taken aback. "Jaden, Aster Phoenix is the youngest Pro Duelist in the Pro-Dueling World League! He's a genius prodigy! You just faced off against a true Pro Duelist!"

"So what? Okay, I get that he's good, but he's gotta work on his deck-building skills."

"Jaden, there's something you should know," spoke up Dorothy. "What that Aster kid build out of his deck were cards randomly from eight packs that were left on the shelves. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that Aster didn't use his real deck on you, and that he probably was holding back his skills on you."

"What?! So, you mean, all this time, he's not even a newbie and he tricked me?!" cried out Jaden. "How could he?!"

"I agree!" shouted Syrus with fire in his eyes. "How dare he take advantage of your feelings and-"

"No, I mean, why didn't he use his real deck on me?! Then, the duel would have been more interesting!"

"You know, I'm not even surprised anymore, but I still am," sighed Chazz, crossing his arms. "Well, at least she's not...romantically interested in the guy."

"Yeah," agreed Syrus. "I still have a chance with Jaden!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...What the hell do you mean you still have a chance?!"

"You know what I said, I'm getting Jaden instead of you!"

"Fat chance! You're too short for her!"

"Well, you're too emo for her!"

"DON'T CALL ME EMO!"

"What are they talking about?" wondered Jaden.

Alexis shook her head and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Boy stuff, Jaden. Boy stuff."

Jaden shrugged her shoulders. "Well, whatever! I can't wait for my rematch with Aster! It'll be awesome!"

* * *

 **Skit: Double Trouble Love**

 _ **"Everyone! The 1,765,876th meeting for Jaden is now in order!"**_ announced Flame Wingman, slamming his fist against the table, bringing attention to his fellow Duel Monsters inside the meeting room.

 _ **"I still can't believe he managed to keep track of how many meetings involving Jaden are,"**_ groaned Burstinatrix, shaking her head. Clearly, she's been underestimating the overprotective love everyone had for Jaden.

 _ **"I have some good news, bad news, and terrible news! The good news is that two love candidates, Crowler and Alexis Rhodes, has 100% confirmed to not have any love interest in Jaden whatsoever!"**_

Everyone cheered as Bubbleman crossed off the pictures of Crowler and Alexis on the bulletin board using a red marker. Others who didn't simply rolled their eyes as it was pretty obvious that the two never had any romantic feelings for the girl whatsoever.

 _ **"But the bad news is that a student named A.P., a freshman, challenged Jaden to a duel, and he was none other than...Aster Phoenix."**_

All occupants in the room gasped as they heard of the world famous Pro Duelist prodigy's name. Aster Phoenix was a famous, young Pro Duelist who not only was skilled, but owned a Hero deck just like Jaden, but...their rival deck, the Destiny Heroes.

 _ **"And even worse, he began toying with Jaden's emotions, leading her on, constantly...flirting with her and even going so far as to kiss her hand!"**_ yelled Flame Wingman, boiling with anger. _**"My comrades, Aster Phoenix is now the #1 top priority in elimination right now, but we must bid our time and make sure he cannot make Jaden fall in love with him!"**_

 _ **"How could he?!"**_

 _ **"Taking advantage of Jaden like that!"**_

 _ **"He's lucky we can't physically hurt him without extending too much of our energy!"**_

Everyone else who thought of this whole operation as ridiculous could only pity Aster Phoenix as his picture was put up in the bulletin board.

* * *

 **I'm back! Just to clarify, I know I may have made Aster a bit OOC a little in this, but think about it. If he wanted to manipulate a girl, he would use his charms and flirting to win her heart. It...may have worked a little on Jaden, but we all know she's too oblivious in love to realize that.**

 **Anyways, should I do the Chazz vs Obelisk Blue kid episode next chapter? Because it's basically a Chazz episode and I dunno what else to do. Or I could skip ahead to the Hassleberry episode since that is kinda needed.**

 **Read and review and tell me!**


	44. Champion or Chazz-Been?

**After much debating, it's been decided! I shall do the Obelisk Blue kid vs Chazz episode! Except... instead of the Obelisk Blue kid, Reggie, or whatever his name is, we're going to include a request!**

 **Long ago, I was given a request by bopdog11 to add his OC for this episode only! Well, his OC will only appear in this chapter, but it's a gift from me to him and all you adoring fans! Thank bopdog11 for his awesome OC as he'll clash with Chazz! Oh, and I'll put info about his OC cards too, so don't you worry!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

Standing on top of the duel platform and shuffling each others' decks were two duelists about to face off one another; Chazz Princeton, a second year Slifer Red, and Andark Tinokuni, a second year Obelisk Blue.

"I'm so glad I finally have the chance to duel against a strong opponent such as you, Chazz!" gasped Andark; his excitement practically dancing in his eyes.

Smirking at him, Chazz retorted before handing back his opponent's deck. "Hmph, you're _that_ glad that you'll be crushed by yours truly? I'll show you where you stand, so bring it on and see if you can outmatch The Chazz!"

Surrounding the two rivals was an entire stadium of students who gathered to see two students duke it out in the first stadium duel of the year. Surely it was going to be a duel they wouldn't forget anytime soon.

Rushing towards the Duel Arena as fast as they could, Alexis, Syrus, and Jaden hurried to watch the duel between Chazz and Andark, hoping they didn't miss any exciting parts.

"Aw, crap, crap, crap! It's probably already starting!" whined Jaden.

"Is it just me, or is a duel between Chazz and another second year a bit sudden?" panted Syrus.

Alexis nodded her head, picking up the pace. "Yeah, but we'll deal with that later! We're almost there!"

Back in the Duel Arena, Bonaparte was now assuming the role of the announcer and referee of the duel, holding up a microphone and announcing loudly, **"Bonjour! Everyone, please settle down and take your seats, s'il vous plait!"**

Arriving in time for the announcement, Jaden, Syrus, and Alexis spotted Bonaparte on top of the dueling platform. "Oh! It' Vice-Chancellor Bonaparte!" pointed out Syrus.

 **"I'm your Vice-Chancellor, John Louis Bonaparte and today, we'll be conducting a Star Discovery Duel! And the star in question is none other than Chazz Princeton! If he wins, he's allowed to return as an Obelisk Blue!"**

Murmurs coursed through the entire Duel Arena at such a valiant reward. Of course, who wouldn't want to win and get the chance to join the prestigious Obelisk Blue?

"Man, he's super lucky!"

"Chazz was originally a Blue to begin with, right?"

"If that's the case, he should have no problem with this duel!"

"Yeah, he's pretty strong, after all!"

Walking around to the side of the duel platform, Jaden and her two friends decided that a closer look of the duel would be far better than sitting in the back rows and watching from the sidelines.

"This is great, isn't it? Sounds kinda interesting!" said Jaden excitedly.

"Yeah, but why Chazz, of all people?" wondered Syrus. "I mean, he's strong, but you should have been the candidate, Jaden!"

"I'm afraid that wouldn't be quite productive, now would it?" spoke Crowler, walking up to the trio.

"Oh, it's Dr. Crowler!" Jaden said, somewhat happy to see him. Okay, she probably wasn't because there still was a chance Crowler could easily expel her and the rest of the Slifer Reds since he's the temporary Chancellor.

Glaring at her, Crowler corrected, "It's _Chancellor_ Crowler, now! And there are profound reasons why Chazz has been chosen! For starters, it all began with the enrollment of a certain duelist who came for this new school year, Aster Phoenix!"

"The Pro Duelist genius, Aster Phoenix?!" exclaimed Alexis.

"The silver-haired playboy?!" growled Syrus.

"The jerk who tricked me into not seeing his true deck?!" demanded Jaden.

"Yes, yes, that's the one!" cried out Crowler, yanking on his handkerchief with his own teeth in frustration. "I thought him coming to our school would surely raise our reputation, but nothing's happened! In fact, he hasn't even attended any of his classes thus far!"

* * *

 _Flashback..._

 _Sitting in the floor of his office, Crowler was plucking petals off of a flower he was playing with, muttering, "He loves us so...he loves us not...he loves us so...he loves us not..."_

 _Walking into the Chancellor's Office, Bonaparte spotted Crowler on the ground, playing with a flower. "Hey! There you are! Do you know how long I've been looking for you?!"_

 _Infuriated, Crowler yelled, "Oh, hush! In case you haven't noticed nor cared, I have my needs!"_

 _"What needs? You don't have any!" insulted Bonaparte._

 _Crowler gasped, taken aback by Bonaparte's rude remark. "How dare you?! As you can see, I'm lamenting over Aster Phoenix! He hasn't appeared in any of his classes! Oh, what a disaster this is!"_

 _"Yup, he's a lost cause," muttered Bonaparte. And he certainly wasn't talking about Aster._

 _"Oh well, it can't be helped! We have no choice but to post THIS out!" Rushing to his office desk, Crowler held up a poster of Chazz facing off against Andark in a duel. "We'll make Chazz into a star that'll throw Aster Phoenix into the water, and become the big new star of the academy!"_

 _"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a minute!" exclaimed Bonaparte, taken aback since this was all rushing too fast. "Why would we make a low-life Slifer Red into a star?!"_

 _"Don't make assumptions too quickly, Bonaparte!" argued Crowler, wagging his finger. "If we use the power and money of the Princetons, then he will absolutely be able to become a star! Plus, he was pretty infamous in his first year, and this is the first official duel of the year to be used in the Duel Arena, so of course everyone's going to see it! Plus, Chazz gets a sweet reward of being in Obelisk Blue if he wins, so it's a win-win situation for both parties, is it not?"_

* * *

"And that's what happened! Well, what do you think?" spoke Crowler, awaiting for his beloved students to praise his genius mind with compliments and glory.

Clearly, even though he was made Chancellor, his reputation for good-hearted person hasn't really increased. In fact, it decreased even further with his selfish story.

"That's the most selfish reason I've heard of!" shouted Alexis.

"Yeah, you're just doing it for your own needs!" added Syrus.

"Once a jerk, always a jerk!" stated Jaden.

"...Hmph! Rude kids these days not respecting their elders!" scoffed Crowler, crossing his arms. Well, who needed them anyways? Either way, the duel was still going to go on!

 **"And now, allow me to introduce you all to Chazz Princeton's competitor! Andark Tinokuni! They call him the Colosseum Crasher! And you'll see why in this upcoming duel!"** announced Bonaparte, turning the attention to Andark, who gave a shy smile before waving at the crowd who cheered him on.

Jaden and the others glanced at the duel from their position, wondering how this duel was going to play out. Andark was someone whose dueling style they've never seen before, and he had the advantage since Chazz has participated in many duels in public before, so Andark must have some sort of strategy against Chazz. Plus, he must be really strong if he was able to build his reputation enough to gain a title.

Crowler thought, _'If Chazz were to win and rise to Obelisk Blue, then his popularity will rise, the Princeton Group will grow famous, and I'll also be famous as the most powerful Chancellor in Duel Academy!'_

"It'll be really cool to duel you!" admitted Andark as Bonaparte left the duel platform to allow the two to duel to their heart's content. "But what I don't really understand is why you left Duel Academy only to come right back?"

"Listen, idiot! That's not what happened at all! Whoever spread those rumors could go suck a dick!" yelled Chazz, irritating a lot of fans. "Here's the real truth! Since that annoying Jaden wouldn't rise up to me, I aimed to leave on my own to get stronger and conquer both Obelisk Blue and Slifer Red!"

"Wait a minute, that's not what happened!" cried out Jaden. "Didn't he leave because of Bastion beating him or something?"

"Yeah!" said Syrus. "Chazz is just trying to change the story to make himself cool!"

"And you know what? I've grown tired of Slifer Red, so hurry up and let me beat ya so I can return to Obelisk Blue!" finished Chazz. _'Maybe if I win here, I can prove to be stronger in Jaden's eyes and impress her with my strength!'_

"LET'S DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Andark - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Chazz - 4000 LP**

"Alright, my turn!" cheered Andark. "From my hand, I activate the Field Spell, Shrine of Worship!'

Rumbling from the ground, a shrine on top of a large, steep mountain appeared with a beautiful garden and huge stone pillars that surrounded the shrine as though it was a form of defense.

"With Shrine of Worship's effect, each player can now Special Summon a Colossus or Colossi Monster and/or add 1 Colossus or Colossi Spell or Trap from their deck to their hands once per turn! I'll add Colossus Insight to my hand and Special Summon Celobia, Colossus of Lust to the Field in Attack Mode!"

A bull-like Monster with a totem mask barged out of nowhere and lifted himself up before falling down on his own hooves and getting ready for a fight.

Celobia, Colossus of Lust - (DARK/Rock) - LV5 - (1500/1200)

"And now I activate Celobia's effect! Once per turn, he gains 500 extra Attack Points!"

Celobia, Colossus of Lust - (DARK/Rock) - LV5 - (2000/1200)

"I set two cards facedown and end my turn!"

"Finally, my move!" said Chazz. "I summon X-Head Cannon!"

X-Head Cannon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV4 - (1800/1500)

"I'll follow that up by playing the Spell card, Graceful Charity! Thanks to this card, I draw three cards, and discard two! I discard Chthonian Polymer and Ojamagic and activate Ojamagic's effect! When it's sent to the Graveyard, I get to add Ojama Black, Yellow, and Green to my hand!"

"Oh! I see! You're planning to use them as additional defenses if you run out of strong Monsters to summon!" said Andark. "Yeah, I can understand that!"

"Hey, you don't know me, so shut up!" shouted Chazz. "And I'm far from done! You wanna know why I added those dorks to my hand? It's so I can play this card, Ojama Ride! As long as I discard my Ojamas, I can Special Summon up to 3 Level 4 or lower Machine-Type Union Monsters from my deck in face-up Defense Mode! I'll Special Summon my three special Monsters! Z-Metal Tank and Y-Dragon Head! Come out!"

Y - Dragon Head - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV4 - (1500/1600)

Z-Metal Tank - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV4 - (1500/1300)

"And now, with all three assembled, I can now remove them from play and Special Summon XYZ Dragon Cannon!"

At the mere signature summon of their name, the three Machine-Type Union Monsters merged together and combined their machine parts to appear as a robotic tank machine with large cannons.

XYZ Dragon Cannon - (LIGHT/Machine/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2600)

"A-Amazing!" gasped Andark in amazement.

"I'm not fighting just yet!" said Chazz. "I discard two of my cards to activate XYZ Dragon Cannon's effect to destroy two of your cards on the field! I'll get rid of your Monster and that Shrine of Worship card of yours!"

"As if I'll let you do that!" shouted Andark. "I activate my Trap, Colossus Insight! When a Monster effect is activated while I control a Colossus Monster, that effect is negated and your Monster is destroyed! But if that's the case, then I have to sacrifice my Colossus Monster at the end of the turn."

"What?!" Shocked, Chazz couldn't do anything as the XYZ Dragon Cannon he worked so hard to summon was destroyed just like that. "You're gonna pay for that! Right after I toss these two cards facedown and end my turn!"

"My draw!" said Andark as Celobia was destroyed before his very eyes. "I guess I should thank you Chazz for destroying my Monster, because now I can activate this card! The Spell card, Blessing of Domain! While I control no Monsters, I can add a Colossus or Colossi Monster to my hand and add two more cards from my deck to my hand! Time to go all out! I activate Colossus Fusion, allowing me to Fusion Summon Monsters from my hand as long as they're Colossus Monsters! I happen to have 5 Colossus Monsters in my hand, so I send them all to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon Malus, Colossus of Gods!"

A gigantic humanoid stone statue that probably was even bigger than Crowler's Ancient Gear Golem towered over Chazz as he gulped and stared at the huge giant in shock, along with everyone else in the stadium.

Malus, Colossus of Gods - (DIVINE/Rock/Fusion) - LV - (0/0)

"You may think he's not much but wait until you hear this! I activate his special ability!" shouted Andark. "For each Colossus or Colossi Monster in my Graveyard, his power and defense increases by 250 Points each! There are six, so his Attack and Defense Points are 1500!"

Malus, Colossus of Gods - (DIVINE/Rock/Fusion) - LV - (1500/1500)

"Oh, and before I attack, I'm acting Shrine of Worship's effect to add a Colossus or Colossi Spell or Trap card from my deck to my hand! I add Colossi Sigil to my hand and activate it! For each Colossus or Colossi Monster in my Graveyard, I gain 1000 Life Points, so there are 6, so I gain a total of 6000 Life Points!"

 **Andark - 10000 LP**

 **Chazz - 4000 LP**

"10,000 Life Points?! That's the highest I've ever seen anyone's Life Points!" gasped Syrus.

"Yeah, that Andark guy isn't half bad!" commented Alexis.

"Sorry, Chazz! I admire you, but I still want to win! Go, attack him directly!" ordered Andark.

"Hmph, if you were really skilled, you should have been more cautious of my two facedowns!" shouted Chazz. "I'm activating the Trap, Ring of Destruction and targeting your Malus! Normally, that means your Monster will be destroyed and both of us will take damage equal to his Life Points, but not me! Because I activate my other facedown, Ring of Defense, to defend myself Have fun getting the pain!"

Once the ring attachment fell onto Malus' neck, it triggered an explosion that set off and exploded, causing Andark to be dazed by the explosion. The only one unfazed and still standing was Chazz and his triumphant smirk.

 **Andark - 8500 LP**

 **Chazz - 4000 LP**

"W-Wait..." groaned Andark. "Because you destroyed Malus...I get to Special Summon a Colossus or Colossi Monster from my Graveyard and ignore its summoning conditions...I Special Summon Argus, Colossus of Force..."

An ape-like Monster wearing a totem mask and wielding a heavy broadsword appeared and swung his sword once before roaring.

Argus, Colossus of Force - (EARTH/Rock) - LV8 - (3300/2450)

"Because of his special ability, if he's Special Summoned through Malus' effect...he gains 700 extra Attack Points..."

Argus, Colossus of Force - (EARTH/Rock) - LV8 - (4000/2450)

"I...end my turn..." mumbled Andark, raising one finger as his body spun over and over before he fell down.

"Heh, this is getting interesting! My turn!" shouted Chazz. "I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw two more cards! Then, I activate Ojamandala and pay 1000 Life Points to Special Summon the 3 Ojamas from my Graveyard in Defense Mode!"

Ojama Yellow - (LIGHT/Beast) - LV2 - (0/1000)

Ojama Black - (LIGHT/Beast) - LV2 - (0/1000)

Ojama Green - (LIGHT/Beast) - LV2 - (0/1000)

 **Andark - 8500 LP**

 **Chazz - 3000 LP**

"And now I play Ojama Delta Hurricane! As long as these three losers are on my field, all the cards on your field are destroyed, so say goodbye to your Monster and your annoying Field Spell!"

"I can't do anything to stop you from destroying my Monster!" called Andark as the Ojama brothers spun around in a tornado and destroyed Argus. "But I can prevent you from destroying Shrine of Worship! You see, it's immune to Spells and Traps and can only be destroyed by Monster effects!"

"Damnit!" cursed Chazz. "Well, I still got rid of your Monster! You still can't beat me! I end my turn!"

"Oh, can I?" challenged Andark. "My turn! I activate Colossi Draw and banish two Colossus Monsters from my Graveyard to draw two cards! I banish Phaedra, Colossus of Might, and Gaius, Colossus of Stone! Then, I activate Shrine of Worship's effect to Special Summon Valus, Colossus of Earth!

A hairy, bear-like Monster with a tiny totem mask leaped from above and landed near Andark's side, moving slowly.

Valus, Colossus of Earth - (EARTH/Rock) - LV6 - (2550/1600)

"Then, I use Shrine of Worship's effect to add Visions of the Colossi to my hand! I have two of them in my hand, so I'm going to activate these two Equip Spells cards! All I have to do is pay 1000 Life Points and I get to Special Summon 1 Colossus Monster from my Graveyard and ignore its summoning conditions. I use two of them and pay 2000 Life Points! Come back, Celosia, Colossus of Speed! And Pelagia, Colossus of Seas!"

A rhino-like Monster as well as a cow-ike Monster with grass as his fur trotted on the stage like animals; both having totem masks that resembled one another.

Celosia, Colossus of Speed - (FIRE/Rock) - LV3 - (1900/1700)

Pelagia, Colossus of Seas - (WATER/Rock) - LV7 - (0/0)

 **Andark - 6500 LP**

 **Chazz - 3000 LP**

"Pelagia's effect activates! Now his Attack Points increase by 1000 for each Colossus Monster on the field! I have three, so he gains 3000 Attack Points!"

Pelagia, Colossus of Seas - (WATER/Rock) - LV7 - (3000/0)

"Now, I'll attack you three Monsters with my own three Monsters! Charge!"

Roaring at their master's command, the three Colossus Monsters rushed forward and easily trampled over the three Ojama brothers, flattening them like pancakes.

"Oh, and I forgot to mention Valus' special ability! He can inflict piercing damage to your Life Points if your Monster's Defense Points are lower than my Monster's Attack Points! Take this!"

 **Andark - 6500 LP**

 **Chazz - 1450 LP**

"Heh, I end my turn!"

"About time!" said Chazz, drawing his card while trying to find a way to come back after this. "Alright, check this out! I play the Spell, Card of Demise, which lets me draw five cards, but in five of my turns, I have to discard them all! Not that there's going to be a next turn!"

"What do you mean?" asked Andark.

"You'll see! I activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw two more cards! Because you control a Monster and I don't, I get to Special Summon Elder of the Six Samurai from my hand!"

Elder of the Six Samurai - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV3 - (400/0)

"I play the Spell, Raigeki, and destroy all the Monsters you have!"

Andark grimanced as large bolts of lightning shot and destroyed each and every Monster he had, leaving him defenseless once again.

"And if you think I'm done, you're sadly mistaken!" shouted Chazz. "I send a Level 8 or higher Monster from my hand to the Graveyard to Special Summon Hardened Armed Dragon!"

Hardened Armed Dagon - (EARTH/Dragon) - LV4 - (1500/800)

"I sacrifice these two Monsters to summon Metaphys Armed Dragon!"

Metaphys Armed Dragon - (LIGHT/Wyrm) - LV7 - (2800/1000)

"Now I activate two Equip Spells, Bashing Shield and Megamorph! Megamorph doubles my Monster's Attack Points while Bashing Shield gives my Wyrm an extra 1000 Attack Points for being a Normal Monster!"

Metaphys Armed Dragon - (LIGHT/Wyrm) - LV7 - (6600/1000)

"T-That's enough to take out my Life Points!" gasped Andark.

"Exactly!" said Chazz, lowering his stance. "You know, now that I think about it, why do I want to go back to Obelisk Blue? Sure, Slifer Red has the worst dorms, and the dueists are all garbage, but I was taught something by them! That at the bottom lies the bottom, that the weak stay the weak!"

All the Slifer Reds who heard that started sprouting insults and angrily yelling at Chazz, being insulted by his words.

"BUT!" continued Chazz. "I also learned that when you lower your viewpoint down to their position, you see things you can't see from the heights of being elite! I'll show you how much stronger I got since last year! And I'll start by taking you out! Attack!"

Metaphys Armed Dragon slashed at Andark, knocking him back and destroying the remaining Life Points he had left.

 **Andark - 0 LP**

 **Chazz - 1450 LP**

 **Winner: Chazz**

"How's that?! This last year hasn't been a waste for me!" said Chazz confidently while addressing to the rest of the Obelisk Blues watching. "Even if it takes you a million years, nothing's going to change the fact that it doesn't take status or wealth to be the best, just your skills! None of you Obelisk Blue morons have any right to call trash trash without proving yourselves first!"

"CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP!" cheered everyone, impressed and amazed by Chazz's skillful play.

"Chazzy!" Running up to the duel platform, Jaden tackled Chazz to the ground, wrapping her arms around his waist happily. "Awww! So you do care! You're just a big softie behind that jerkish face of yours!"

"H-Hey! Get off! I-It's not like I like this position or anything!" cried out Chazz, flustered as he grabbed Jaden's shoulders. "HEY! What jerkish face?!"

Soon, all of the Slifer Reds ran off the sidelines and approached the duel platform, throwing him up in the air over and over despite Chazz's protests to be let down.

Crowler and Bonaparte went up on the duel platform as well, preparing to make the announcements. Crowler knew deep down that Chazz would win, because he knew that somewhere, Chazz did care for the Slifer Reds, no matter how much of a tsundere he was. Plus, if he left, the competition for Jaden's heart would decrease down to Syrus. Yes, even Crowler knew there were guys after Jaden's heart.

 **"Attention, everyone! Chazz Princeton has now announced that instead of the Obelisk Blue dorm, he was officially be in the Slifer Red dorm!"** announced Crowler as Chazz was lowered down from the air.

While everyone cheered at this unexpected twist of news, Chazz was the only one left confused. "W-Wha...? Hey, wait a minute, I didn't ask for that!"

 **"And if he denies it, don't worry! He's just embarrassed and being a tsundere!"**

"GODDAMNIT, I AM NOT A TSUNDERE! WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP CALLING ME THAT?!"

* * *

 _Later, that day..._

"EH?! They're planning to tear down the Slifer Red Dorm?!" exclaimed Jaden, shocked by the news Syrus gave to her.

While Syrus was making his way back to the Slifer Red Dorms, he overheard Bonaparte and Crowler talking about the duel earlier and how it was meant to promote Chazz to become Obelisk Blue and leave Slifer Red, but only half of that plan worked. The reason why was because they intended on making Chazz a star and to find the right opportunity to take down the Slifer Red Dorms since Bonaparte deemed it was for weaklings.

Suddenly, the entire dorm started shaking, startling Syrus and Jaden as they assumed the demolishing was beginning. Panicking, they rushed outside to see what was happening.

Clearly...They didn't expect to see a large Tarpulin covering half of the dorm with workers intent on remodeling the Tarpulin with Chazz clearly in charge.

"Whoa! Chazz, what's going on?" asked Jaden.

Looking up, Chazz answered, "Jaden! Since I'm going to be staying here for a little while, I'm going to be remodeling my room into one that's fitting for me! And I'm not staying because of you, you know!"

 _'Game on, Chazz. Game on,'_ thought Syrus, knowing full well that their love rivalry was still happening. Chazz noticed Syrus and glared back at him, both having a glaring contest as they acknowledged each other not only as rival duelists, but rivals in love as well.

Jaden was, however, worried about the fate of Duel Academy. Did Crowler and Bonaparte really want to tear it down that badly?

* * *

 **Alright, guys! Here's a list of the Colossus and Colosso Archetype cards that Andark used in this duel!**

 **1\. Name: Shrine of Worship.**

 **Type of Spell: Field Spell.**

 **When this card is face-up, each player, can Special Summon a 'Colossus', or 'Colossi' monster, and/or 1 'Colossus' or 'Colossi' spell, or Trap card from your deck once per turn. This spell can't be destroyed by Spell or Trap effects.**

 **2\. Name: Valus, Colossus of Earth**

 **Attribute: Earth**

 **Level 6**

 **Type: Rock**

 **ATK: 2550**

 **DEF: 1600**

 **Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Cannot be Special Summoned except by the effect of 'Shrine of Worship'. During battle between this attacking card and a Defense Position monster whose DEF is lower than the ATK of this card, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent.**

 **3\. Name: Gaius, Colossus of Stone**

 **Attribute: Earth**

 **Level 5**

 **Rock**

 **ATK: 2700**

 **DEF: 1500**

 **Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Cannot be Special Summoned except by the effect of 'Shrine of Worship'. This card is uneffected by Spell Effects. This card can attack twice if you discard a Earth Monster in your hand.**

 **4\. Name: Phaedra, Colossus of Might**

 **Attribute: Earth**

 **Level 5**

 **Rock**

 **ATK: 1000**

 **DEF: 2300**

 **Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Cannot be Special Summoned except by the effect of 'Shrine of Worship'. If this card is destroyed draw two cards from your deck.**

 **5\. Name: Malus, Colossus of Gods.**

 **Attribute: Divine**

 **Rock/Fusion**

 **Level 9**

 **ATK: 0**

 **DEF: 0**

 **5 Colossus, or Colossi Monsters**

 **Cannot be Special Summoned, must be Fusion Summoned. For each Colossus, or Colossi monster in your graveyard, increase this card's ATK, and DEF power by 250. This card can't attack is their is more than one monster on your side of the field. If this card is destroyed, Special Summon one Colossus, or Colossi monster in your Graveyard, ignoring Summoning Conditions.**

 **6\. Name: Colossi Sigil**

 **Normal Spell**

 **For each 'Colossus', or 'Colossi' monster in your graveyard gain 1000 points.**

 **of Dormain**

 **Normal Spell Card**

 **When you control no monsters on your field add 1 'Colossus' or 'Colossi' monster to your hand then draw two card. (Three if the monster in your hand.)**

 **8\. Name: Celobia, Colossus of Lust**

 **Attribute: Dark**

 **Level 5**

 **Rock**

 **ATK: 1500**

 **DEF: 1200**

 **Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Cannot be Special Summoned except by the effect of 'Shrine of Worship'. Once per turn: Increase this card's ATK by 500.**

 **9\. Celosia, Colossus of Speed**

 **Attribute: Fire**

 **Level 3**

 **Rock**

 **ATK: 1900**

 **DEF: 1700**

 **Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Cannot be Special Summoned except by the effect of 'Shrine of Worship'. When this card's attack is reduced this card can attack your opponent directly.**

 **10\. Pelagia, Colossus of Seas**

 **Attribute: Water**

 **Level 7**

 **Rock**

 **ATK: 0**

 **DEF: 0**

 **Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Cannot be Special Summoned except by the effect of 'Shrine of Worship'. This card gains 1000 ATK for each 'Colossus' monster on the field.**

 **11\. Colossus Fusion**

 **Normal Spell Card**

 **Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster using monsters from your deck, or hand. When summoned the monster summoned through it cannot be destroyed by card effects. (Only Colossus monsters can be used as the materials.)**

 **12\. Visions of the Colossi**

 **Equip Spell Card**

 **Pay 1000 LP; Special Summon 1 'Colossus' Monster from your graveyard ignoring summoning conditions. When this card is destroyed remove the equipped monster from play.**

 **13\. Colossi Draw**

 **Normal Spell Card**

 **Banish two 'Colossus' monsters from your graveyard. Draw two cards.**

 **14\. Name: Argus, Colossus of Force**

 **Attribute: Earth**

 **Level 8**

 **Rock**

 **ATK: 3300**

 **DEF: 2450**

 **Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Cannot be Special Summoned except by the effect of 'Shrine of Worship'. If this card is Special Summoned, by 'Malus, Colossus of Gods' increase it's ATK by 700.**

 **15\. Colossus Insight**

 **Counter Trap Card**

 **When an effect is activated while you control a face-up 'Colossus' monster; Negate the activation, and if you do destroy it.**

 **Finished with the chapter, and up next is the official introduction of our Dinosaur King reject! No, that is seriously a meme, but anyways, here comes Hassleberry!**


	45. A Hassleberry Hounding

**I'm back! And just to let you guys know, the OC cards from last chapter was made by that bopdog11 author, so all credit belongs to him involving his OC and his OC's cards! Please don't direct any complains about one of his Monster's being a DIVINE Attribute or anything like that!**

 **That said, time for the introduction of Hassleberry!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"Man, this is so annoying!" complained Jaden, carrying a large backpack full of duel disks as she and Syrus were ordered by Crowler to deliver 14 new duel disks to other students who lost theirs because they were caught sleeping in class. "Stupid Crowler! Why are we low on duel disks, anyways?"

"Um..." Looking away, Syrus, who was carrying a net bag packed with duel disks, tried to avoid going into that sort of topic. "How about we talk about your Elemental Heroes?"

"...Sy, what's going on?" Jaden's tone was stern as she narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Sy, I can tell you're nervous to tell me something! I'm not that dumb!"

 _'Yeah, right!'_ thought Syrus, sweatdropping. Jaden saying that she wasn't dumb...that was almost as funny as Chazz being defeated by Syrus himself! Actually, it would be pretty awesome if Syrus did win against Chazz, thus winning Jaden's heart, but that's besides the point!

"Sy..."

Sighing, Syrus stopped and looked at her. "You know the West River, right? You know, when we get out of this forest, there's a manmade river with a bridge suspended over it?"

"Yeah? And..?"

"Well, I heard rumors that there's some bully who stands guard in that bridge and challenges anyone to a duel! If you lose, then he takes away your duel disk! So far, 99 duel disks have been stolen in all! One more, and he gets 100! What a mean bully!"

"Yeah, I guess," stated Jaden before glancing at Syrus. "Uh...Sy? What happened to your duel disk? Did you put it in your net bag?"

"...I...may have...kinda...accidentally...lost against that bully," admitted Syrus, unable to find the heart to lie to Jaden. "And that's not it! He took my lunch money and his goons gave me a wedgie! Waaah!"

Seeing her friend upset and understanding the lack of duel disks and dueling all across campus, Jaden knew what needed to be done as she headed for the West River. "Alright, then! Let's get going!"

"Wait, but that's the way to the We-Jaden, you can't seriously be thinking of dueling this guy, can you?"

"Why not? I love dueling opponents, plus he made you cry! I can't have my bestie cry by a mean bully! It's time to teach him a lesson!"

 _'Jaden...! She really does care!'_ thought Syrus, tears of happiness pouring from his eyes.

"And, if I win, I can force that mean bully to carry all of these duel disks back, so it'll be a win-win situation for me! Whoo hoo!"

 _'...Well, at least she has the determination to beat that bully,'_ thought Syrus, running to catch up to her. "Jay, wait up!"

About a few minutes later, the two Slifer Red duelists arrived near the bridge of the West River. Just as Syrus confirmed through the rumors, or rather, through his own past experience, there was someone standing guard in front of the bridge with two backpacks filled with duel disks; duel disks he won off of duel disks and stolen.

The person in front of the bridge was a Ra Yellow, judging from the color of his school uniform. He had tanned skin, appeared very muscular due to his strong-looking muscles, wore a dinosaur bandanna on his head, and even though he was wearing the standard Ra Yellow uniform, the sleeves were ripped off, making his jacket a sleeveless jacket instead of the full-sleeved version.

"Gah!" screamed Syrus, startled. "It's that mean bully from earlier!"

"Stop right there, civilians!" the Ra Yellow student hollered, giving off the impression that he had a sort of western accent. "My name's Hassleberry; Codename: Tyranno! A freshman Ra Yellow! I challenge you to a du-"

The second Hassleberry laid eyes on Jaden, he stopped midsentence and his breath was taken away by the sight of a pure, innocent, and cute-looking girl before him.

She was...everything he wished for in a dream girl, and he's never even thought of a dream girl before! Those dark chocolate-colored eyes staring deeply into his with a bright shine of innocence, the light and dark mixtures of brown as her hair color, the childish expression of curiosity combined with cuteness matching with her babyish face...and even her movements were adorable and made his heart beat ten times faster! The way she was tilting her head and waving her arm at him and-

"HEY!" yelled Jaden, snapping Hassleberry out of it. "I SAID CAN WE HAVE A DUEL?!"

"H-huh? Oh! Right!" Recalling that he wanted to prove his strength to every duelist he came across, Hassleberry knew that one cute female student would prove no exception to his ruthless dueling as he maintained his composure from before. "Anyways, we'll have a duel, alright! So, get ready!"

"Awesome! Get ready to throw down!" spoke Jaden excitedly. "But...what's with your friends in the background?"

"Hey, don't diss us as some minor characters that only appear like 5% of the time and then never ever appear ever again!" shouted one of the Ra Yellow students as there was a small group of Ra Yellow students dressed similarly to Hassleberry's attire.

"Yeah! We're Troop Tyranno, and we never back down from a challenge!" another Ra Yellow student shouted.

"We're the best gang there is on campus!" bragged a Ra Yellow student. "The foundation of our gang was laid by the Tyrannosaurus, our image character!"

"Wait a minute!" said another Ra Yellow student, glancing over to Syrus. "You look like the kid whose undies we hung at the flagpole yesterday!"

Sweatdropping, Syrus shook his head. "Uh...Nope! Nope! You probably have the wrong gu-"

"AHA! So, it was you guys!" yelled Jaden, furious. "How dare you do that to my friend?! Ooh! Now, I'm definitely mad! That's it, let's throw down right now!"

"Jaden...!" Syrus was conflicted on whether or not to be embarrassed by the fact that Jaden just publicly announced that the Ra Yellows were correct, or be grateful and happy that Jaden was standing up for him.

"Now, hold on!" interrupted Hassleberry. "We have a procedure to go through before we duel! I already introduced myself, so why don't you introduce yourself as well? Er...Please." Despite being a tough guy, Hassleberry has a soft spot when it comes with girls, especially cute ones.

"Oh, that's real easy! I'm Jaden Yuki, and I'm absolutely flawless!" introduced Jaden.

Murmurs coursed through Troop Tyranno about the tomboy duelist before them. After all, there were claims that after Zane left, Jaden was announced as the newest, top duelist in Duel Academy. Plus, she deserved her position after saving the world last year with the Shadow Riders and Kagemaru situation as well as being a role model for the Slifer Reds.

If the cutie before him was truly the infamous Jaden Yuki, then there was no need to hold back against such a great opponent such as her. "Jaden...Yuki, you say?" questioned Hassleberry. "Finally! A worthy opponent! Alright, here's the deal! I'm sure you've heard about me beating up duelists in a duel and then taking them duel disks! So, if I win, you give me your duel disks, including the ones you've got in those bags of yours!"

"No prob!" agreed Jaden. "And if I win, you have to return the ones you stole and carry them all back to their owners!"

One of the Ra Yellow students whispered in Hassleberry's ear, "Be careful! If what she says is true, then this Jaden chick is really strong! But if you win, you'll get your 100th duel disk!"

Another realization came to Tyranno the more he thought about the results should he win. If he won against Jaden Yuki, the strongest, top duelist in Duel Academy, not only would he probably be promoted to Obelisk Blue and take her duel disks, but he'd be deemed the newest, strongest duelist! In fact, the most genius idea came to his mind right now.

"Hey, girly!" called out Tyranno. "I want to extend more to the duel's rewards should I win! If I win, not only will you give me all your duel disks...BUT YOU HAVE TO BECOME MY GIRLFRIEND, TOO!"

"Sure!" said Jaden a bit too quickly and casually. As usual, she thought girlfriend just meant a female friend.

Everyone else was just plain stunned and surprised...before they all had different reactions. Hasselberry was dumbfounded by how quickly she accepted without thinking, his Troop Tyranno squad congratulated him for thinking up a brilliant plan, and Syrus...

Well, Syrus was on fire. Not literally, but his soul was burning with anger and jealously.

 _'OH, HELL NO!'_ Thought Syrus, puffing through his nostrils in anger as he was all fired up. _'It's bad enough that I have to deal with Aster and Chazz as my love rivals, but another one's joining in the rivalry, too?! There's no way I'm letting that happen!'_

Despite Syrus' determination, he was not quick to jump in without a plan, as he knew he couldn't beat Hassleberry after his entire fiasco from yesterday, so he had to rely on Jaden's dueling skills to win back not only the duel disks, but her freedom as well.

"BRING IT ONNN!" yelled Syrus, all pumped up. "Jaden, you better not lose!"

"Er...sure?" Jaden didn't know what got Syrus so riled up. It must have been his loss from yesterday. Either that, or just avenging the duelists who had their duel disks stolen.

"RAAAAAAAHHH! I ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE, JADEN YUKI!" roared Hassleberry, who was just as fired up as Syrus, though his determination differed from Syrus'. Now he knew he must absolutely win this!

Soon, the two duelists faced off one another with Hassleberry being on one side of the West River, while Jaden was standing on the other side. Their audience were Syrus and the Troop Tyranno gang, who were standing on top of the bridge.

"Are you ready, girly?! I ain't holding back!" warned Hassleberry.

"Jaden! Don't hold back just because he's a freshman!" yelled Syrus. "Beat the hell out of that guy! SHOW NO MERCY!"

Seeing a small pipsqueak like Syrus insulting their leader angered Troop Tyranno as they began shouting encouraging words to Hassleberry. "Don't worry, Troop Tyranno's got this!"

"Yeah, we're the best!"

"Don't hold back just 'cause she's a girl!"

"You can do it!"

"Rally up! All hands on deck!" announced Hassleberry. "Let's duel, Jaden Yuki!"

"Alright, alright!" Sighing, Jaden inserted her deck into her duel disk. "Let's do this, General!"

"It's Sergeant, Junior! Now, bring it!"

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Hassleberry - 4000 LP**

"I'll take the first move! Draw!" shouted Jaden. "I summon Elemental Hero Clayman in Defense Mode!"

Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

"Now, I'll end my turn!"

"JADEN! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU GO! YOU'RE WAY BETTER THAN THAT GUY!" cheered Syrus as loudly as he could with all of his spirit.

Unwilling to let a little runt outsmart them, the rest of the Troop Tyranno gang randomly grabbed instruments and megaphones from out of nowhere and cheered even more loudly and with more enthusiasm than Syrus.

"SHOW HER WHO'S BOSS, SERGEANT! SERGEANT, SERGEANT, HE'S OUR MAN, IF HE CAN'T DO IT, NO ONE CAN!"

Inspired by his gang's encouragement, Hassleberry drew his card. "My turn! I Special Summon Gilasaurus in Attack Mode!"

Gilasaurus - (EARTH/Dinosaur) - LV3 - (1400/400)

"Now I sacrifice Gilasaurus in order to Tribute Summon Dark Driceratops!"

Dark Driceratops - (EARTH/Dinosaur) - LV6 -(2400/1500)

"Whoa! You managed to summon a really powerful Monster on your first turn! Nice!" complimented Jaden.

"Huh? Oh...thanks!" thanked Hassleberry; a light blush forming on his face as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

Agitated by their interaction, Syrus shouted, "Less talking, more dueling!"

"Er...Right!" Snapping back into the duel, Hassleberry got his game face back on as he commanded, "I send Dark Driceratops to attack Clayman! CHARGE!"

The winged dinosaur let out a high-pitched shriek as he flapped his wings before rushing towards Clayman, slamming towards him and destroying him in one heavy blow. However, he wasn't finished with his head-on assault as he also attacked Jaden as well, forcing her down on her knees from the slamming impact.

 **Jaden - 3600 LP**

 **Hassleberry - 4000 LP**

"Yeah! He did it! Go, Sarge!" shouted Troop Tyranno.

"Huh? I don't get it! Clayman was in Defense Mode, so why'd Jaden take damage?" wondered Syrus.

"It's simple!" replied Hassleberry. "When Dark Driceratops attacks a Monster in Defense Mode, he inflicts piercing damage! No matter how strong the enemy puts up their defense, my Monster bypasses all that and heads straight for the commander, even if it means taking down the enemy's forces as well! Since I'm nicer on girls than on men, I'll end my turn!"

"That's the way, sarge! Go, go, go!" Troop Tyranno continued giving support for their team commander, shouting out and continuing to play their instruments and wave the Troop Tyranno flag.

"Hey! You guys are way too loud!" hollered Syrus.

 **"Sorry about that! But we won't be booing your friend, so all's cool!"** assured one of the Troop Tyranno members who was using a megaphone.

"Alright, my turn, Lieutenant!" said Jaden, drawing her card.

"I ain't a Lieutenant, I'm a Sergeant!" correct Hassleberry.

"I activate my Spell card, Monster Reincarnation!" Jaden said. "All I have to do is discard a card in my hand in order to add a Monster in my Graveyard to my hand!"

Smirking, Hassleberry crossed his arms. "It's admirable for you to go so far to save one of your troops, but no matter how long his Defense Points are, he still can't stand up to my Dark Driceratops!"

"That's true, but what I really wanted was to send a Monster to the Graveyard," revealed Jaden as the faint illusion of Necroshade appeared behind her. "And what I just discarded was Elemental Hero Necroshade! And when he's in the Graveyard, I can Normal Summon any Elemental Hero without Tributing just this once!"

"So...What sort of Monster are you aiming for?"

"This one! I summon the Level 7 Elemental Hero Bladedge in Attack Mode!"

Elemental Hero Bladedge - (EARTH/Warror) - LV7 - (2600/1800)

"Bladedge, destroy Dark Driceratops!" ordered Jaden.

Being airborned, all it took were a quick few deep slashes from Bladedge's attacks to take down Dark Driceratops.

 **Jaden - 3600 LP**

 **Hassleberry - 3800 LP**

"I end my turn!"

"Wow, Jaden! That was so cool!" squealed Syrus.

"Aha! I know, right?!" giggled Jaden, waving at him.

Syrus grinned at Troop Tyranno, bragging, "See how awesome and cool Jaden is? She just took down a high powered Monster with ease!"

Troop Tyranno glanced at each other in confusion and worry, unsure what to do. Yes, it was true that Jaden did defeat one of their commander's strongest Monsters, and even though they should be rooting for their commander, they didn't know what to do with this revelation.

As Jaden was still waving towards the small amount of witnesses, Hassleberry couldn't help but admire Jaden silently. _'So, this is Jaden Yuki's strength! She sure is strong, being able to take down my Monster that quickly! She's good, but so am I!'_

Deciding that one of the commander's Monsters being taken down was simply a fluke, Troop Tyranno's spirits rose up again as they continued cheering for their commander. "You can do it! We're rooting for ya!"

"That's right...I still have my troops cheering me on, and I can't let them down! I have to show them that no matter what color you're in, you're just as good as your own dueling skills proclaim! But when I tried out for the entrance exam, no matter how good you were, students who enter the high school through the entrance exam instead of a fancy prep school can't get into Obelisk Blue! But my Daddy always said I was a natural-born leader, and he was right! Soon, I was able to form my own squad, and to prove how strong we were, we stood guard of this bridge, challenging folks and taking their duel disks as a reward! But the most important thing about that job was that no matter how tough the opponent was, I would not back down!"

"...You do realize that you were talking out loud, right?" called out Syrus.

Hassleberry was lost in thought that he didn't realize he was monologuing until someone pointed that out. That was always a bad habit of his; speaking things out loud without realizing it. "Oh man, did I speak out loud again?"

Seeing his Troop Tyranno squadron nodding caused Hassleberry to be embarrassed. Oh, not again!

Turning to Jaden, who was more interested in Hassleberry now, Hassleberry cried out, "J-Just pretend you didn't hear anything! My turn! Alright, home field advantage! I activate the Field Spell, Jurassic World!"

The environment surrounding them dramatically changed into the old ages, resembling where dinosaurs used to take over before they were all extinct. They were out in an open, grassy field located near a jungle with a volcano nearby.

"With Jurassic World, this Field Spell can increase the Attack and Defense Points of Dinosaur and Winged Beast-Type Monsters by 300 Points! Plus, your Trap cards can no longer affect any of my Dinosaur and Winged Beast-Type Monsters! What's more, if they become the target of any of your Monsters, I'm allowed to switch them into Defense Mode!"

"What an amazing tactical advantage he has!" commented Syrus.

"I summon Archeonys in Attack Mode!" shouted Hassleberry.

Archeonys - (WIND/Winged Beast) - LV3 - (300/1300)

"And because of Jurassic World, he gains 300 more Attack and Defense Points!"

Archeonys - (WIND/Winged Beast) - LV3 - (600/1600)

"So what? Bladedge is more than strong enough to take down that birdie!" said Syrus.

"Who says I was aiming for her Monster? That'd be a suicide approach!" said Hassleberry. "You see, Archeonys can attack my opponent directly, so have at it, Archeonys!'

Flying towards Jaden, Archeonys stopped above Jaden and her Monster before producing a painful sonic scream from the top of his lungs, hurting Jaden's ears and sending a backlash wave at her.

 **Jaden - 3000 LP**

 **Hassleberry - 3800 LP**

"I place one card facedown and end my turn. Ha! How's that? Good offense and defense!" said Hassleberry, more confident in his victory than ever. "This is the Jurassic Period! The paradise of dinosaurs! How's that, squadron-huh?! What's wrong, troops?!"

When Hassleberry turned to his Troop Tyranno gang, they weren't really cheering for him anymore, but still watching their duel. Rather, they looked bored and were sitting down alongside Syrus.

One of the Ra Yellows yawned. "Well, nothing's wrong, but it's just that you always win using the same strategy involving Jurassic World."

The Ra Yellow with the megaphone shouted, **"We'll be rooting for ya! Still!"**

"Jeez!" groaned Hassleberry.

"My turn, draw!" said Jaden. "You're really interesting! I summon Elemental Hero Sparkman!"

Elemental Hero Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1400)

Turning to Syrus, the Ra Yellow holding the megaphone asked, **"Hey, so-"**

"Gah! My ears! You're way too close!"

"Oops! Sorry!" Putting down the megaphone, the Ra Yellow asked, "So, how do you think your friend's gonna beat the Sarge?"

"Well, Jaden always pulls off unpredictable moves at the last second! Or during the duel Either way, I've never seen her lose before! Except to Zane! But that was a long time ago!" said Syrus. "Now, watch! Jaden's raging attack starts right here!"

"Oh...!" Impressed by this new sort of dueling style their commander never had, the Troop Tyranno gang seemed more interested in Jaden's strategy than their leader's.

"Oh, come on, guys!" pouted Hassleberry, wanting them to focus their attention on him.

"I use Bladedge to attack your Archeonys!" shouted Jaden as Bladedge zoomed forward and steeled himself.

Getting his head back to the duel, Hassleberry began his counter. "Not so fast! I deflect using my Continuous Trap card, Amber Pitfall! It negates the attack of an artacking Monster and puts it in Defense Mode! And that Monster cannot change its battle position!"

A wave of a sand-like substance burst out from the Trap card like a geyser, splashing all over Bladedge and forcing him to kneel down in Defense Mode.

"Well, I still have Sparkman's attack, so go and destroy that Archeonys!" Jaden ordered.

"You have spirit, I'll give you that, but you forgot one little important fact!" said Hassleberry confidently. "Because of my Field Spell, I can put Archeonys into Defense Mode if he's being attacked!"

Archeonys flew down to the ground and shielded himself with his feathered wings, forming a barrier of sorts as Sparkman came charging forward with electricity surrounding his body. He tried to shatter Archeonys' defensive barrier, but was knocked back by how equal their powers were.

"I'll set two cards facedown and end my turn!" said Jaden before grinning. "Man, I was so close! Yet, at the same time, I totally want more unexpected and fun stuff like this to continue!"

"Huh? She's smiling?" wondered one of the Ra Yellows, confused.

"Why is she smiling when she's the one in trouble?" Another Ra Yellow asked.

"That's always how Jaden is," replied Syrus. "I've known her for too long that she always acts this way! No matter how much of a pinch she's in, she always enjoys her duels and somehow maintains the courage to get back up and come up with new tactics to turn the tables around."

"Ohhhhh!" Even more impressed by Jaden, the Troop Tyranno gang appeared to be taking more of Jaden's side than their leader's, irritating the Dinosaur-wielding deck user.

 _'What's with these guys?! Didn't they see just how awesome my strategy is?'_ thought Hassleberry, annoyed. _'So, why are they siding with the enemy instead of cheering? Grrr, I'll deal with that later!'_

Seeing Hassleberry unusually fired up and glaring at her, Jaden was a little taken aback. "H-Hassleberry...? You okay-"

"My turn, draw!" roared Hassleberry. "I activate the Spell card, Earthquake, which forces every single one of our Monsters to switch into Defense Mode!"

The ground rumbled and cracked fissures in the ground, forcing Sparkman to kneel down like Edgeman and change his offensive maneuver into defensive.

"Now I activate the Spell, Modified Ultra Evolution! This card sacrifices one Winged Beast-Type Monster on my field and allows me to Special Summon a Dinosaur-Type Monster from my hand! Jaden, did you know that some dinosaurs originated from birds?"

"Eh? Really? That's cool!" said Jaden.

Hassleberry nodded. "After tens of thousands of years later, Archeonys has evolved! Evolved into a Monster I like to call Black Tyranno!"

Black Tyranno - (EARTH/Dinosaur) - LV7 - (2600/1800)

"And because of my Field Spell, he gains 300 extra Attack and Defense Points!"

Black Tyranno - (EARTH/Dinosaur) - LV7 - (2900/2100)

"But there's more! If you don't have any Monsters on the field that are in Attack Mode, Black Tyranno can attack you directly! So, go boy!"

Vigorous and filled with a unstable urge to bite something, Black Tyranno released a dinosaur-worthy roar before rushing forward at Jaden, commencing his attack within a large cloud of dust.

"Yeah!" cheered Hassleberry in succession. All he had to do was attack again on his next turn! It didn't matter if Jaden put up a Monster in Attack or Defense Mode on her turn, because Black Tyranno's still gonna gobble that Monster up anyways! With this successful attack, her Life Points will be low!

The dust cleared, and like Hassleberry expected, she was still standing. But, what he didn't expect was the unusual calculation in the Life Points area.

 **Jaden - 2100 LP**

 **Hassleberry - 3800 LP**

"Wait a minute..." muttered Hassleberry, counting using his fingers. "3000 - 2900 = 100...I know that attack didn't completely knock you out, but you shouldn't have 2100 Life Points left! Did you happen to rig the system?!"

Jaden shook her head as her Trap card popped up, revealing to be Elemental Recharge. "Nah. I just activate Elemental Recharge! For every Elemental Hero I control, I gain 1000 Life Points each! I had Sparkman and Bladedge still on the field, so I got 2000 Life Points! Sweet move, huh?"

"What a cool move!" cheered Syrus along with the rest of the Troop Tyranno gang.

"...I end my turn," sighed Hassleberry, sitting down in disappointment and sorrow. "This always happens..."

"Hmm? What's wrong?" wondered Jaden.

Hassleberry shook his head, thinking there was no point in telling her. No, maybe she did deserve to know after all. "Whenever I gather up a couple of folks, and whenever there's trouble, they always abandon me. To tell you the truth, I started stealing duel disks so I could improve my charismatic nature as a leader. I've been using the same strategy up even now to beat my folks, but what's the point of winning if there's no one to celebrate the victory with?"

"Well, we don't really know what'll happen in a duel, and that's the best part!" said Jaden. "When you enter a duel, you don't know what your foe's gonna pull, and that's really exciting! In fact, whether I draw a good card or not on my turn will determine my win or loss!"

"Please, do you really think you can turn things around with just one card?" scoffed Hassleberry. "You may have survived Black Tyranno's attack, but your situation's no good in your field."

"True, but even if I win or lose, at least I still had fun in this interesting duel!" said Jaden. "What matters isn't who wins or loses, but how fun the duel is! And I'll prove it! I draw! I activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw two more cards! Now I activate the Spell card, R- Righteous Justice! For every Elemental Hero on my field, I get to destroy that many number of Spells or Traps! I have two, so I destroy Amber Pitfall and Jurassic World!"

Flames erupted and surrounded all throughout the entire dueling field, causing everyone to shriek and try to fan the flames away before remembering that this was all holographic and non-realistic. However, to Hassleberry, seeing his precious Jurassic World up in flames was like witnessing a nightmare.

It wouldn't take him long to realize that the flames wouldn't physically hurt him, but what was more frightening to him wasn't the flames, but a pair of _golden eyes._

Those eyes felt like they were piercing his very soul itself, and Hassleberry felt like he was prey caught by the predator, awaiting for his demise. It was only for a brief moment, but those eyes vanished along with the rest of the flames as he was left staring into the innocent, dark chocolate colored eyes of Jaden Yuki.

"Uh...Dude? You okay?" asked Jaden, snapping her fingers to get his attention.

"W-Wha? Yeah, I'm fine! Of course I'm fine! Tyranno Hassleberry does not retreat from battle!" assured Hassleberry. Nah, it couldn't have been Jaden. No one could possibly change eye color, and besides, the fire must have caused him to temporarily hallucinate. Well, his Jurassic World and Amber Pitfall were destroyed, but it was kinda nice to have a change in scenery-

Wait, that was it! That was what he always lacked! His Jurassic World was like a reflection of him, both strong in offense and defense! He did bad things in the past, but good things as well, so he was a neutral kind of guy. Even so, the companions he made were both relaxed, yet unexcited at the same time, which is exactly what Troop Tyranno was doing right now! He lacked _change._ But seeing Jaden Yuki all excited made him realize even further the gap between him and her.

"HEY!" called out Jaden, pouting. "I told you, that since Jurassic World's destroyed, then your Monster loses 300 Attack and Defense Points!"

Black Tyranno - (EARTH/Dinosaur) - LV7 - (2600/1800)

"Now I activate Polymerization and fuse Avian from my hand and Bladedge on the field to form Elemental Hero Gaia!"

Elemental Hero Gaia - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2200/2600)

"And because Gaia was Fusion Summoned, I activate his special ability! I can target a Monster on your field and halve its Attack Points before adding those halved Attack Points to Gaia's until the End Phase!"

Black Tyranno - (EARTH/Dinosaur) - LV7 - (1300/1800)

Elemental Hero Gaia - (EARTH/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (3500/2600)

"Now, I attack with Gaia!"

Gaia leapt high in the air, blocking the sun with his mechanical body for a brief second before slamming down onto Black Tyranno's backside, crushing his bones.

 **Jaden - 2100 LP**

 **Hassleberry - 1600 LP**

"And now to finish things off! Sparkman, attack him directly!"

Once in the air, Sparkman began charging up electricity within his palms, preparing for his finishing move as Hassleberry no longer cared for his loss, but rather awed at Jaden and her dueling.

"Wow, Jaden," awed Hassleberry; his pupils narrowing into reptile-like slits. "You truly are one of the be-EIEEEEEEHHHHH!"

Just before he could finish, Sparkman finished storing enough power before zapping him with electricity, causing Hassleberry to fall facedown towards the small West River.

 **Jaden - 2100 LP**

 **Hassleberry - 0 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

"Hassleberry! You okay?" called out Jaden, running towards the bridge and trying to see if she could find him.

Shaking water off of him, Hassleberry sat up and called back, "I'm alright!"

Relieved to see him alright just as he proclaimed, Jaden handed him her usual victory finger gesture. "That's game! You've got some sweet moves, Admiral!"

"It's Sar-Never mind!"

* * *

 _Later, that evening..._

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! You can't just barge in, announce that you're coming to live with us, and then dump your stuff onto the floor!" cried out Syrus as he, Jaden, and Chazz watched Hassleberry doing so in their room. _'Plus, it's bad enough that Chazz's living here temporarily!'_

"Yeah, there isn't enough room for you in this cramped room anyways!" said Chazz. In reality, just like Syrus, he didn't want Hassleberry to barge in on their love rivalry. _'Damnit, what is it about Jaden that attracts guys to her anyways?! I'm not letting some potential love rival steal her heart, you hear me, Dino Boy?!'_

"Hey, that's not fair!" defended Jaden. "I mean, you're freeloading here too, aren't you, Chazz?"

"T-This is just a temporary thing!" reminded Chazz. "I'm only living here in Chumley's free bed until my room's complete! That's all!"

Picking up one of his dinosaur shirts, Hassleberry grinned. "Well, I'm staying here to improve my charisma and dueling skills! It's why I broke up Troop Tyranno, after all! They need an even more dependent leader, someone better than me!"

"Hmph, well if you really want someone to show you the ropes, yours truly will happily teach you!" said Chazz.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"WELL, SAY SOMETHING, DAMNIT!"

No way will anyone in the room admit out loud that Chazz wasn't exactly teacher material. That, and the fact that he had a rather nasty attitude.

Standing up properly, Hassleberry offered his hand over to Jaden. "I may be a novice, but please take care of me, Sarge!"'

Taking his hand and shaking it, Jaden replied, "You know you can just call me Jaden, right?"

"Alright then...Jaden," spoke Hassleberry, winking at her. Ever since the duel, he's grown more of an interest towards her, so while he was staying in her dorms, maybe they might become close?

In the background, Syrus and Chazz was close to grabbing someone and breaking Hassleberry's head open. It appears that they have a potential new love rival after all.

It was _so_ on.

* * *

 **Skit: Future Vision**

 _ **"Everyone...the hour is upon us,"**_ spoke Flame Wingman gravelly. _**"I'm sure you've all felt it...that power."**_

 _ **"I thought we were here for another daily Jaden and boy trouble?"**_ wondered Steam Healer, surprised since it was all Flame Wingman could talk about.

 _ **"True, but this time, it's actually more dire."**_

If Flame Wingman was like this, then this meant much more serious business than they thought, so everyone complied and quietened down, though they had an idea what he was talking about.

 _ **"Jaden hasn't noticed, but her power to see Duel Spirits is progressing and growing much faster than we thought,"**_ explained Flame Wingman. _**"Too fast. I'd give it another year before she realizes her power."**_

 _ **"It's all because of the Shadow Riders and the dangers they possessed last year!"**_ shouted Tempest. _**"The adrenaline Jaden had to go through increased that process!"**_

 _ **"Yeah but we need to find a better solution for this,"**_ spoke Burstinatrix. _**"We can still contain...'that' power, but for how long? We'll need to find an alternate plan or that power will be unleashed and we'll lose Jaden. And I don't even know if we can find a way to bring her back."**_

 _ **"This is all Yubel's fault!"**_ Sparkman said. _**"It was a good thing she's up in space somewhere!"**_

 _ **"Yeah, but we can't ever mention Yubel to Jaden,"**_ reminded Lady Heat gently. _**"I don't know if she still remembers Yubel or not, but she was a child back then. We have to be careful."**_

 _ **"Well, the most we can say is that we'll have control our influence over Jaden's unfortunate power,"**_ sighed Flame Wingman, causing the others to nod in agreement. _**"Good, that said, we can adjust to the other meeting for today. Someone named Hassleberry has now joined in and now he's sleeping with Jaden and her friends!"**_

 _ **"It's bad enough that she has those two boys in her room, but another one?!"**_

 _ **"How does Jaden keep getting in these situations?!"**_

 _ **"We must find a plan to hide the body!"**_

Another typical day.

* * *

 **Skit: Sleep Turns**

"Hey, so if I'm gonna live here, where do you reckon I sleep?" wondered Hassleberry.

"There's barely enough room up here!" protested Syrus.

Chazz shook his head. "Yeah, I don't swing that way."

"Then it's decided! Hassleberry sleeps with me!" decided Jaden.

"NO!" yelled Chazz and Syrus as Hassleberry's face exploded into embarrassment. "HE CAN'T!"

Jaden placed her hands on her hips, pouting. "You guys are so mean! Why not?!"

"Er...I don't mind sleeping with her," admitted Hassleberry, raising his hand.

"Yeah, that's not happening," said Chazz. "In fact...I'll let you have my bed and then I'll sleep with Jaden!"

"Oh no, I am not letting you take advantage of the situation here!" shouted Syrus, hugging Jaden. "Jaden, you like me, right?"

"Of course!"

"Ha! See?! She likes me, so I get an automatic win!"

"You're not sleeping with her, Sy! I am!"

While the three were bickering with each other, Jaden thought it might be nice right now to take a nap and decide later.

* * *

 **So, how was it? Read and review, and if you like My Hero Academia you can check out the My Hero Academia fanfic I have posted up! See ya!**


	46. Sad but Truesdale (Featuring Sleepover!)

**Ready for some Syrus action? I am, so here we go!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series only the OCs!**

* * *

"An age-old relic with an unstable stairway that seem like it'd break at any time," muttered Chazz, filming a documentary with his video camera as he made his way upstairs. He pushed opened Jaden's bedroom where currently, Jaden was trying to calm down and stop Syrus and Hassleberry from further arguing with each other.

"Why are you still here anyways?! You should leave me and Jaden alone!" cried out Syrus. "You stink, and I don't remember the last time you showered!"

"Hey! One, if I leave, there's no way I can learn and experience more dueling from Jaden! It'll ruin my charisma!" argued back Hassleberry. "And what about you, huh? You snore loud at night and still keep a baby night-light on! Oh, and for your information, I did shower! ...Last week."

"Well, next time, stay _under_ the water!"

"Hey, hey! Come on guys, let's all get along with each other!" encouraged Jaden, standing up from her seat. "If we're gonna be roommates, we've gotta make some compromises! Besides, shouldn't we be more worried about the Red Dorm getting demolished? I'd say having one friend's better than no friends! So, let's have a group hug!"

"Nah, I don't do hugs!" said Hassleberry.

"'Cause your stench scares everyone away!" insulted Syrus, sticking his tongue out in disgust.

"And here lies the poor, miserable idiots living in a poor, miserable habitat," concluded Chazz, aiming his video camera at the three friends.

Noticing Chazz and his video camera being directed towards them, Syrus spoke up, asking, "What are you doing, Chazz?"

Turning off his video camera, Chazz replied, "My room's finally been completed. It has a wide living room, along with a spa room overflowing with light! And it has a fine-quality maisonette design that offers comfort and warmth for sustenance! And I was just recording my last moments in this flirty Slifer Red dorm before I finally move into my own room! A bit of a documentary, I guess you could call it."

"Geez, now you're making us sound bad," muttered Syrus, sweatdropping alongside with Hassleberry.

"Eh?! You have all those cool stuff?! I wanna see! I wanna see! I wanna see!" squealed Jaden, bouncing up and down. "That spa and comfty stuff!"

Chazz knew one of Jaden's weaknesses besides cute things and fried shrimp was her irresistible urge to check out cool and neat things. "Hmph, I knew you'd say that. Well, follow me and-huh? Alexis?"

Standing in front of Jaden's dorm room was Alexis, who had been quietly and patiently waiting for the others to finish chatting. From the looks of things, it appears as though she was carrying some sort of luggage with her.

"Who's she?" wondered Hassleberry, having never met Alexis before.

"I left the Obelisk Blue Dorm," revealed Alexis. "Think you could let me stay here?"

"Whaaa?!"

"Two girls...in one bedroom with me?! Best. Day. Ever!"

"Of course you can, Alexis!"

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in the Chancellor's Office..._

"So, tell me, monsieur," spoke Bonaparte, being in an arranged secret meeting with Crowler. "Who's going to be our next big star in the Star Discovery Project?"

"You don't need to worry. Everything is fine! And for our next big target, it shall be Syrus Truesdale, younger brother of Zane Truesdale, who's now a duelist league professional!" said Crowler, taking out a photo of Syrus from his breast pocket. "We'll have him duel an Obelisk Blue student, and should he win, we'll promote him to Ra Yellow!"

Grinning, Crowler thought sinisterly, _'And due to the huge reputation his older brother has, all public eyes will be on him!'_

However, Bonaparte seemed to be thinking of an entirely different objective. _'If he gets promoted to Ra Yellow there'll be one less Slifer slacker to deal with, bring moi one step closer to bidding the Red Dorm adieu!'_

* * *

 _Back to the Slifer Red Dorm, inside Chazz's new room..._

Everyone was amazed and impressed by the level of detailing within Chazz's room, or rather, his home near the Slifer Red Dorms. It was basically a two-story building with loads of space, including a hot spa and a living room.

Once the tour was finished, everyone still left a bit dazed and taken aback by Chazz's new home, questioning whether or not they were in heaven or some sort of alternate reality.

"This is really amazing! Do you mind if I crash here?" asked Alexis.

"Hey! I thought you were going to live with us!" pouted Jaden. "I mean, I was really looking forward for a slumber party and stuff..."

"Of course you can live here! There's plenty of space, after all!" replied Chazz before turning to Jaden. "And...I guess you can live here too, Jaden. Don't get the wrong idea, though! It's not like I want you to live here! I just figured that my rival needs to be in top form for our duel in the future, that's all!"

 _'Once again, Tsundere Mode is activated,'_ thought Alexis, Hassleberry, and Syrus, peering their eyes at Chazz in disapproval.

"By the way, why did you come to live with us, anyways?" asked Syrus. "Did something happen at the Blue Dorms?"

"You bet something happened!" scowled Alexis, unzipping her luggage and taking out a red dress, surprising everyone. "This all happened because of Crowler! Get this; he told me to wear this, and to duel while singing! Something about wanting to turn me into some dueling pop star or idol or something."

"Still, why are you walking off with a dress you don't want?" questioned Jaden.

"Because I'm giving it to you. As much as I don't like being forced to wear things, I figured that you might have more use to it," said Alexis, tossing the dress over to her.

"Wait a minute!" complained Jaden, taking the dress and examining it with disgust. "I hate dresses! They're so frilly and girly and-"

 **"ACCEPT IT OR ELSE!"** growled Alexis, obviously not in the mood for any argument. Being constantly forced to become someone she wasn't to the point of leaving her Obelisk Blue dorm could cause so much stress to one person.

Frightened by Alexis' rage, everyone quivered in fear as they hid behind bits of furniture. "Jaden, accept it or else she'll kill us all!" squeaked Syrus.

"Okay, okay! I'll take the stupid dress!" cried out Jaden. "Jeez, I still don't see what's with all the fuss over a dumb dress."

Getting up from behind a chair, Chazz pointed out, "It's more than just the dress, you idiot! It's about _Chancellor_ Crowler!"

"Ohhhh! I get it!" gasped Jaden.

"Finally!"

"Crowler wants to wear the dress!"

"NO, STUPID!"

Clearing her throat, Alexis explained, "Now that Crowler's in charge, things have gotten way worse! He's just trying to further his career, and with Bonaparte as Vice-Chancellor, they're just doing whatever they want, and I'm sick of it!"

"Yeah! And on top of that, they're trying to demolish the Red Dorm!" said Jaden. "They can't get away with this! We have to stop them!"

Barging inside, Bastion was completely exhausted, but he glanced around and spotted his friends. "Oh! There you guys are! We have trouble! It's Syrus! I have something important to tell Syrus!"

"Hmm? Oh, hey Bastion!" greeted Jaden.

"Who's he?" wondered Hassleberry, once again having not met another one of Jaden's friends.

"That's Bastion, the smart one of the team," summarized Syrus. "So, did something bad happen, Bastion? And what's this important stuff you gotta tell me?"

Once everyone settled down to sit in the living room, Bastion explained that under Crowler's instructions, Syrus was to duel an female Obelisk Blue student named Missy who duels using an Insect-Type deck. The reward for Syrus should he win was a one-way ticket to being promoted as a Ra Yellow.

"Missy...she's a little creepy, but she's actually one of the toughest Obelisk Blues I know, and she's been nicknamed the 'Insect Princess,'" revealed Alexis.

"Well, congrats. You're officially Crowler's next victim," scoffed Chazz rudely.

"Hey, there's no need to discourage Sy like that! You're so mean, Chazzy!" pouted Jaden, glaring at him. "Anyways, Sy, this is your big break! If you win, you get to prove everyone wrong and show them just how strong you are! Especially at Chazz! You get to brag it all to his face!"

"Hello? I'm right here!" shouted Chazz, gritting his teeth. "And I would have been in Obelisk Blue if it weren't for Crowler's stupid interference!" _'Although, it's not so bad being here. I got to have my own room, and I get to stay close to Jaden. If I had returned, I would have met the snobby idiots who look down on others. In a way, I guess Crowler did do me a favor.'_

"J-Jaden..." Shaking with fear, Syrus stood up with tears whelming at his eyes. "There's just no way I can win against an Obelisk Blue! I'm just going to lose miserably in front of the whole school! I'm gonna lose just like I lose most of my duels! Waaaaah!"

Upset, Syrus rushed out of Chazz's home, startling everyone and prompting Hassleberry to chase after him as everyone grew concerned. They knew that Syrus always had a kind hearted, but timid heart, and wondered if he was going to pull through this okay?

* * *

 _With Hassleberry and Syrus..._

"Come on, soldier! Up and at 'em! This is your chance to show off your cool side in front of everyone!" encouraged Hassleberry, sitting on top of the top bunk bed and glancing at Syrus, who had entrapped himself in a blanket cocoon.

"It's not a chance, it's a pinch! I'm practically being _forced_ to duel!" cried out Syrus. "Either way, no one would care if some guy like me combined with a dead tree and hung from it! I'm just a worthless, pathetic coward who can't do anything, so leave me alone!"

"Hell no! As if I'll let you give up a great opportunity such as this!" Grabbing onto the bed covers, Hassleberry yanked as hard as he could, spinning Syrus around after freeing him before he fell down. "Now listen here! Fear is your mortal enemy, and fear needs to be destroyed! Fight that fear!"

"But...I'm afraid of fighting!" said Syrus, getting up.

"Then, you've already lost the war!" said Hassleberry. "Lemme ask you something, soldier! How did human survive through wars and obstacles?"

"Er...with luck, cooperation, and resources?"

"I...Actually, yeah, Hassleberry admitted. "But that's not the main point! The point is, those guys survived by evolving! Learning from their mistakes, growing stronger physically and mentally, and much more! If you wanna evolve, you'll do the right thing, duel and beat this Missy girl, and then level up!"

"Hassleberry...why are you helping me so much?" asked Syrus.

"Well, because I can't stand it when the weak are pressured into being cowards or in your state!" revealed Hassleberry. "Besides, if you ran away from Duel Academy, then Jaden would be sad."

 _'I actually almost did at one point,'_ thought Syrus.

"Plus, if you did leave, there's no way I'm getting more competition for Jaden's heart! Chazz would be my only rival, and because of his nasty attitude, there's no way Jaden will pick him! I need a strong fellow like you to keep our rivalry burning!"

"Hassleberry..."

"Besides, I get to have the chance to crush you, so if I crush both you and Chazz, it's a win-win situation for me!" said Hassleberry happily, grinning.

Syrus frowned. "Oh, it's on! It is so on!"

* * *

 _The next day..._

"Hurry, hurry!"

"It's starting!"

"Quick, we gotta get front row seats as soon as possible!"

Running past Chazz, who was in no hurry to get to the Duel Arena, several students eagerly rushed to get their seats and see the duel between Syrus and Missy. Zane Truesdale's brother vs a female Obelisk Blue; now that was something to watch!

"Chazz!" called out Syrus, walking up to him before handing over an envelope. "Do you think you could give this to Jaden?"

"Why? What is it?"

"Just...please give it to her, alright? I gotta go! And no peeking!" Practically shoving the envelope into Chazz's hands, Syrus ran off so he could prepare for his duel.

Curious, Chazz shrugged and opened it, astonished to see Syrus' best card inside. "Ah! It's Power Bond!"

"What'd I just say?!"

Once the audience assembled all around the Duel Arena, it was only a matter of time before the match began. All around, the audience noise only further increased as time passed, and some of the comments were not very good ones.

"Zane Truesdale's little brother? Dueling?"

"There's no way he'll beat an Obelisk Blue! We all know how much he sucks!"

"Wow, this'll be over sooner than I thought!"

Seeing the crowd all riled up and betting on Syrus' loss, Bonaparte seemed mildly surprised as he commented, "All odds are up against the little runt. Think he has a bit of a small chance?"

"But of course," assured Crowler. "After all, size doesn't matter, only skill. Something I've experienced personally by myself."

"Go, go! You can do it! Go, Syrus!" cheered Jaden, dressed in the same cheerleading outfit that she had donned when she cheered for Chumley's duel. With the cheerleading outfit on along with her new appearance for the year, this just made her more cuter and girly.

"Wow..." sighed Hassleberry, unable to stop staring at her as some drool drippled down his chin. "Hey, Jaden? Next time I duel, could you come and cheer me up while wearing that?"

"Hmm? Sure!" agreed Jaden before continuing to cheer and jump up and down. Some nearby male students stopped to watch her, also intrigued and waiting for her to jump a bit...higher.

Alexis scoffed and shook her head before glaring at each and every single male student staring at her with her devious, dark aura, which seemed to scare the students, especially Hassleberry since he was close by, into returning to watch the duel. _'Jaden, you honestly have no idea how much of an influence you're having right now,'_ thought Alexis, shaking her head.

Hassleberry turned towards Syrus, who was about to face off against Missy. _'Soldier, you may have won the battle this time, but not the war. You may have gotten lucky enough to get Jaden cheer for you, but I'll have my turn soon enough!'_

Syrus' opponent, Missy, was a young female Obelisk Blue with wild, long magenta-colored hair who wore a few accessories and makeup. Unimpressed by Syrus' meek appearance, Missy told him, "So, you're Zane's younger brother? Don't take this personally, but you're nothing what I expected. I thought you'd be a lot more handsome and strong like my beloved Zane." To prove her love for Zane, Missy opened up her locket, revealing a picture of Zane inside.

"Hey, that's no fair! Syrus is just as cool as Zane!" defended Jaden, frailing her pompoms around in frustration.

"No fear, soldier!" Hassleberry called out, reminding Syrus of their talk from last night.

"Sorry about all this," apologized Alexis, thinking part of Missy's behavior is her fault because they happen to come from the same dorm together. "Missy is an enthusiastic fan of Zane's. Basically, she's another one of his fangirls."

"Well, even so, she doesn't have to be mean to Sy like that!" pouted Jaden.

"Look, kid, I don't have a grudge or anything, but I'm a girl with needs. And right now, I need to win this duel, because if I win, Chancellor Crowler said that he'll promote me to go pro in the Dueling World League," explained Missy. "So, I won't hold back at all against you!"

"Alright, fine!" agreed Syrus, all fired up. "Then, what are we waiting for?!"

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Missy - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Syrus - 4000 LP**

"It's my turn, draw!" said Missy. "From my hand, I summon Prickle Fairy in Defense Mode!"

Prickle Fairy - (EARTH/Plant) - LV4 - (300/2000)

"What a tight start!" commented Hassleberry. "A good defense is a good offense!"

"Not only is my Prickle Fairy strong in defense, but her special ability helps out as well!" explained Missy. "You see, as long as she's out on the field, you can't attack any of my Insect-Type Monsters!"

"A fitting card to be placed in an Insect deck like hers," said Alexis, finding Prickle Fairy to be more useful in more ways than one for Missy.

"I'll end my turn! So, come at me, boy!"

"Challenge accepted!" shouted Syrus, drawing his card. "Good! I activate the Spell, Shield Crush! That means I can target a Monster in Defense Mode and destroy it! And I choose your Prickle Fairy!"

Shocked, Missy could do nothing as her absolute defense, Prickle Fairy, was destroyed in an instant.

"But I'm not done yet! I still haven't summoned a Monster, so I summon Steamroid in Attack Mode!"

Steamroid - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1800/1800)

"Now, attack her directly!"

In response to his command, Steamroid released some hot steam from his engines, making train chugging sound as he rode towards Missy, stopping midway in front of her before firing even hotter steam and hitting her on the face.

 **Missy - 2200 LP**

 **Syrus - 4000 LP**

"Yeah! What a great move, Sy!" cheered Jaden, fist pumping the air with her pompoms. "You can do it! You can do it!"

"That was amazing, Syrus!" Alexis said happily.

The audience's opinion began to change as they started to view Syrus a bit differently after seeing him pull off the amazing stunt. In fact, some were even praising him and acknowledging his skills a little.

"Wow, that was actually pretty cool!"

"Yeah, you go!"

"Way to play!"

Seeing the crowd now cheering on his side, Syrus couldn't help but grin as he posed confidently. "Haha! Do you hear that? The crowd's on my side! How do you like that, huh? Oh, and I'll end my turn for now!"

"Oh no!" groaned Jaden, facepalming as her face was buried in her pompoms. "Now Syrus' bad habit is kicking in. He's letting fame get through to his head."

"Damn cocky brat...! That'll all change once I go!" growled Missy. "My turn! I summon Pinch Hopper in Attack Mode!"

Pinch Hopper - (EARTH/Insect) - LV4 - (1000/1200)

"A Monster like that is no match for my Steamroid!" reminded Syrus.

"Maybe so, but you shouldn't underestimate the power of my cute Insect-Types!" shouted Missy. "I activate the Spell card, Multiplication of Ants! So now, I sacrifice my Pinch Hopper in order to Special Summon 2 Army Ant Tokens!"

Army Ant Token - (EARTH/Insect) - LV4 - (500/1200) X2

"Even if you managed to summon two more Insect-Types, they're still not strong enough to beat Steamroid!" said Syrus.

"Then, I take it that you haven't heard off Pinch Hopper's special ability? When he goes from the field to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon an insect-Type Monster from my hand!"

"Uh-oh, this is looking pretty bad," muttered Hassleberry, thinking she was going to summon a high-leveled Insect-Type Monster.

"She's sweet, she's strong! She's Insect Princess!" called upon Missy dramatically.

Insect Princess - (WIND/Insect) - LV6 - (1900/1200)

Gulping, Syrus glanced at the strong and beautiful Monster, trying to figure out a new way out of this situation. "You can do this, Sy...Just stay calm."

"Just to let you know, Insect Princess's Attack Points increase by 500 with each time she destroys one Insect-Type Monster in battle," revealed Missy.

"Uh, hello? I don't own an Insect deck like yours, so obviously, I don't have any Insect-Types in my deck!" corrected Syrus.

"That's all about to change!" promised Missy. "I activate the Field Spell card, Insect Garden!"

The entire dueling field began reverting from the regular Duel Arena on campus to an entire wildlife garden full of gigantic weeds, grass, and flowers, almost as if they had shrink and were living in the same level as insects.

"Whoa, what's with that Field Spell?" wondered Jaden.

"Oh, I get it now!" gasped Alexis, realizing Missy's plan. "I know what Field Spell that is! And if I'm right, then Syrus is going to be in huge trouble, because now, Missy's going to lend Syrus some of her Monsters!"

"Huh? Why would she do that? I mean, isn't that kinda a good thing?"

"With Insect Garden, all Level 4 or lower Insect-Type Monsters are now under your control," Missy explained, watching her two Army Ant Tokens crawl to Syrus' side. "And now I play the Equip Spell, Insect Pheromone, and equip it to my Insect Princess! Now, attack one of his Army Ant Tokens!"

Her wings illuminating pink light after being given a boost-up, Insect Princess flew upwards and flapped her wings, leaving trails and gusts of sparkling, pink wind to destroy one of the Army Ant Tokens.

 **Missy - 2200 LP**

 **Syrus - 2600 LP**

"And don't forget Insect Princess' special effect! She gets stronger by 500 Attack Points for every Insect Monster she destroys!" said Missy. "But wait, there's more! Insect Pheromone's effect activate, forcing your other Army Ant Token to fight with my Insect Princess during this exact same Battle Phase!"

Insect Princess - (WIND/Insect) - LV6 - (2400/1200)

"No way!" cried out Syrus, watching his Army Ant Token crawling towards Insect Princess in a futile effort to harm Insect Princess.

"Now, take it out!"

Flying firm and strong, Insect Princess wasted no time fluttering her wings and summoning forth greater winds to take out the last Army Ant Token, and since she became stronger, Syrus' Life Points took a massive hit.

 **Missy - 2200 LP**

 **Syrus - 700 LP**

Insect Princess - (WIND/Insect) - LV6 - (2900/1200)

"I end my turn!" stated Missy.

"S-She's strong...What should I do?" Now Syrus was starting to grow hesitant and worried about losing. If he doesn't win, he'll never improve and will continue on being the wimp that he is!

"Syrus, remember what I said?! You have to face your fear in order to overcome it!" called Hassleberry, agitated.

"Sy hasn't lost yet. He just hasn't show his true strength yet," replied Jaden calmly, sitting down as she had grown tired of cheering. "He's the type who gets things done when he needs to. Besides, Sy's got a trump card in his sleeves, so he'll be just fine!"

"..." Chazz glanced at Jaden, wondering whether or not to tell her the truth. Instead, he decided to just continue baring witness to the duel and see where Syrus' progress will end up.

 _'Not again! Whenever things get tough, I start to doubt myself!'_ thought Syrus, trying to calm himself down. _'Jaden and the others told me that in order to be a good duelist, you have to respect your opponent! But there's this small voice in my head that tells me to give up and that I'm not good enough!'_

As if on cue, Missy insulted out loud, "You're not good enough, dork, so just give up!"

 _'See? There it is! But even so, Jaden taught me to never give up! That I can turn a pinch into a chance!'_ Syrus thought. "My turn, draw! First, I'll switch Steamroid into Defense Mode! Then, I summon Submarineroid into Attack Mode!"

Submarineroid - (WATER/Machine) - LV4 - (800/1800)

"What, are we growing desperate now?" taunted Missy. "That thing's only got 800 Attack Points! No way can it defeat my Princess!"

"I'm not aiming for your Princess! I'm aiming for you!" revealed Syrus. "That's because of my Submarineroid's special ability! He can attack you directly!"

Submarineroid dove underground in the sandy grounds, causing some sort of confusion with Missy as she tried to locate where Submarineroid went before she got a sneak attack to the face by the Machine-Type Monster before he emerged from underground and back to Syrus' side.

 **Missy - 1400 LP**

 **Syrus - 700 LP**

"And now Submarineroid's second effect activates! When he attacks or is attacked, I can switch him into Defense Mode!"

"That was good, but what he really needs to play right now is Power Bond," said Jaden. "Wonder why he hasn't played it yet?"

Sighing, Chazz thought this might as well be a good time to tell Jaden. "He can't. Power Bond...isn't in his deck."

"Huh?" Being handed an envelope by Chazz, Jaden opened it and gasped when she saw Power Bond inside before angrily facing Chazz. "How could you?! Did you steal it from his deck?!"

"Hey, what gives?!" demanded Hassleberry, turning around to confront Chazz.

"Chazz, why'd you do that?!" shouted Alexis.

Being cornered for something he didn't do, Chazz argued back, "Hey, I never stole it in the first place! He made me take it, to give to you!"

"Hmm? Me? But why?" wondered Jaden, staring at the Power Bond card after calming down.

"I'll set a card facedown and end my turn!" concluded Syrus.

Feeling agitated and pressured by the continuous duel, Missy yelled, "You think I'm going to lose?! No, I'm going to where my beloved Zane is! My turn, draw! I summon another Insect Monster, my Magical Longicorn!"

Magical Longicorn - (EARTH/Insect) - LV4 - (600/1600)

"Thanks to my Insect Garden, you have to take him whether you like it or not!"

"Again?" wondered Bonaparte.

"Bonaparte, if this works, my entire plan's a flop!" screeched Crowler, increasingly growing worried since he did promise Missy if she held up the end of their bargain.

"I'll destroy the Magical Longicorn I moved over to your field and I'll win!" declared Missy. "Now, go, Insect Princess! Finish this once and for all!"

"Not so fast! I activate a Trap! No Entry!" said Syrus. "This switches all Monsters into Defense Mode! Then, you have to discard 1 card from your hand!"

"Fine! I end my turn!"

"He somehow made it...Whew! This duel is stressing me out!" sighed Bonaparte.

Crowler sighed as well. "Oh, oui, oui."

"Good hustle, soldier!" cheered Hassleberry.

"Yeah, look at Sy go!" exclaimed Jaden excitedly. "You can do this, Syrus!"

"You're good, getting it this far," admitted Missy. "But, you don't win duels with luck. Then again, I guess luck's all you got. So, tell me, what's it like being Jaden Yuki's flunky?"

"Her...flunky?"

"Yeah, that's right. You always follow her around. Honestly, I'm not sure if she's being a manipulative bitch or if you're just following her because of the pretty looks she has, not that she's prettier than me, of course. But a flunky should just do as a flunky does! So, don't get in my way!"

Unable to contain his anger, especially when she went so far as to insult Jaden, his best friend and crush, who had absolutely nothing to do with any of this, Syrus hollered, "SHUT UP!"

His outburst echoed throughout the entire Duel Arena, surprising everyone. Syrus was always a gentle, soft boy who sometimes got into fights, but never intentionally hurts anyone. To see him like this was an entirely new side.

Calming down, Syrus took a deep breath. "S-Sorry...But, you're right about that. I've always been chasing after things ever since I was little, even seeing my older brother as my role model. Zane...he was a star athlete, always got the good grades...and even the good looks."

"Sy..." Jaden watched as Syrus explained himself in front of Missy-no, the entire auditorium, and if he, who always said that he inherited his good looks from his mother instead of Zane inheriting that part, then Syrus must truly be admitting his flaws.

"It's not just Zane I've always chased after, but Jaden as well!" continued Syrus. "Well, you know what? I won't chase after them anymore! I'll get stronger, and I'll walk _with_ them!"

Touched by his motivational speech, Jaden now understood why Syrus didn't want Power Bond in his deck; at least, not in this duel. Power Bond was certainly strong and could guarantee his victory in this duel, but that would only be borrowing his brother's strength. He wanted to win this without the help of his brother or anyone else; to stand up on his own two feet.

"And there's one more thing you should know!" shouted Syrus. "Don't you ever, EVER call Jaden such a horrible name like that, EVER! She's my friend-No, she...she...I...I LOVE HER!"

"Did he just confess his love for her in front of the entire school?!" exclaimed Missy, Alexis, Hassleberry, Chazz, Bonaparte, and Crowler.

"That soldier's even braver than I thought..." mumbled Hassleberry.

"Hey, can we actually do this?! Having our star pupil confess his love like that?!" exclaimed Bonaparte.

Crowler shrugged. "Eh, why not? Not like it's going to change anything. If anything, it'll only encourage Syrus even more."

"Awwww! I love you too, Sy!" cheered Jaden, waving to him.

"What?! I lost the competition?! Just when I was getting into it?!" gasped Hassleberry, unable to believe his ears.

"You're so cute! I love you too like everyone else! So, go go! Win!"

"Figures..." muttered Chazz and Alexis. A typical answer coming from Jaden, who was still oblivious to love.

"Whew!" sighed Hassleberry. "I'm still in the game!"

"My turn, draw!" said Syrus, red-faced. "I activate the Spell card, Vehicroid Connection Zone!"

"Sorry, but Magical Longicorn's special effect activates!" said Missy. "When he's on the field in Attack Mode and on your side, he can negate the activation of your Spell cards!"

"Too bad, then!" spoke Syrus. "My special Spell card can't be destroyed by Spells, Traps, Monster effects, and it can't be negated, either! I sacrifice Drillroid, Steamroid, and Submarineroid in order to Fusion Summon Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill!"

A pink, enlarged vehicle-like driller Monster with a gigantic drill as his nose popped out from underground and appeared all by himself.

Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill - (EARTH/Machine/Fusion) - LV8 - (3000/2000)

"Jumbo Drill! Attack Insect Princess!"

Digging underground, Jumbo Drill dove his way towards Insect Princess, catching her and Missy off guard as the successful ambush attack ended in a large explosion.

"There's another little twist you should know! When my Jumbo Drill attacks a defending Monster, if his Attack Points are higher than the Monster's Defense Points, he deals piercing damage!"

 **Missy - 0 LP**

 **Syrus - 700 LP**

 **Winner: Syrus**

Finishing off the duel with a victory pose by giving off a V-sign with his two fingers, Syrus stood majestically as his opponent fell to her knees in defeat as the crowd ate up his victory and cheered loudly, being incredibly impressed by Syrus' skills.

 **"The winner is Syrus Truesdale!"** announced Crowler, causing the cheering to rise even further with Syrus waving to the audience.

* * *

 _Later..._

"What?! You're still going to Ra Yellow?!" cried out Alexis, shocked upon hearing Syrus' final decision.

"So then, you'll be doing exactly what Crowler wants!" reminded Chazz, feeling betrayed.

"Don't you care what happens to the Red Dorm?" questioned Hassleberry.

"W-well..." Syrus' intention was to explain himself before heading for the Ra Yellow dorms, but as soon as everyone heard the words "I'm going to the Ra Yellow dorms," everyone freaked out and assumed the worse. At least let him finish talking!

"Nah, it's alright, guys! Just let him go!" assured Jaden. "I mean, he's only going to get stronger, right? He's moving up in the world!"

Syrus nodded. "Yeah, that's right. So, just wait for me to get into the same level as you, Jaden!"

"Here, don't forget this!" Taking the Power Bond card out of her pocket, Jaden tossed it to Syrus, who caught it.

"Zane told me to become a duelist who can stand on his own and respect his opponents, so he gave me this in hopes I might stand up on my own," explained Syrus. "I thought I needed it to be just as good as he was. I didn't realized that I've grown to rely on this card. So, I'm going to try and get stronger on my own without the card. Here, Jaden. You take it."

Jaden shook her head. "Keep it as a keepsake. It's a valuable card that has all your memories with Zane, right? So, go and break a leg out there!"

"Right!"

Everyone was saddened to see Syrus leave for the Ra Yellow dorms. Sure, he would get much more fancier food, more comfortable living quarters, and so forth, but without him, it just feels like the Slifer Red dorms had a member of their own die. Well, as long as Syrus was happy, his friends could afford to be happy for his sake as well.

"Hey! Those are my fried shrimp!" cried out Syrus, donned in his new Ra Yellow outfit.

Surprised, with his mouth stuffed with fried shrimp, Hassleberry was dumbfounded. "But...But you moved to the Yellow barracks!"

"Nah, I figured that I would want to eat with Jaden, so I decided to stay here as a Ra Yellow! Besides, you did the same thing!" replied Syrus. "And there's no way I'm handing anyone over to Jaden! If there's anyone who's gonna be after her heart, it's me!"

"Since when did you get so tough?!" demanded Hassleberry, standing up from his seat.

Grinning mischeviously, Syrus retorted, "Since I took your advice, Sarge! Bleh!~"

"That's it! Let's take it outside! You and me! One-on-one!"

"Zip it! Can't you see I'm trying to eat?" said Chazz, annoyed before returning to his platter of food, only to discover all of the fried shrimp was gone. "Wha-?! Where'd my fried shrimp go?!"

"..." Jaden stayed silent and innocent as possible, but anyone could see one of the fried shrimp's tail at the corner of her mouth.

"You little-! Gimme back my fried shrimp!"

"Waaaah! Chazz is attacking me!"

"Soldier, you and me are taking it outside!"

"Bring it on! I'm not afraid of you, private!"

"IT'S SARGE!"

* * *

 _That night..._

"Jaden, how did you convince Chazz to use his room for the sleepover tonight?" asked Syrus as he, Alexis, Hassleberry, Jaden, and Bastion all sat down in the living room.

"Hmm? What are you talking about?" wondered Jaden. "He said before that I could live here, so I'm taking advantage of his offer!"

"Jaden!" cried out Alexis. "You manipulate Chazz's words about his offer to stay at his new home? ...Nice. Teach me your ways!"

Stepping out of the bathroom with hot steam escaping from the bathroom was Chazz, clothed only in a towel around his waist. "Ah, that was pretty go-WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE?!"

"Hiya, Chazzy! We came here for a sleepover!" said Jaden.

"I didn't give permission to have a sleepover here at my place! Now, get out of here!" shouted Chazz, using the bathroom door to cover himself.

"But Chazzzzzyyyyy!"

"No! No whining! Your stupid puppy dog eyes aren't gonna work on-"

Suddenly, Jaden, who was in her seat, flashed in front of Chazz and pounced on him, tackling him to the bathroom floor and getting on top of him, causing everyone to cry out in surprise.

"Jaden, what the hell?!" exclaimed Chazz as he realized he was being pinned down by Jaden, who further increased her strength and tightened her grip on his wrists.

"Jaden! That's not appropriate!" said Bastion.

"Get off him, Jaden!" said Alexis.

 _'That lucky bastard!'_ thought Hassleberry and Syrus, enraged on the inside.

"How dare you say that?!" shouted Jaden, shaking Chazz by his wet shoulders over and over. "Puppy dog eyes are one of the cutest in history! They stare into your very soul and are like heaven to you! Apply that to puppies or kitties or something and you get a cuddle of fun!~ Don't you EVER call puppy dog eyes stupid! Promise me!"

"I-"

 **"PROMISE ME!"** Now Jaden was starting sound and look demonic, scaring Syrus and Hassleberry as they hid behind Alexis.

Even she was scaring Chazz as he frailed his arms. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry! I promise!"

Jaden quickly reverted to normal as she patted Chazz's shower head. "Good boy!~"

"I'm not a dog, damnit! Get off me!"

Once Chazz dressed and dried himself, he reluctantly agreed to host a mini sleepover at his new home under fear of Jaden. However, he did lay down a few ground rules and conditions.

1\. Any mess made during the sleepover, someone besides The Chazz himself had to clean it up. (Everyone wanted to wipe the smug look off his face.)

2\. He gets to sleep with Jaden. (He was nearly killed by Hassleberry and Syrus for this.)

3\. Any time he wants a drink or food, Hassleberry and Syrus has to go fetch it for him. (Once again, both boys were resisting the urge to kill Chazz.)

4\. More rules may be added later by The Chazz himself.

The first thing Chazz had in mind? A simple game of Spin the Bottle.

"I gotta go to the bathroom!" said Alexis, excusing herself as she rushed to head for Chazz's bathroom. Yeah, she was not dealing with that sort of shit.

"I don't get it," said Jaden, picking up an empty soda bottle. "Why do we have to play a boring game? All we're doing is just spinning a bottle and that's it."

"...Jaden, how much do you know about the game?" asked Syrus, deadpanning.

"Oh! Just that you spin a bottle and that's it! Flame Wingman and my other Duel Spirits told me everything! They also told me it was the most boring game in history and that I shouldn't play it!"

Typical of Jaden's overprotective Duel Spirits. Of course, they would lie about a kissing game for Jaden's innocence.

"Well, screw them! Let's just play the damn game!" shouted Chazz, spinning the bottle. _'Come on, Jaden! Come on, Jaden!'_

And the soda bottle landed right in front of...Hassleberry.

"Ew! EW!" cried out Hassleberry, backing away from Chazz as Syrus burst into laughter. "No way! Nuh-uh! I quit!"

"I'm certainly glad I wasn't in front of that bottle," muttered Bastion.

"Yeah, you know what? Screw the game! We don't have to play it! We can always just choose a different game!" Chazz agreed, throwing the soda bottle away. Yeah, no way was he going to go and kiss Hassleberry.

"Huh? Okay! So, what game should we play?" wondered Jaden.

* * *

 _After multiple games later..._

"Alexis sure is taking a long time in the bathroom," Jaden commented, glancing at the bathroom where Alexis went as she was holding a piece of paper. "Oh well, it's probably no-"

Thinking that enough time has passed, Alexis stepped out of the bathroom and came across a rather...unusual and odd sight.

"Gah! Syrus, go higher! Higher!"

"I can't-! I'm reaching my limits!"

"No! Don't touch the-Ah!~"

"Ewww, don't make a sound lik-Eep! Where are you touching, you bastard?!"

"...What are you guys doing?" asked Alexis, crossing her arms.

"Oh, hiya, Alexis! We're playing a game of Twister!" giggled Jaden.

Somehow, Jaden managed to convince Syrus, Hassleberry, and Chazz to play a game of Twister while she and Bastion were serving as the commentaries for the game as they gave orders to the three boys.

"...It really isn't what you think," spoke Bastion awkwardly.

The three boys were clearly in very...peculiar and close positions with each other, having twisted their bodies in ways that could be considered...sexual.

"Ugh! Get your butt out of my face!"

"You think I want to be in this position?!"

"Ew! Ugh! Did you just farted?!"

"Okay, guys! Chazz, left hand blue! Sy, right hand yellow! And Hassleberry, left leg green!" commanded Jaden happily.

Despite obeying the orders, this caused the trio boys to become more in awkward and painful positions. In fact, some of their bones cracking could be heard.

"Gaaaah! I can't take it anymore! My bones are cracking! Bastion, help!" cried out Hassleberry.

"O-okay!" said Bastion, trying to figure out what to do.

Syrus had an even better idea. "Ow...Bastion, why don't you get Jaden to join us? In our game?"

"Yeah! Get her to join us and-IYEEEEEE!" Hassleberry shrieked. "Hurry!"

Frowning, Alexis grabbed Jaden by the shoulders and took her away. "Jaden, why don't we head over towards the kitchen? I saw ice cream and fried shrimp there."

"Yay! I love those things!"

"NO, NO YOU CAN'T! NOT WHILE WE'RE DYING!" screamed Chazz, on the verge of breaking. "WHAT ARE YOU GUYS, DEMONS, ABANDONING US?!"

"Bastion, save us!" cried out Syrus.

"Okay, okay! Um..." Picking up the paper Jaden dropped, Bastion tried to read something. "Uh...Hassleberry? Try right leg red!"

"O-okay! I can do this! I can-GAAAH! MY GOOD BONE!"

 _'They do realize they can stop the game anytime, right?'_ thought Alexis annoyed as she scooped up some ice cream for her and Jaden.

Thus concluded the sleepover...for now.

* * *

 **Skit: Traumatic Bad Luck**

"Aww, come on! I still think we should have resolved our problems with a hug!" pouted Jaden, crossing her arms in disappointment.

"I've told ya before! I don't do hugs! I'm a man, and big men don't do hugs!" defended Hassleberry. "Besides, haven't you heard all about them rumors? About how hugs are considered a terrible omen?"

"Huh? Who told you that?" wondered Syrus.

"A guy I knew in Ra Yellow told me something! He was one of the former Troop Tyranno gang members, but he told me and a bunch of other people that long ago, there used to be this guy with crazy hair. Looked Egyptian too! And he always asked for a hug!"

"Awww! That's so sweet!" said Jaden.

"But, instead of a hug, that Egyptian guy just stabs people to death!"

"So, he's basically a psychopath," said Syrus. "That's not an omen! That's just some psychopath whose phrasing of 'hugs' means stabbing people to death!"

Hassleberry shook his head. "It ain't matter no more. Too many folks were scared to death and thus renamed the 'Hugs' as a bad omen!"

"Oh, come on! It can't be that bad!" said Jaden, opening her arms and walking closer to Hassleberry. "Here, lemme give you a hu-"

"AIYEEEEE!" As quick as lightning, Hassleberry leapt high in the air, clinging onto the ceiling fan for dear light. "...Just letting you know, I was not afraid of hugs. I was doing my daily dino jump!"

Syrus rolled his eyes. "Yeah...right."

* * *

 **Skit: Operation Hot Bath**

"Where's Jaden and Alexis?" wondered Syrus.

"In the bathroom, bathing," said Bastion, who was reading a book.

Syrus, Hassleberry, and Chazz ceased what they were doing and glanced at one another. They didn't need words to express what their hidden desires were as they all shook hands, forming a temporary truce. Since Bastion was distracted with his book, it didn't take long to reach the entrance of the bathroom.

Their manly desires must be met!

Unknown to Syrus and Hassleberry, standing right in front of the bathroom were both an enraged Burstinatrix, Lady Heat, Rampart Blaster, and Escuridao, the females of the Elemental Hero team. They did not look happy.

"Yeah...I'm just gonna go do something else," said Chazz, backing off. He could handle bullies. He could handle Obelisk Blues. He could handle Jaden's stupidity. Hell, he could even handle Flame Wingman, which he did and _survived._ But pissing off already pissed off female Elemental Heroes whom he couldn't touch? Yeah, he was not crossing that line.

"Feh, chicken," said Hassleberry, reaching out his hand to open the bathroom door. The second he made contact, he felt his head a little bit...hot.

"Gaaaah! Your bandanna's on fire!" cried out Syrus.

Looking up, Hassleberry realized he was right and screamed like a girl, running away and trying to find a source of water to extinguish the fire. Syrus screamed when his pants were on fire and hurried towards where Hassleberry was.

Operation Hot Bath was a total failure.

* * *

 **Skit: Human Victory**

Winged Kuriboh always loved it whenever he got to sleep with his master, Jaden, which was like, everyday. Sure, she cuddles with other cute stuffed animals, and he didn't mind being treated like a stuffed animal, but as long as he got to sleep with his master, everything was alright.

That is, until he was flung away by Chazz and kidnapped by the Ojama brothers.

The last thing he saw before he blacked out was Chazz's grin as he became the new replacement for Jaden's snuggle buddy; Jaden cuddling close to Chazz as she was asleep.

Chazz Princeton has yet again made another enemy.

In a flash, Flame Wingman appeared, not appearing happy and angry, as evident of the flames boiling up his body and being visible. _**"Chazz Princeton...For daring to be in this position, your punishment shall be death..."**_

Chazz predicted something like this would happen ever since their last fight, so he made sure to be fully prepared. "You could annihilate me if you wanted to, but I know you won't."

 _ **"Bullshit. There is literally nothing that would hold me back. I'll face the punishment for burning a human alive later. All I need to do is burn your alive, and that's one less threat away from harming Jaden's innocence. Plus, she's asleep, so she'll never know who did it."**_

"You must seriously be an idiot," said Chazz. "She's clinging onto me like I was some lost, cute puppy. You burn me, you burn her, too. And I know you would never, ever burn her."

 _ **"...I could always kill you whenever you're alo-"**_

"Oh, sure, go ahead. Try me. Go ahead and try to assassinate me. But I know you're a hero at heart and would never kill innocents or bystanders."

 _ **"Your point?"**_

"The Ojamas and my other Duel Spirits are always with me. So, if they witness you kill me, they'll run away like cowardly idiots. Sure, they'll run, but they're still witnesses. But you know who else is going to know who murdered me? Jaden, and she's going to hate you if you kill me. And I got info that any insult from Jaden is like a stab to the heart for you. Imagine what would happen if you were hated forever by the one you cared about the most?"

 _ **"...You're a selfish, son of a bitch, Chazz Princeton. I hope you burn in hell when you die."**_

Chazz scoffed. "As long as you're not in it."

 _ **"GAAAAAAHHH!"**_ Furious, Flame Wingman left, leaving a satisfied Chazz to cuddle with Jaden.

* * *

 **Finished! And if you think that's the end of the sleepover, there's more to come! But not in the next chapter! The next sleepover might be in this season or next season, but there will be another part of the sleepover!**

 **Oh, and before I go, do you guys really want me to put up that Zane vs Aster duel? There's not really a lot to it and focuses on those two. Well, see ya!**


	47. A New Breed of a Hero

**Ok! It's decision time! I decided that...We skip the Zane vs Aster episode! Reason is, because there really was no point to using the episode and I doubt that Aster would even mention Jaden during his duel as he would be focused.**

 **That said, time for the real duel to start! And by that, I mean Aster and Jaden!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

Everyone at Duel Academy were stunned as they could only watch Aster's press conference in shock. About an hour ago, they had gathered inside one of the larger classrooms in Duel Academy as they were granted permission by Bonaparte and Crowler to watch their former top duelist, Zane Truesdale, duel with the infamous young Pro Duelist, Aster Phoenix.

After graduation. Zane's made quite a reputation of himself as he keep winning duel after duel, gaining support as he kept advancing in the dueling world. Today, however, when he was matched up against Aster, who surprisingly wielded an Elemental Hero deck just like Jaden, he lost despite putting his best efforts into the duel.

As Aster's press conference continued, one female reporter walked up to Aster and questioned, **"That was a magnificent victory, Aster Phoenix! What's your secret?"**

Confidently, Aster answered, **"Hard work and determination. Truesdale was strong, but it was destined that I would win."**

 **"This time, you used your prized Hero deck out there, but why at a time like this?"**

 **"Well, there's a duelist at Duel Academy that I enrolled in who uses a Hero deck like me,"** started Aster.

Jaden gasped, smiling in admiration. "Cool! He's talking about me! I'm famous!"

 **"I was originally the faster one to make the Hero deck, but in all the craziness, this duelist became famous. The other day, I heard how this duelist was on par with Truesdale, but lost. Even so, that duelist must have put up a great fight to be called on...almost the same level as Truesdale. But that just means that if I was able to defeat him, I might be able to defeat that copycat duelist. That's why I used this opportunity to display my deck."**

"Copycat? Why's he talking about Dimitri?" wondered Jaden.

Syrus sighed and shook his head. "Jaden, this isn't about Dimitri. Aster's referring to you. You're the copycat duelist he's talking about!"

"Wait, was he displaying his deck not only to prove his true strength, but to use Zane as a guinea pig?" Bastion questioned, feeling disgusted with Aster's actions. If that were the case, then that's practically an insult towards Zane!"

 **"I can't let some wannabe slacker imitate me, so I'm officially issuing a challenge for that student in Duel Academy,"** announced Aster, turning to the cameras. **"I won't announce that student's name, but you know who you are. I'm going to Duel Academy tomorrow, and when I do, we'll settle once and for all which one of us is more worthy of using the Heroes."**

With the conclusion of the press conference at hand, everyone was even more shocked since the only one who could use a Hero deck, like Aster described, was none other than the top duelist of their school, Jaden Yuki. In fact, he just announced on live TV that he wished to duel her.

"Oh, my! A duel between Aster Phoenix and Jaden Yuki?!" gasped Crowler.

Bonaparte found it quite amusing and interesting as he laughed. "Ahaha! We all know Aster's gonna win, and if he does, more reputation for the school and less slackers!"

"So, Jaden and Aster are going to have a rematch?" wondered Syrus.

"A battle of Heroes versus Heroes..." muttered Alexis, finding the ideal duel quite interesting.

While everyone else was worried, Jaden was beyond ecstatic and overjoyed. She was so excited that she was squealing and feeling the urge to jump up and fly around. She couldn't wait until tomorrow to duel him! And this time, he was going to put his A-game on and use his true deck instead of the other one he had!

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in the Duel Spirit World..._

 ** _"SON OF A BITCH!"_** growled Flame Wingman, punching the TV screen while everyone else was trying to ease their own concerned state, but found it difficult after that announcement.

 _ **"Are you still mad about last week's accident?"**_ wondered Elemental Hero Inferno. _**"It's not your fault the villain got away from the shopping mall."**_

 _ **"NO, I-Actually, I'm still quite livid about that, but that's not the point! My precious Jaden is going to duel against a bad boy! I told you guys over and over that he has his sights on her, but would you listen? NO!"**_

In actuality, everyone did listen, and a majority of them supported Flame Wingman because of their parental love for Jaden, while others dissed off Aster as nothing more than a guy that Jaden would meet only once since Aster was infamous and would probably be busy traveling around the world while Jaden was stuck at Duel Academy.

To their surprise, they didn't expect Jaden to be considered anonymous while Aster declared his challenge in front of the whole world. Well, at least he did count her anonymous because if the media learned of her name, they would hound her for information.

 _ **"Okay, okay, so you were right, but now what do we do?"**_ wondered Mudballman. _**"The best we can do now is wait for the duel to start and for us to be summoned into battle."**_

As much as Flame Wingman hated to delay the inevitable, Mudballman was right. Yes, they could enter the Human World, but it'd be only temporary, and they couldn't inflict damage to humans unless it was for a good reason or else they'd face heavy punishment. And they can't hurt Aster because he probably has his own Monsters to protect him, and because he hasn't really done a single thing wrong, although Flame Wingman would like to scorch him to death.

 _ **"Poor Jaden..she must be so scared right now!"**_ sighed Flame Wingman, sitting down.

 _ **"Actually, she's looking really happy right now,"**_ commented Lady Heat.

 _ **"She must be struggling to put on a happy face for us! The poor girl...she doesn't need to hide her emotions like that!"**_

 _ **"She just ran out of the room faster than that hedgehog character from that one TV show Jaden used to watch when she was a child."**_

 _ **"Jaden! She must be so frightened that she ran out of the room!"**_

 _ **"She's now performing a victory dance and-"**_

 _ **"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! SHE'S HAPPY! HOW?! HOW CAN SHE ENJOY THE INEVITABLE?!"**_

Shining Flare Wingman comforted his cousin by rubbing his back. _**"Flame Wingman, I understand that you're worried for Jaden. We all do. But you have to understand that she's usually like this."**_

 _ **"How?! She can't be excited unless...GASP! NO, don't tell me she's become another one of that bastard Phoenix's fangirls?!"**_

 _ **"Oh, great, here we go,"**_ groaned Escuridao.

 _ **"Yes, that must be it! Damn you, Aster Phoenix! How dare you seduce my Jaden with your good looks and charms and personality and skills?! I bet you're just some...some scum playboy behind that face of yours!"**_

 _ **"We'll never let Jaden fall in love with him!"**_ declared the three Hero Kids, being somewhat in love with Jaden since they had child-like crushes on her.

 _ **"Everyone, change of plan! We must train ourselves! Hone our skills! Anything for preparation for the upcoming duel!"**_ declared Flame Wingman.

 _ **"Isn't that kind of pointless?"**_ wondered Sparkman. _**"Our Attack Points and Defense Points will stay the same, so if Jaden wants to enhance our abilities, she just needs to use Spells and-"**_

 _ **"Even so, we must become more powerful, and who knows, maybe we'll gain more new Monsters and allies! Now, who's with me?!"**_

 _ **"I!"**_ yelled most of the Duel Monsters in the meeting room.

 _ **"...By the way, how do we get new Elemental Heroes?"**_ wondered White Magician Pikeru.

 _ **"Don't question it. Just go with it,"**_ sighed Ebon Magician Curran.

* * *

 _In an unknown location..._

Satorius was shuffling through a pile of tarot cards, trying to predict the future using his mysterious powers when Aster entered the pure white room.

"...Are you going?" asked Satorius.

Aster nodded. "Yeah, I gotta make this quick. I don't have time for simple detours like this. I'll duel Jaden, win, and then get on with my life."

Having assembled the tarot cards into a single deck, Satorius drew a card and laid it facedown on the table. "So, you're going to use your true deck, is that correct?"

"That's my intention. I plan to show Jaden Yuki the true power of the Heroes. That they should be used for justice and not for fun. Her childish demeanor about using them in such a manner is an insult for a Hero deck user like me!"

"Stay calm. Controlling your emotions and keeping a rational mind is key to winning," advised Satorius smoothly. "Don't be hasty, for the doors of destiny will always be open to those who accept fate. In fact, to give you some courage, I will look at the fighting spirit and future that dwells within your deck."

Trusting in Satorius, Aster handed his deck over to him. Placing his hand on top of the deck, Satorius' eyes lit up as he emitted a dark energy into the deck. A dark energy magic-like power that could only be used once on the loser of the duel, but that was more than enough to secure Aster's victory as he handed the deck back to its original owner.

"How's my destiny?" asked Aster.

"It seems that even I didn't need to foretell it."

Smirking, Aster turned around and left. "Then, you don't even need to wish me luck. I'll be back soon."

Watching Aster leave, Satorius couldn't help but allow his own smirk to emerge. Soon, his plan will grow into fruition, and there must be stepping stones to bypass. Jaden Yuki was, unfortunately, one of those stones.

* * *

 _That night..._

"Hmm...Aster Phoenix...His various hobbies include surfing, skydiving, and skiing, and he excels well in those sports," revealed Bastion, researching the young prodigy through his computer. "What's more is that this guy has two PhDs through skipping grades and a photographic memory."

Syrus, who was standing right next to Bastion, asked, "So, this guy is a prodigy among prodigies who didn't even lose to my big brother? Man, this guy's good!"

Jaden yawned; eyes droopy as she was shuffling her deck for her upcoming duel with Aster tomorrow. "You guys don't need to worry! I'll be fine! After all, I'm the one dueling Aster tomorrow, so it's all cool!"

"Jaden, it's not cool!" cried out Syrus. "Bastion's just trying to help by finding any weaknesses Aster might have, and so far, there aren't any!"

"Even if I win or lose, all I need is to just duel and enjoy myself! Like I always have!" replied Jaden, being relaxed. Yawning, she fell back against Bastion's bed, curling up. "Man, these are nice! Ra Yellow beds are so nice and fluffy! Hehehe!~ I should have brought over one of my stuffed animals!"

It didn't take long for Jaden to fall asleep. It's been a long day for all of them anyways, so naturally, they were all tired. Bastion and Syrus glanced at each other and sighed, knowing this is how Jaden's always been.

Looking out at the night skies, Syrus saw a shining wishing star from above and prayed, hoping that Jaden might be able to win tomorrow with the fear of anything going wrong.

That shining wishing star happened to be Aster Phoenix, who was currently skysurfing at this very moment after launching himself off his private helicopter. Wanting to end this whole ordeal early, Aster decided to arrive at the one time nobody would have predicted; late at night before the match.

Sometime after, a lone burglar was robbing the card shop inside of the Duel Academy building, having stocked all available cards inside of his bag before heading out and escaping through the front entrance doors as fast as he could.

"Leaving so soon? Stealing cards...one of the worst types of scum of people," spoke up a loud voice from out of nowhere.

"Who's there?!" yelled the burglar, turning around and glancing upwards and spotting a fiendish, cloaked vigilante on the rooftop.

"How about you repent your sins...through a duel?"

It didn't take long for the burglar to be flat on his back as he was left with no more cards on the field, and his opponent's dark Monster was looming over him maliciously while its owner, Aster Phoenix, was standing nearby with a confident smirk of satisfaction.

"You sure won't give up easily, huh? Your destiny has already been determined," spoke Aster. "Now, finish him off!"

"No...No...NOOOOOOO! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

In response to the burglar's loud screams that echoed throughout halfway of the island, Bonaparte, Crowler, along with Jaden and Syrus and Bastion rushed towards the scene of the crime.

"What was that explosion?!" wondered Jaden.

"I heard some scream! Someone must be in trouble!" cried out Syrus.

Aster, having defeated and rendering the burglar unconscious, had taken his deck and examined each card before looking up in disappointment and disgust. "Looks like you don't have the card I want. Looks like you'll be facing more repentance in prison."

Tossing the cards away at the unconscious burglar's twitching body, Aster started to walk away when he heard footsteps. Having just arrived, Jaden and the others were surprised to see Aster and could only wonder what happened.

"Oh, sweet! It's Aster! Does that mean he's come to duel me?" squealed Jaden.

"How did he get here without us noticing?! We were standing in the docks for hours!" complained Bonaparte.

"Huh? Hey, who's that?" Syrus spotted an unconscious man with cards scattered all over him before he and Bastion rushed to his aid.

"Some scum that tried to steal cards from the store," answered Aster. "You don't need to worry about him. I just left him unconscious."

Checking out the unconscious man, Syrus and Bastion noticed that he wasn't only rendered unconscious, but he had various injuries all over his body, meaning he needed immediate medical treatment.

"He's more than unconscious! He's hurt real badly!" gasped Syrus.

Angrily, Bastion looked at Aster. "What the hell did you do to this guy?! Even if he was committing a bad crime, this was way too much for him!"

"..." Aster merely glanced at the two for a moment before turning his attention to Jaden. "Jaden, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

Realizing the gravity of the situation and what horrible thing Aster did, Jaden's admiration turned to anger. "I don't care about that right now! As much as I really, really wanna duel you, I wanna ask! How could you hurt that guy?!"

Remaining calm, Aster replied, "Hey, he was the one doing the bad stuff in the first place. I just merely...taught him his place. And you should really save that anger for our duel."

Walking up to him, both Bonaparte and Crowler approached Aster. "Bonjour, Mr. Phoenix! I'm Vice-Chancellor Bonaparte, and the guy besides me is someone not that important."

Crowler gasped. "How rude!"

"If you're trying to utilize my dueling, you'll have to be my sponsor, which you'll have to deal with through my manager," said Aster, walking off. "Of course, since my manager is quite busy, he won't have time to spend on little people like you."

"L-Little?!"

"Calm down, Bonaparte. He speaks the truth, after all," said Crowler.

Stopping near Jaden, Aster spoke to her. "Jaden, I'll be waiting for you in the Duel Arena first thing in the morning. However, other than your friends, there won't be any other spectators allowed."

"And why not?" demanded Bastion.

"To me, this is a duel that won't be anything special," replied Aster. "A pro doesn't recklessly expose his skills. And besides, people pay money to watch me duel, and there's no way I'm giving a free show to a bunch of amateurs."

"What?! How could you call any of the students here amateurs?" questioned Jaden. "They worked hard to be here! And they look up to you! You're going to repay their admiration for you by telling them not to come? How selfish can you be, you...you...you big meanie?!"

"Wow, really? Real mature," taunted Aster, unfazed. "You've got a lot of learn about the real world. It's not all about rainbows and unicorns out there, you know."

"Grrr...! As a Elemental Hero duelist, I can't afford to lose this duel, you big meanie! My Hero deck is everything to me!"

"They mean everything to you? Ha!" Chuckling a bit, Aster was now a little bit more interested in Jaden. "Well, don't forget those words tomorrow, alright?"

Jaden felt even more determined, yet insulted to beat Aster now. Oh, this was now personal! For the sake of Duel Academy and its students, there's no way she would lose now! Even so, why does she feel as though tomorrow might be...her last day for something? As though she might lose something precious to her?

* * *

 _The next morning..._

Everything was set in preparation for the duel between Aster and Jaden as workers Aster hired were finishing the final preparations for the dueling field while Jaden's friends were sitting in the sidelines, waiting for the duel to begin.

"They're about to start," said Alexis.

"Don't worry! Jaden will win this for sure!" said Hassleberry, having confidence in Jaden's ability.

Syrus knew most of the time, no matter how difficult the duels were, Jaden always managed to get herself out of a tight spot. But right now? Somehow, Syrus had a feeling that not everything will be going according to Jaden's way.

 **"We'll now hold a duel between Jaden Yuki and Aster Phoenix!"** announced Bonaparte, holding a microphone.

Although it was plain obvious that Bonaparte wanted Aster to win, Crowler was secretly rooting for Jaden. "You must do your best and win, Jaden..."

* * *

 _Meanwhile..._

Being informed by one of his spies that he sent to observe the duel, Satorius nodded while talking to the phone. "...I understand. The duel's starting, isn't it? It won't be long before Jaden Yuki becomes one of us."

A wicked grin formed on his face as the white-cloaked man stood up. "Jaden Yuki will see the light, and Aster will experience this duel and rise into new heights!"

* * *

Aster inserted his deck into his duel disk, confident of his victory that was sure to come. What he didn't know was the dark energy power emitted within his deck by Satorius that contained only one usage that activated once there was a confirmed loser.

Aster had no idea the amount of pain and damage he was going to give to Jaden should she lose.

Putting aside Aster and his jerkish attitude from last night, Jaden was so excited to duel him that she was literally bouncing up and down with joy. "Hmm hmmm hmmmm!~ Can't wait to duel him! This is going to be so exciting!~" sang Jaden, activating her duel disk.

Winged Kuriboh, having sensed something...nefarious and dark emitting from Aster's deck, appeared in front of Jaden. _**"Kuri! Kuri kuri kuri, kuri?"**_ ("Jaden! Don't let you guard down, okay?")

"Huh? Awww, it's so nice of you to worry about me, Winged Kuriboh!~" cooed Jaden, ruffling her cute, soft Winged Kuriboh. "But, I'll be alright! After all, this is a duel I can't afford to lose! Not only that, but this is a duel that'll prove just how much stronger you and I and the others have become!"

Seeing Jaden right now still didn't impress Aster. _'Just why is Satorius fussing over this girl? She's nothing special! She's naïve and too childish to be considered a threat!'_ he thought.

"Aster! Let's have a great duel! A duel of Heroes between Heroes!" declared Jaden. "Now, get your game on!"

"We'll settle which one of us is the true Hero user!" promised Aster.

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Aster - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"I'll go first!" decided Aster. "I summon Elemental Hero Clayman in Defense Mode!"

Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

"With that, I end my turn."

Being familiar with Clayman, Bastion's expression was stern. "Looks like he _is_ a genuine Hero user."

"My turn, draw!" said Jaden. "Aw, yeah! I activate Polymerization and fuse Avian and Burstinatrix from my hand to form Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"

Avian and Burstinatrix, spotting Aster and his own Clayman on the field, gave some unease looks at one another before forcibly being fused together to form Flame Wingman. Before they vanished into the vortex, they only prayed that Flame Wingman would give some form of mercy.

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

 _'Wait, I'm the first Monster out? Yes!'_ thought Flame Wingman before scanning the field in front of him, especially Aster. He crackled his knuckles, chuckling to himself. _'Oh, I am SO going to have fun with this.'_

 _'He's just a hologram, but why do I feel some sort of scary vibe coming from him?'_ wondered Aster, glancing at Flame Wingman.

"Flame Wingman, attack Clayman!" ordered Jaden.

Flame Wingman was a little too happy to oblige as he unleashed a concentrated blast of fire from his demonic arm, destroying Clayman the moment the hot raged flames hit him. Not even his best defense could protect him from Flame Wingman's sadistic wrath.

"And now it's time for Flame Wingman's effect! Whenever he destroys a Monster in battle, you get hit with the same amount of Attack Points as your Monster did!"

 _ **"Hello..."**_ spoke Flame Wingman, appearing in front of Aster before preparing a large fireball at his demonic arm's jaws. _**"DIE."**_

Some of Jaden's friends could only look away as they heard Aster's screams and the light of the engulfing flames as they surrounded Aster's field with no mercy. "Damn, I would really hate to be that guy right now," muttered Chazz, sweatdropping. He's had his own share of Flame Wingman's awful ability, so he can kinda relate to how Aster's feeling.

 **Aster - 3200 LP**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 _'What the hell?! Those flames were fake and didn't burn me, but they felt hot! Almost as if I was actually being burnt to death!'_ thought Aster, regaining his calm composure.

"Whew! I end my turn!" said Jaden, glad to see she drew first blood.

"My turn, draw!" Aster seemed glad about the card he drew. "Of course, naturally, it'll be a Fusion versus Fusion duel. I fuse my own Avian and Burstinatrix using Polymerization! But, unlike you, I'm not going to be Fusion Summoning Flame Wingman! I'll Fusion Summon an even stronger version of him! Elemental Hero Phoenix Enforcer!"

Appearing a little similar to Flame Wingman, a humanoid Hero clad in both red and green, but with less of a demonic appear and having wider wings and claws instead of a demonic arm, appeared.

Elemental Hero Phoenix Enforcer - (FIRE/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

It was only the start of the duel and Jaden was acting like a fangirl. "OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD! EEEEEEKKKKK! IT'S PHOENIX ENFORCER! I ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE HIM! HE'S SO COOL! AAAAAAHHHH!"

"Jeez, would you quit it?! It's nothing too impressive like that!" yelled Aster, covering his ears.

Meanwhile, Phoenix Enforcer and Flame Wingman were having a bit of a...standoff with one another. _**"...Brother,"**_ spoke Flame Wingman with no contempt, but no love within his tone.

 _ **"It's good to see you too, my youngest twin brother,"**_ replied Phoenix Enforcer. _**"So, tell me, how's that temper of yours going?"**_

 _ **"This isn't about me and my temper. I'm still-No, the rest of my team is still angry at you and your other...team for defecting the Elemental Heroes and ending crimes in your own, violent ways."**_

 _ **"Oh, come now. I hear that you've been pretty violent to your opponents and even innocent humans too. How is what I'm doing different?"**_ questioned Phoenix Enforcer.

Narrowing his eyes, Flame Wingman answered, _**"Simple. I go around and beat up and sometimes send my enemies to the hospital. However, you go and murder your own enemies. There's a line that can't be crossed, and you and your team has crossed it too many times."**_

 _ **"To be fair, I only kill the Duel Monsters for justice. As for humans, I wouldn't go so far as to kill them. After all, humans are helpless before us Duel Monsters."**_

 _ **"See, there you go! Your stupid philosophy of looking down on humans! Yes, not all humans are good, but that doesn't mean all of them are evil! My master isn't evil! I'll stop you here and now, elder brother!"**_

 _ **"You can try it, but you never could beat me in a duel. Just be careful of the new league me and my team have joined."**_

 _ **"Wait, what?"**_

"Phoenix Enforcer, destroy her Monster!" yelled Aster.

Obediently, Phoenix Enforcer charged up a beam from both his palms as Flame Wingman did the same, and at the same time, both of their beams fired and collided with each other until Phoenix Enforcer's power overwhelmed Flame Wingman and destroyed him.

 _ **"Just as I thought. You never could defeat me that easily,"**_ spoke Phoenix Enforcer, crossing his arms.

"Wait, why'd only Flame Wingman got destroyed?!" asked Hassleberry, baffled. "They both had the same Attack Points!"

Bastion shook his head. "That's true, but their abilities are quite different. Phoenix Enforcer can't be destroyed in battle.

"Not bad, Aster!" praised Jaden.

 _'But, of course,'_ thought Aster, smirking. "I should warn you that you don't have a chance at winning this duel."

"Huh?"

"That's because there's something significantly different between you and I even though we're both Hero users. And I'm not just talking about different cards like your Flame Wingman and my Phoenix Enforcer."

"I'm...confused," admitted Jaden, tilting her head and scratching it.

"You'll understand soon enough," promised Aster. "Well? It's your turn."

"Oh, right! My turn!" said Jaden. "Okay, I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman in Attack Mode!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"And when he's out on the field and there's no other cards, I get to draw two more cards! Here we go! I activate Fusion Recovery, letting me take back an Elemental Hero Monster that was used for Fusion-Material along with Polymerization! I fuse Bubbleman, Avian, and Sparkman and Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Tempest!"

With the destructive force between the three heroes, they merged together to form a Hero more powerful than even Phoenix Enforcer and Flame Wingman. Needless to say, Tempest wasn't too surprised when he saw Phoenix Enforcer.

Elemental Hero Tempest - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2800)

 _ **"Of course, you would be in Master's opponent's deck since we did hear Aster Phoenix possessed a similar Hero deck like hers,"**_ said Tempest, disgusted to see a former colleague.

 _ **"Tempest...How...nice to see you,"**_ Phoenix Enforcer said.

 _ **"I'd rather not waste my breath on murderous scum like you. Let's just fight!"**_

 _ **"Like I've told you and the others before, no matter how hard you try, you can't beat me, only injure me. I'll just keep getting up over and over again."**_

"Elemental Hero Tempest, attack!" shouted Jaden.

Soaring high, Tempest fired a highly-charged laser beam from his gauntlet, effectively harming Phoenix Enforcer, but unable to destroy him.

 **Aster - 2500 LP**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"Aster's Monster couldn't be destroyed, but if this keeps up, Jaden will be wilting his Life Points little by little until they're zero!" said Alexis.

"Plus, Jaden's Tempest has that non-destructive effect as well, should she play her cards right," reminded Bastion.

"I end my turn!" said Jaden.

"My turn!" Aster said. "In cases like this, I think it's time for a brand new Hero. I activate Polymerization and fuse Sparkman in my hand with Shining Enforcer out on the field. I Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Shining Phoenix Enforcer!"

Resembling Shining Flare Wingman, a new, bright hero with flashier and enforced armored wings arrived.

Elemental Hero Shining Phoenix Enforcer - (FIRE/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2100)

"NO! Don't even say anything!" Aster shouted to Jaden, knowing she was going to freak out the same way she did when seeing Phoenix Enforcer for the first duel during this duel.

"...Aww..." pouted Jaden.

"Shining Phoenix Enforcer's ability activates!" said Aster. "For every Hero in my Graveyard, his Attack Points increase by 300! There are 5, so he receives 1500 Attack Points!"

Elemental Hero Shining Phoenix Enforcer - (FIRE/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (4000/2100)

"Shining Phoenix Enforcer! Destroy her Tempest with Shining Finish!"

Flying into the air, Shining Phoenix Enforcer's foot lit up as he charged it with his own energy before performing a somersaulting kick at Tempest's abdomen, defeating him with one blow.

 **Aster - 2500 LP**

 **Jaden - 2800 LP**

"I set a card facedown before ending my turn!"

"Pretty cool moves, but I can do better, too!" said Jaden, drawing her card. "I activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw two more cards! Then I activate Miracle Fusion! This card removes from play Monsters on my field or Graveyard to Fusion Summon a new Elemental Hero! I remove from play Flame Wingman and Sparkman to create Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman!"

Emerging onto the field, Shining Flare Wingman was surprised to see his twin brother counterpart on the field, yet remained calm just like him.

Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2100)

 _ **"My eldest, twin brother..."**_ said Shining Flare Wingman. _**"How could a rift come between us? We were the ultimate tag team together when it came to fighting crime. What happened to us?"**_

 _ **"...Ideals,"**_ answered Shining Phoenix Enforcer. _**"I'm sorry it had to come this way. It seems both our cousins had the same clash as we're going to now. If possible, I wish to avoid this, but..."**_

 _ **"I know. We must respectfully obey our masters."**_

 _ **"I'm glad to see that obedient personality of yours hasn't changed one bit."**_

"Shining Flare Wingman's Attack Points increase by 300 for every Elemental Hero in the Graveyard, and I've got 4, so he gains 1200 Attack Points!" shouted Jaden.

Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (3700/2100)

Aster smirked. "A rivalry between your Shining Monster and mine? How interesting. Still, my Monster's still stronger even after that power boost you gave to your Monster!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Aster. My strategy's not over," said Jaden. "I equip Light Laser to Shining Flare Wingman! Light Laser removes from play any Monsters my Monster battles with at the end of the Damage Step!"

"Heh, that's like Jaden, doing something stylish and flashy," Chazz said, impressed.

"Even if Jaden manages to attack, Shining Phoenix Enforcer can't negate that remove from play effect," replied Bastion.

"Now I activate the Field Spell, Skyscraper!" Jaden shouted as buildings quickly surrounded the dueling field, rendering any escape useless as Shining Flare Wingman literally illuminated. "Now, an Elemental Hero that battles a Monster with higher Attack Points gains 1000 extra Attack Points during battle calculation! Attack!"

Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (4700/2100)

"Go, Shining Phoenix Enforcer! Fight back!" commanded Aster. If Shining Phoenix Enforcer was going to go down anyways, he might as well allow the Monster to go down with dignity and with some fight left in him.

Knowing it was pointless, Shining Phoenix Enforcer fought back anyways as Shining Flare Wingman activated Light Laser, emitting a laser sword from the equipped item before piercing through his twin brother.

 _ **"Well...done...You have a remarkable...master..."**_ coughed Shining Phoenix Enforcer before being blasted to bits.

 **Aster - 1800 LP**

 **Jaden - 2800 LP**

Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (3700/2100)

"She did it! She defeat Shining Phoenix Enforcer!" said Alexis.

"And now, Shining Phoenix Enforcer will be removed from play thanks to Light Laser! So, he won't be around to bother Jaden anymore!" cheered Syrus.

"I end my turn! Yay! I defeated a really tough Monster! My Shining Flare Wingman's so cool, as well as my other Monsters!~" giggled Jaden happily. "I've never seen a more exciting duel like this before, where Heroes are duking it out with each other! It's like we're in an action movie or so-"

"Shut up!" hollered Aster, ticked off by Jaden's naivety. "You call this fun?! You think this is all just a big joke?! A fate in which heroes can't help but fight is _never_ something enjoyable!"

Taken aback by Aster's outburst, Jaden said, "W-well...I never said anything about this being a jo-"

"Do you even understand the weight of the cross that a hero is burdened with, with-with all that suffering and hatred?!" Aster continued yelling out of spite. "I duel for justice, not for fun! And also... _revenge."_

Narrowing his eyes, Shining Flare Wingman noticed the hostility in Aster's voice and moved a little closer towards Jaden to protect her as Jaden was confused and a little conflicted. "Revenge? But...revenge is never good, no matter what."

Aster scoffed. "Of course a naïve, happy-go-lucky, and stupid girl like yourself would never understand. Someone like you, using Heroes just because of their looks and their cool movies, and because they're your favorite, makes me _sick!"_

"Uh...what's wrong with that?" wondered Jaden.

Her answer continued to infuriate Aster. "See, this is part of the reason why we're different! In order to live and seek out revenge, I need my Heroes! At this moment, the wheel of destiny has begun to spin! I activate my Trap, D-Time! This activates only when an Elemental Hero of mine has been removed from play! When that happens, I'm able to add Destiny Heroes with a total Level that's less than or equal to that Monster's Level from my deck to my hand!"

"Destiny Heroes?" Jaden wondered. "Oh! Are they similar to Elemental Heroes?! Sweet!"

"Hey, I've never heard of that kind of archetype!" shouted Chazz. "Either he's a liar, or..."

"No, I doubt he'd lie in a situation like this," said Syrus. "Bastion?"

"Sorry, not even I have knowledge of these Destiny Heroes Aster supposedly has."

"Jaden, you have no idea of the true power of the Elemental Heroes," explained Aster. "The power of evolution that lies dormant within...and taking that evolution form are the Destiny Heroes! They were created by Industrial Illusions, but never officially released. They're called the D-Series, and the "D" in them could mean more than just destiny. They could mean Destroy or Death."

"Why do I have an urge to suddenly call out a sexual reference?" wondered Chazz.

"My turn, draw!" shouted Aster. "I activate the Field Spell, Clock Tower Prison!"

The skyscraper buildings all around them shattered and collapsed to the floor, before a clock tower-like setting took place and surrounded the field as the setting grew dark as night with the clock striking at 6.

"This is a new battlefield where the Destiny Heroes will flourish!" announced Aster. "Now, turn, the hands of fate! Engrave the hour of destiny!"

The clock tower began automatically rotating counterclockwise until it reached midnight, where the bells started to chime loudly as a mysterious figure appeared on top of the clock tower after the clouds cleared.

Everyone began to notice the mysterious figure masked in the darkness before Aster shouted, "Come forth, Destiny Hero - Doom Lord!"

Destiny Hero - Doom Lord - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (600/800)

Doom Lord leapt off the clock tower and flew towards Shining Flare Wingman with his arm extended and his claws ready to tear out something.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, why is he attacking?!" cried out Chazz. "Is he going to a suicidal attack?!"

"It makes no sense! Jaden's Monster has 3700! He'll lose if he attacks!" gasped Bastion.

"No, what I'm doing isn't attacking," corrected Aster. "Doom Lord, activate your effect!"

Upon making physical contact, Doom Lord merely placed a clawed palm onto Shining Flare Wingman's shoulder. Feeling odd, Shining Flare Wingman lit up and disappeared before his Light Laser clattered to the floor and shattered.

"Shining Flare Wingman...what did you do, Aster?!" demanded Jaden.

"It's all Doom Lord's effect," explained Aster. "Once per turn, he can remove from play 1 Monster for two full turns. Don't worry, he'll come back to the future soon enough, assuming there is one."

"You sent my Monster to the future?"

"Yes. The power to manipulate the fate of the future...That is the D-Series of the Destiny Heroes! You'd best prepare yourself, Jaden, because your destiny has already been decided. During the turn in which Doom Lord activated his effect, he can't attack, so I'll end my turn by placing one card facedown."

Normally, one would be frightened of this situation, but Jaden was clearly different as she was clapping her hands and jumping up and down. "Sweet, sweet, sweet!~ Not only do I get to see more Destiny Heroes, but this is the right path for my Elemental Heroes! To surpass your Destiny Heroes!"

Aster smirked. "You think your pathetic Heroes will surpass my Destiny Heroes?! I accept that challenge! Now, come on and face me!"

"Happily!" said Jaden, drawing her card. "My turn, draw!"

"At this moment, my Clock Tower Prison's effect activates!" shouted Aster. "Each time my opponent's Standby Phase arrives, the clock tower's hands spin, granting me a Clock Counter!"

True to his word, the clock tower began rotating until the hands landed on 3 o'clock. This action confused everyone, but knew that the Clock Tower Prison's effect had some sort of meaning to it, otherwise, Aster wouldn't have activated it.

"Jaden, the countdown of destiny has already started. You can no longer escape from your fate of defeat!"

"Fate? I don't believe in dumb stuff like that," replied Jaden, a little annoyed by how he keeps mentioning fate and destiny. "The future's something you decide with your own hands, right?"

"Hmph. Well, I guess you'll try to prove me wrong, huh?"

Jaden nodded. "I'll start off by summoning my cute Wroughtweiler to the field!"

Wroughtweiler - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (800/1200)

"Isn't he so cute?! If he were real, I'd start cuddling him right away and-"

"Get on with the duel! He's fake! He's just a tool!" interrupted Aster.

Jaden gasped, puffing her cheeks in anger. "How dare you say that! Wroughtweiler, attack Aster!"

"Jaden, he still has a Monster on the field," called out Chazz.

"Fine! Then attack his stupid Destiny Hero!"

Growling at the insult, Wroughtweiler pounced onto Doom Lord and knocked him down before biting his shoulder deep enough to destroy him.

 **Aster - 1600 LP**

 **Jaden - 2800 LP**

"I activate a Trap! Destiny Signal!" called out Aster.

"So it's just like Hero Signal," deadpanned Jaden.

"When a Monster is destroyed, this will Special Summon a Level 4 or lower-"

"So it's just like Hero Signal."

"Hey! This will Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Destiny Hero from my deck to the field!"

"So it's just like Hero Signal."

"Quit it, already! My Destiny Signal is nothing like your Hero Signal!"

"Oh yeah? Prove it!"

"...My Trap card Special Summons Destiny Heroes," replied Aster. "But anyways, I Special Summon a new Destiny Hero! Come out, Destiny Hero - Captain Tenacious!"

Destiny Hero - Captain Tenacious - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (800/800)

"His special ability activates! He can revive a Destiny Hero that was destroyed in battle this turn during my next turn!"

Watching a gear-like object appear next to Captain Tenacious, Jaden wondered, "A effect that revives a Monster in the future? ...THAT IS SO COOL!~ I end my turn!"

"Now, Jaden, just try to overturn your destiny!" challenged Aster. "My turn, draw! At this moment, Captain Tenacious' effect will now Special Summon Doom Lord back to the field!"

Destiny Hero - Doom Lord - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (600/800)

"And why not introduce another new Destiny Hero? I summon Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude!"

Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1400/1600)

"I activate Diamond Dude's effect! I draw a card, and if it's a Spell, it sends the card to my Graveyard, and activates on my next turn! I've drawn the Spell card, Misfortune and send it to the Graveyard! Now, I can activate its effect during my next turn!"

"Aster Phoenix and his Destiny Heroes...They may hold a strength that not even we can comprehend," admitted Bastion.

"What do you mean?" wondered Syrus.

"In most cases, Spells and Traps activate when existing on the field. However, should the card be destroyed, leaving the effect to be activated in the future, it'll still pose a threat."

Understanding Bastion's logic, Alexis spoke up, "And unless the card exists on the field, you won't be able to counter the activated Spell or Trap, either."

"They are, without a doubt, Heroes that a prodigy like Aster Phoenix's caliber should be able to master."

"Attack, Diamond Dude!" commanded Aster.

Clenching his fist, Diamond Dude drove his punch deep within the machine-like canine, destroying him mercilessly as a revenge act for what he did to his comrade earlier.

 **Aster - 1600 LP**

 **Jaden - 2200 LP**

"Wroughtweiler's effect activates! Now, I take back an Elemental Hero and Polymerization from my Graveyard because Wroughtweiler was destroyed!" shouted Jaden.

"What's the point if it's not going to help you now?" questioned Aster. "Besides, I can still land direct attacks on you. Captain Tenacious! Attack her directly!"

Suddenly appearing in front of Jaden, Captain Tenacious delivered a heavy uppercut towards Jaden, knocking her and making her slid across the ground.

 **Aster - 1600 LP**

 **Jaden - 1400 LP**

"I set a card and end my turn."

"That jerk! Can't he at least be a little gentler?" wondered Hassleberry. "In fact, he should never hit a lady!"

"You're one to talk, considering you hit her with your Monsters during your first duel," reminded Syrus.

"My turn, draw!" said Jaden.

"At this moment, Clock Tower Prison's effect activates!" shouted Aster as the clock tower's time was now at 6 o'clock. "I now gain a second Clock Counter!"

"Just what does these Clock Counters do?" wondered Jaden.

"You'll see! I believe you still have your turn?"

Jaden nodded. "Okay, my turn! I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman in Attack Mode!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"When he's out on the field, I get to draw two more cards if he's all alone! Then, I equip him with Bubble Blaster, giving him 800 more Attack Points!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1200)

"Now attack Captain Tenacious!"

"How naïve, Jaden!" said Aster. "Go, Trap card! D-Shield!"

The barrage bubble blast Bubbleman fired from his weapon was nullified by Captain Tenacious' armlet shields, protecting him.

"Allow me to explain! When you targeted a Destiny Hero, I can change Captain Tenacious into Defense Mode and equip him with D-Shield, and guess what? He can't be destroyed in battle thanks to the other effect of D-Shield!"

"Looks like things just got worse," muttered Chazz, sensing the serious tension rising.

"Aster's Monster not only has the power to revive other Monsters, but he's now in Defense Mode and can't be destroyed?! Talk about an impenetrable defense!" commented Crowler.

"Guess they don't call him a pro for nothing," said Bonaparte.

"I end my turn!" shouted Jaden, seeing as there was nothing she could do.

"My turn!" said Aster.

"Oh, yeah! My Shining Flare Wingman returns because two turns have passed!" cheered Jaden. "Yay! I get to destroy your Monsters with my Shining Flare Wingman next turn!"

Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2100)

"Jaden, you idiot. He'll probably use Doom Lord's effect again," groaned Chazz.

"Unfortunately, I don't think you'll ever have the chance of beating me, Jaden," replied Aster. "In case you forgot, I can now activate Misfortune's effect from my Graveyard. "In exchange for giving up my Battle Phase this turn, Misfortune inflicts half of the Attack Points of one of your Monsters I choose. And I choose Shining Flare Wingman!"

Shining Flare Wingman's body glowed, shooting out a beam of light which headed for Aster's direction before a barrier protected him and fired at Jaden, sending her flying and crashing down.

 **Aster - 1600 LP**

 **Jaden - 150 LP**

 _ **"Jaden!"**_ cried out Shining Flare Wingman before glaring at Aster. _**"That young man...!"**_

"And now Doom Lord's effect activates!" shouted Aster. "He'll send your Shining Flare Wingman two turns into the future, and there's nothing you can do to stop it! I'll end my turn after he's finished!"

Before Shining Flare Wingman could do anything, Doom Lord rushed forward and grasped his face with both his claws, making him vanish once his usefulness was finished.

"It's almost as if Aster's purposely making her Monster come back just to hurt her," mumbled Alexis, feeling sorry for Jaden.

"It's not just the Destiny Heroes that are troubling Jaden," added Bastion. "Ever since those Destiny Heroes appeared, not once has any of Jaden's attacks have been successful.

"My turn, draw!" shouted Jaden, growing a little desperate. Something was wrong, very wrong! She was still happy to duel, but something was...blinding her.

"At this moment, Clock Tower Prison's effect activates again!" reminded Aster, as the clock struck 9'o clock. "It's useless, Jaden! No matter how much you struggle, it's all powerless when faced with your determined destiny!"

As the clock tower chimed around 9 times to signal the time it was on, Jaden giggled. "Awesome! Your Destiny Heroes are so cool! Hard to think guys like these were in a Hero deck! This is totally the type of challenge I've been waiting for! Ever time I see your Destiny Heroes, it's like the image of a new Hero comes into my mind, too!"

"A new Hero? Hmph. Aside from my Destiny Heroes, such a thing doesn't exist on this Earth!" said Aster. "Besides, an amateur like you could never truly understand the full power and potential behind my deck!"

"Not true!" pouted Jaden. "There's a new Elemental Hero you've never heard of!"

"Oh, yeah? Try me! I've studied not only the Destiny Heroes, but a wide majority of other cards!"

"Oh? I bet you never heard of Elemental Hero Enforcer!"

"That...That Elemental Hero doesn't exist!"

"Of course he does!" argued Jaden. "I made him!"

"...What?" deadpanned Aster.

"Yeah! It was for an art assignment where we had to design our own cards! I made my own personal Elemental Hero that nobody could beat! He has a lot of Attack and Defense Points, he can destroy all cards on your field automatically, he can't be destroyed by card effect and battle, and so much more!"

Syrus realized what Jaden was talking about and facepalmmed. "Jaden, that was only a made up card! Industrial Illusions would never post a card like that in public! It's too OP!"

"Oh, so it was just some art assignment," said Aster, annoyed. "Even if your so-called Elemental Hero were real, your Heroes are nothing compared to mine! The Destiny Heroes are their ultimate forms and they surpass the strength that the Elemental Heroes possess!"

"Oh yeah? Then, I guess I'll just have to surpass the guys that want to surpass my Heroes!" replied Jaden.

"That...doesn't make any sense!" shouted Aster. "Whatever! Just finish your turn!"

"Alright! Bubbleman, destroy Doom Lord!"

This time, Bubbleman's bubble attack was successful as it managed to get a clean hit on Doom Lord. At least for the moment, Doom Lord wouldn't be sending anymore of her Monsters to the future.

 **Aster - 600 LP**

 **Jaden - 150 LP**

"Alright!" cheered Syrus, happy to see some progress happening.

"Jaden just cut Aster's Life Points by a lot!" pointed out Hassleberry. "That's gotta hurt!"

"Even if you destroyed Doom Lord, I can still bring him back!" reminded Aster. "I activate Captain Tenacious' effect to bring him back as soon as my turn arrives!"

''Fine by me! But in the meantime, I'll summon Elemental Hero Clayman in Defense Mode before ending my turn!" said Jaden.

Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)

"My turn, draw!" Aster said. "I activate Captain Tenacious' effect and revive Doom Lord back to the field!"

Destiny Hero - Doom Lord - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (600/800)

"And now, Diamond Dude's effect activates! Now I've drawn a Spell card, so I send it to the Graveyard so I can use it next turn! Next, I activate Doom Lord's effect to remove from play Bubbleman until two turns later into the future!"

Doom Lord landed in front of Bubbleman and grasped his face with his claws, transporting Bubbleman elsewhere as his Bubble Blaster shattered upon reaching contact onto the floor.

"I equip Ring of Magnetism to Captain Tenacious! The Attack and Defense Points of the Monster equipped with this card are decreased by 500 Points. And, my opponent is only able to attack the Monster equipped with Ring of Magnetism!"

Destiny Hero - Captain Tenacious - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (300/300)

"D-Shield combined with Ring of Magnetism being equipped onto the defensive Captain Tenacious would spell out trouble for Jaden, since this basically means he's invincible!" said Bastion.

"How will Jaden get out of this situation?" wondered Alexis.

"I end my turn! Now, what will you do, Jaden?" pondered Aster, interested to see what sort of trick Jaden will pull this time.

"My turn, draw!" said Jaden.

"Not so fast! At this moment, Clock Tower Prison's effect activates!"

With the 4th Clock Counter in place, the clock tower struck midnight and for a brief moment, the image of the entire Field Spell began distorting, meaning that something was happening as an effect of the Field Spell.

Paying no mind to the Field Spell, Jaden continued her turn. "I activate Polymerization and fuse Elemental Heroes Wildheart and Necroshade! Come forth, Elemental Hero Necroid Shaman!"

Bearing a toned body, but being equipped with a traditional weapon, ancient clothing, and red flowing hair with some makeup on, Necroid Shaman took the stage as the newest Elemental Hero on the field.

Elemental Hero Necroid Shaman - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (1900/1800)

"I'll admit, he's strong, but the power of the Elemental Heroes is useless before the Destiny Heroes!" said Aster.

"But you haven't even heard his special ability yet!" pointed out Jaden. "When Necroid Shaman's Special Summoned, he can destroy one Monster on your field, and then Special Summon another Monster that's already in my opponent's Graveyard straight to my opponent's field! I'll destroy Captain Tenacious and Special Summon Avian to your field!"

Elemental Hero Avian - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (1000/1000)

"Great! She turned the tides around!" said Hassleberry.

"Now, Jaden can attack without any defensive Monsters in her way!" spoke Syrus.

"Plus, because the Destiny Heroes have low Attack Points, if Jaden attacks, she'll win!" added Alexis.

"Go, Necroid Shaman!" ordered Jaden.

Necroid Shaman twirled his traditional weapon around before swinging it downwards onto Doom Lord, creating a huge explosion that ended the Destiny Hero and should have depleted Aster of his Life Points, yet an invisible barrier protected him in the end, leaving him safe.

"What a shame!" called out Aster, much to Jaden's shock. "No matter what kind of attack you try firing my way, you won't be able to change your destiny of defeat! Let me explain! Because there are 4 or more Clock Counters for Clock Tower Prison, the effect of the Field Spell renders any Battle Damage to me to become 0!"

"Awww man, and I was so close!" pouted Jaden. "Oh, well! I set two cards facedown and call it a turn!"

"I can't believe the clock tower had a powerful ability like that!" cried out Chazz, astonished.

"This is bad," muttered Bastion. "During Aster's next turn, Shining Flare Wingman will return to Jaden's field!"

"My turn," said Aster. Like Bastion mentioned, Shining Flare Wingman did return after being removed from play for 2 turns. "Through Diamond Dude's effect, I activate the effect of Magical Stone Excavation from my Graveyard! I discard two cards from my hand in order to return a Spell card that was sent to my Graveyard! Naturally, I'll be activating Misfortunate! It inflicts half the original Attack Points of one opponent's Monster as damage to you! I choose Shining Flare Wingman! Now, attack your master and finish this!"

Shining Flare Wingman unleashed a light-like beam emitting from the aura surrounding his body, headlining straight for Aster as a barrier protected his field and aimed for Jaden. If it hits her, then it was all over-!

"I totally saw that one coming!" said Jaden. "I activate two Quick-Play Spells! De-Fusion and Burial from a Different Dimension! First, Burial from a Different Dimension! This card sends Monsters that were removed from play back to the Graveyard! I return Flame Wingman and Sparkman back to my Graveyard! Next is De-Fusion! I defuse Shining Flare Wingman and bring back both Sparkman and Flame Wingman to the field!"

Elemental Hero Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1400)

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1200)

Because Shining Flare Wingman was gone, the Misfortune effect bypassed Jaden, rendering the effect useless as it didn't damage her since the target had vanished.

Aster smirked. "Not bad. You really are tough. I end my turn."

"My turn!" said Jaden. "Sweetness! I activate the Field Spell, Fusion Gate! Now both of us can remove from play Fusion-Material Monsters to Fusion Summon, and thanks to the activation of a new Field Spell, Clock Tower Prison is getting destroyed, which means you won't be immune to Battle Damage any longer!"

"Jaden, I've been waiting for this moment!" shouted Aster, ecstatic instead of worried about his Clock Tower Prison crumbling as the field returned back to normal. "When Clock Tower Prison is destroyed while having 4 or more Clock Counters, I can Special Summon a new Destiny Hero on the field! Come out, Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster!"

As soon as the entire setting crumbled with stormy clouds hanging above the field, a gigantic, tall, muscular Monster with chains and an iron helm appeared, resembling a Monster instead of a hero.

Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster - (DARK/Warrior) - LV8 - (?/?)

"Holy wow, he's big!" cried out Jaden, startled by his appearance.

"His appearance isn't the only thing impressive!" stated Aster. "You see, when he's summoned, he destroys all of my non-Destiny Heroes, and I'm allowed to Special Summon up to two Destiny Heroes in my Graveyard!"

Roaring and staying his ground, Dreadmaster stomped his feet, forcing the ground to shake as the only Elemental Hero on Aster's field got destroyed, being unworthy of being in the presence of the other Destiny Heroes.

"Avian!" cried out Jaden before glaring at Aster. "How could you?! Even if Elemental Heroes and Destiny Heroes are different, they're still a part of your deck!"

"Hmph. It's true that by owning a Hero deck, I gain possession of Elemental Heroes, but I value my Destiny Heroes more than the old and weak Elemental Heroes!" shouted Aster.

"Oh, I am so taking you down now!"

"I'd like to see you try!" challenged Aster confidently. "For now, I'll Special Summon Doom Lord and Captain Tenacious to the field!"

Destiny Hero - Doom Lord - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (600/800)

Destiny Hero - Captain Tenacious - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (800/800)

"Another one of Dreadmaster's effect is that his Attack and Defense Points becomes the combined Attack Points of all other Destiny Heroes on my field!"

Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster - (DARK/Warrior) - LV8 - (2800/2800)

"But that super cool ability will be his weakness!" said Jaden. "Why? Because I activate Fusion Gate to fuse Sparkman and Clayman on the field to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Thunder Giant!"

Elemental Hero Thunder Giant - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2400/1500)

"Thunder Giant's effect activates! When he's Fusion Summoned, he can destroy 1 Monster on the field with original Attack Points lower than his own Attack Points!"

"Then, I activate Dreadmaster's effect!" countered Aster. "On the turn he's summoned to the field in Attack Mode, my other Destiny Heroes can't be destroyed by battle or by card effects!"

"Awwww!" complained Jaden.

"Your assessment was overly optimistic, Jaden-"

"English, dude! I don't understand what you mean!"

"Fine! I expected a stupid girl like you wouldn't understand anyways. I'm trying to say that you're clearly underestimating and taking things way too lightly!" said Aster. "I'll admit, you certainly are a duelist with good skills. However, there's another difference between us! Something I have that you don't!"

"Money, fame, and good looks?" wondered Jaden.

"Did she just admit that he was good-looking?!" questioned Chazz and Syrus, shocked.

"...No, but those are true," admitted Aster. "What's missing between us is a _purpose._ A more important reason to use the Heroes! I duel for justice, and for _revenge._ I'll use the power of these Destiny Heroes to seek my revenge on the one who killed my father!"

Realizing the seriousness behind his reason and possible backstory, Jaden ceased her cheerfulness for a moment to pay more attention. "...What do you mean?"

Sorrowfully, Aster recalled the painful memories as he explained. "My father was a duelist and a card designer for the Industrial Illusions company run by Maxmillion Pegasus, the creator of Duel Monsters. Not only was he a kind-hearted hardworker, but he was a father looked up to, who designed many great Monsters. _My hero."_

Feeling uneased about hearing fatherly stories, Jaden had a slight flashback of her own, clutching her arm before mustering a smile to hide her slight pain. "...What happened?"

"My father..." Clenching his eyes shut from the painful memory, Aster calmed down and opened them; eyes full of sorrow. "My father was killed by a burglar. My father, who never harmed anyone and was always kind, lost his life because some...some _scum_ desired his cards!"

"That's so sad..." admitted Jaden. "Wait a minute! Could it be that your Dad-"

Knowing what she was going to say, Aster looked up and nodded. "That's right. The last cards my father created were the very cards I hold today, the Destiny Heroes! The very power that my father gave me! At one point, I also believed in the power of justice, just as you do. I still do, but I believe that in order for evildoers to truly be punished, they must be struck down the hard way! I kept waiting and waiting for that murderer to show up! But even so, nothing has happened! And that's why I swore in my heart that I would become the hero who would find that criminal and exact my revenge upon him, along with any other evildoers! Soon, I became a Pro Duelist, and using my influence and power, I took part in numerous battle across the world to find the criminal!"

The more he mentioned about his father, the more unpleasant memories Jaden started to remember. Memories she never wanted to arise in her mind again.

* * *

 _Flashback..._

 _Because she was young and naïve, Jaden couldn't fully understand the power of the Duel Spirits, so her ability to communicate with them wasn't as strong as the power she held in her teenage years._

 _Despite her cheerful personality, Jaden didn't have a lot of friends. Truth be told, she used to be a shy individual to others when she was a small child. She loved stuffed animals and a few other girly things, but her true passion relied on dueling, though she lost a couple of times against the boys, who were much better at dueling than her._

 _Her parents were always off at work, coming home late at night and then leaving bright and early in the morning. They always left her notes and instructions on what to do on a special bulletin board, so Jaden hardly spent any time with her parents. She was so lonely all the time, coped up in her home after the school bus dropped her off from school._

 _One day, she was happy when she received her Elemental Hero deck, and that was where she managed to improve her Duel Spirit powers. Though she was considered a freak and an outcast by others, she wanted to show others her power despite them unable to see Duel Spirits._

 _When reports from school about her acting strange about Duel Spirits reached her parents, it only caused problems as Jaden was forced to cover her ear and cry in her room as her parents argued over her behavior. Realizing all of this could be over if she kept the Duel Spirit problem a secret, she came up with that strategy and soon, life began to return to normal, but not exactly her lonely self, especially after the whole crazy incident with her behavior._

 _Eventually, she came to meet...that one card._

* * *

"-ey! HEY!"

"W-What?!" Wiping away a tear from her eye, Jaden glanced up to see a rather angry-looking Aster.

"You...were you even paying attention?!" questioned Aster.

"I was...thinking about...spirits."

"...Spirits?"

"Yeah...Ghosts...Spirits...you know...?"

Shoulders trembling with anger, Aster tried to keep his cool. "Here I am, explaining my whole motivation behind dueling...And you're just daydreaming?! HOW STUPID ARE YOU?!"

Flinching from his angry tone, Jaden remembered a horrible memory she tried to keep down from the bottom of her mind, but failed.

* * *

 _Flashback..._

 _"How could you not see this?! Her grades are dropping, her teachers keep reporting about her behavior, and this has got to stop!"_

 _"She's only a child! Children have imaginary friends and play around! She'll get over this!"_

 _"No, I want her to get over this NOW! It's stupid and shouldn't be affecting her education! She may be a child, but she won't be for long!"_

 _"I hate this too, alright?! Her acting like some...some weird freak! Talking to air all the time, it's worrying-no, scaring me! It's like I don't even know our own daughter anymore!"_

 _"So you understand me?! How stupid she is?!"_

* * *

Trying to muster up a smile, Jaden asked, "So...How would you know about the criminal anyways?"

Clenching his fists at his side, Aster explained, "The criminal who killed my father is the only one who holds a card that's the only one of its kind in the world. I won't let the criminal get away with it! No, _all_ of those who commited evil with unconcern!"

Worried for Aster and thinking his way of justice was wrong, Jaden shook her head, trying to shake the bad memories of her past away. "But still, using the Heroes that your father left behind for you as tools for revenge?! Not only is it pointless, but it's wrong!"

"SHUT UP!" yelled Aster, having lost his patience. "I'm sick and tired of you thinking that you know everything, being ignorant of everything so serious and thinking it's all fun and games to you! Do you think right now's all fun?! Huh?! That my backstory is something to be made fun of?!"

"N-no...But-"

"Don't talk as if you understand, Jaden! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HOW I FEEL! From what I can tell, you're just a stupid, obnoxious girl who doesn't know anything! You're stupid, you're too clueless, and you're pathetic and weak! It makes me _sick_ to see a pathetic person like you using Heroes just for fun and because they're your favorites! Unlike you, I need Heroes in order to defeat that criminal! The true Heroes that give me power! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE TRUSTED WITH A HERO DECK, YOU WEAKLING!"

Startled by his offensive words and forced to recall memories all at the same time, Jaden placed her hands on her ears. "I-I...I didn't..." Tears whelmed up at her eyes, unable to hide them as they were beginning to pour down.

"My turn! This is the end!" Aster practically screamed, unaware of the malicious power emitting from his Destiny Heroes as he was about to hurt someone completely innocent in his actions. "Dreadmaster! Destroy her Monster! NOW! CRUSH FLAME WINGMAN!"

Leaping from his spot, Dreadmaster appeared in front of Flame Wingman as he and the other Elemental Heroes were beginning to sense something wrong...as though something was about to be taken away from them. It was one thing being destroyed, but the important thing being taken away...was something none of them could ever forget.

With one slam, Dreadmaster defeated Flame Wingman, but as he was about to disappear, Flame Wingman saw...the expression on Jaden's face as well as the light disappearing from her eyes.

It was the last sight he saw of her before vanishing.

 **Aster - 600 LP**

 **Jaden - 0 LP**

 **Winner: Aster**

Smirking at his successful victory, Aster turned his back on her as the Duel Spirit of Dreadmaster followed him. "Begone, you runt." With that said, he left, unaware of the damage he caused her.

Tears fell down her cheeks, and she began to collapse, falling onto her back. Everything felt as though it was slow motion for her. She didn't know why she was crying, or where the painful feeling in her chest came from, but she felt as though something important was being removed from her. She could hear the voices of her friends calling out for her.

The last thing she saw was her cards...all turning into nothing but blank pieces of paper as her powers of seeing Duel Spirits vanished...for good.

* * *

 **Wanted to do a bit extra, but yeah! Liked it? Read and review!**


	48. Bittersweet

**A little combination between Episodes 60 and 61, just to get some insight with Jaden! Not really any duels in this chapter, but oh well!~**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

Lost in broad daylight and seeing nothing but the light, Jaden pondered around, wondering what was happening. Last she recalled, she lost the duel against Aster, and the moment she lost, it felt as though a part of her...died.

 **"Your destiny has fallen right into my hands..."** a mysterious, deep voice echoed within the light void. **"No matter how much you struggle, you cannot escape!"**

Frightened of the voice, Jaden wandered around the light void area, thinking, _'W-Where am I...? Where's the rest of my friends? I...I...'_

 _ **"Kuri!"**_

Hearing the familiar cry, Jaden turned and was relieved to see her cute, adorable Winged Kuriboh flying towards her. "Winged Kuri-"

However, the moment, Jaden rushed to hug him like always, a static shock coursed throughout her body, blocking her from touching Winged Kuriboh. "Ow!" She gasped upon seeing Winged Kuriboh flinching from the touch before vanishing. "Winged Kuriboh? Kuriboh? KURI-"

* * *

"JADEN!"

"Eep!" Jaden, startled by Chazz's outburst, was snapped back into reality before remembering she was dueling Chazz. She still couldn't get over how she couldn't see any of her Duel Spirits anymore, and it's been at least, two or three weeks since it's happened.

"What are you zoning out in the middle of our duel?" questioned Chazz as he only had X-Cannon as his Monster on the field. "It's your turn!"

"R-right...My turn..." Hesitantly, Jaden drew her card, and reality hit her like a bag of bricks. She really couldn't see any of her cards even though they were right in front of her! Right now, she could only see blank white pieces of cards, and nothing more!

Ever since she lost against Aster, she couldn't really see anything with her cards. It was always the same blanks of white cards over and over. She knew they were the same cards in her deck, but she couldn't see them anymore! Worse, she couldn't even communicate with them!

Dropping her blank white cards, Jaden stared at her shaky hands, ignoring how everyone was startled by her actions. Even Chazz looked somewhat concerned for her.

Without saying a word, Jaden turned and ran out of the auditorium, forfeiting the duel. Why?! Why did this have to happen?! What happened that caused her to be unable to see her Duel Spirit friends anymore?! They were a part of her life, and suddenly, they're just...just... _blank._ Nothing. Just white! Even though she already visited Miss Fontaine in the infirmary weeks ago, she could still recall everything that happened on that day...

* * *

 _Flashback..._

 _"What?! The Jaden Yuki?!"_

 _"Yeah, it seems she can't duel anymore!"_

 _"What's up with that?!"_

 _"Move it along! Coming through!" cried out Syrus, pushing past the small crowd of Ra Yellows and Slifer Reds as they tried to eavesdrop near the infirmary doors to check on Jaden's current condition. Unfortunately, the combined forces of all of them were too much and the doors slammed opened, causing the crowd to collapse on the infirmary floor the moment the doors opened._

 _Noticing the uninvited number of intruders, Chazz coldly glared at them. "What are you idiots doing? Can't you see we're busy? Get out of here!"_

 _Shaken by his tone of voice, the intruders except Syrus stood up and quickly ran off. "S-Sorry for intruding!"_

 _Standing up, Syrus approached the rest of his friends, who were supervising over Jaden, who was currently having a cheek-up with Miss Fontaine. "What's going on? I heard Jaden can't duel now."_

 _"It's true," spoke Chazz, taking out Jaden's deck from his coat pocket. "According to her, it sounds like all of her cards are just plain, white pieces of paper. She said that she can't hear the voices of her Duel Spirits, either."_

 _Examining through each card in her deck, Syrus recognized each and every one of them, finding them in perfect condition. "Huh? They look fine to me, so why...?"_

 _"Jaden's condition is perfectly healthy and fine," assured Fontaine. "But it seems that she's undergoing some sort of shock status after her duel with Aster Phoenix. The best thing she can do right now is take it easy and rest for a little bit."_

 _"Jaden...are you alright?" asked Syrus, worried._

 _Nodding, Jaden got up and patted Syrus on the head. "I'm fine! I guess Aster really got to me, huh?" She gently took her deck back from Syrus and started walking away._

 _"Jaden, wait-!"_

 _"Sorry, would it be alright if I was alone for a bit?" requested Jaden, stopping for a moment to give him a smile before leaving. Once she left the infirmary and was all alone, a gloomy expression exposed her sorrowful emotions as she wondered what to do._

* * *

Ever since then, Jaden's been moping ever the loss of her lack of ability to see Duel Spirits anymore. Even if she didn't talk with them all the time, she still enjoyed their company. She could feel their presence every single day, watching over and protecting her like family. But now, she felt cold even though her body was warm, and even at night, when she had no nightmares and Syrus and Hassleberry sleeping in her room, she still felt lonesome.

Once again, she was sitting near the ocean cliffs, staring out at the clouds, the skies, and far out at sea. She's been in a state of tranquility and loneliness, spending her time like this for a while, silently waiting for her ability to miraculously return.

For a brief moment, her hopes arose when she saw something resembling Winged Kuriboh, waving that cute little paw of his at her. "Winged Kuriboh!" she cried out, tears of joy nearly dripping from the corner of her eyes. However, upon taking a closer look, she saw it was nothing more than a fluffy, white cloud.

White, just like the color of her blank cards.

Sitting back on the rocks, Jaden took out her deck, not surprised that they were still blank. Despite that, she felt her hopes coming true...only to be crushed by a stupid, white cloud. The frustration of reality caused her tears to fall down and drip onto the blank cards.

"Winged Kuriboh...Flame Wingman...Avian...Burstinatrix...Clayman...Bubbleman...everyone..." she muttered, hiding her teary-expression in her arms, as if hiding her shame from her Duel Spirits, believing they were somewhere around, watching over her. She was afraid that if she showed her tears...they might be disappointment in her.

"Quit crying already!" shouted a familiar voice.

Surprised to hear Chazz's voice, Jaden looked up and saw Chazz standing near her. Sniffling, she wiped her tears away with her sleeve. "Chazz? What are you doing here?"

"...It's not like I care about you or anything!" lied Chazz, crossing his arms. "I just can't stand you being like this! How long are you going to be like this pathetic self of yours? You should still go to classes! You're worrying the others and it's making me sick! 'Oh, I hope Jaden's okay!' 'Oh, I hope she's alright!' 'Oh, she might get better if I give her my fried shrimp!' They keep saying all that sappy crap and it's getting really annoying!"

"...Sorry," apologized Jaden, looking away.

Gritting his teeth, it was taking every single ounce of his willpower not to beat some physical sense into Jaden. "Look, idiot! I'm serious! Give me a better answer than some apology!"

"...No matter what I do, I can't duel if I can't see my cards," replied Jaden sadly. "I'm not blind or anything. I can see you and the ocean and stuff like that just fine. But when it comes to dueling and my own deck, I can only see white. Sorry, I don't even know what to do."

Irritated, Chazz shouted, "Then, I know what to do! Let's duel! Right here, right now! I'll even go easy on you just this once! Come on, let's get our game on or something!"

Standing up, Jaden began walking away, not once turning back. "...Maybe later, okay?"

Unable to take anymore of this, Chazz rushed over, grabbed Jaden's shoulder, forcibly turned her around, and punched her straight in the face, knocking her down, much to her shock.

Chazz isn't like most boys, for most boys would never directly hit a girl. However, that didn't mean he'd enjoy punching girls, either. That punch was just to release his frustrations on Jaden, and damn, did it feel good!

Taking this chance to confront her directly, Chazz pinned Jaden down, who immediately started struggling. However, thanks to Chazz's superior strength over her, he won their little struggle and had her pinned underneath her, forcing her to listen to him.

"Just look at yourself!" yelled Chazz angrily, clutching her wrists at the sides of her head with both his hands. "It's only been one loss! So, you lost, like, one time since the semester started, and you're down in the gloom like some third-rate duelist?! Get over it! You've lost against Zane, and it wasn't this bad! Hell, you enjoyed the duel, so-"

"Let me go! Let me go-!"

"NO! You're gonna shut up and listen to me or else I'm gonna punch you again over and over until you stay quiet!" yelled Chazz. "So you lost the duel with Aster! Big deal! So you lost the ability to see Duel Spirits! Another big deal! They don't matter! So why don't you just snap out of it and-"

"Big deal? Big deal?!" snapped Jaden, angrily glaring at Chazz with a fierce look that he's never seen before. Her chocolate brown eyes flickered into golden as tears ran down her cheeks. "How could you say something like that?! Of course this is a big deal for me! I don't care that I lost against Aster! What I'm more worried is seeing my Duel Spirits! They're more important!"

Chazz was frozen with fear and shock the more he stared into Jaden's eyes. He didn't know why, but staring into those deep, golden eyes of hers caused some sort of fear triggering deep inside of him. As if he should watch his words. As if he should be the one to _shut up and listen to her._

"You're _sooooo_ lucky, Chazz!" spat Jaden with resentment in her tone. "And I don't mean you and your big ego and being rich and all! You get to see your Duel Spirits just fine! You're not the one who's lost the ability to see Duel Spirits! You have no idea what it's like, being lonely like this!"

"What are you talking about?!" Ignoring the fear that he forcibly shoved back inside, he increased his grip on her wrists, causing Jaden to winch in pain.

"You know what I'm talking about! You get to talk to Ojama Yellow and the others! You get to duel just fine! You get to sleep well and perfectly safe without any nightmares!" Jaden was practically sobbing at this point; eyes drippling with tears. "I-I don't get to see them anymore! I miss them! Winged Kuriboh, Flamey, Bursty, Avian, everyone! I-I really, really miss them! I wanna duel again!"

Upon hearing her words, Chazz felt some sort of sympathy and pity for Jaden. Yeah, he didn't tolerate the Ojama brothers at first, mostly because they were annoying as hell, but as time passed, he got used to their presence, even though they were still annoying. Back when he was a lousy, egotistic duelist, he was cold and cocky towards everyone, but with his Duel Spirits, he's never felt more warmer than before. Just the thought of losing them caused a little fear inside of him.

That experience Chazz never had is what Jaden's currently experiencing right now. Of course he didn't know how she felt.

Feeling his grip loosen, Jaden knocked Chazz back by clashing their heads together hard. Grimacing, Chazz released her as Jaden ran off, crying. He rubbed his forehead and saw Jaden heading off somewhere else.

 _'...Damn,'_ he thought, fishing his hands into his pockets. _'I really screwed things up, huh?'_

* * *

 _Meanwhile..._

In a dark room with little light, Sartorius checked over the tarot cards at his table, examining his fortune telling skills once more.

Turning over the middle card, Sartorius muttered, "The upright Wheel of Fate...truly unpredictable. Jaden is Aster's food of growth. After being defeated by Aster's deck, whom I fused my powers with, Jaden's soul should have been pure and white. She should have been the vanguard of controlling Duel Academy with my white light. But that didn't happen...She still has control over her soul, though her powers have greatly weakened."

Getting a new card and flipping it over, Sartorius was amused by the new results in his fortune telling predictions. "The Fool, the Pilgrim, the Wanderer. Perhaps there is another who shares the same powers as Jaden? This should be interesting..."

 **"Master Sartorius, we're almost to Duel Academy."**

Upon hearing that announcement, the room lights flipped on, and Sartorius pulled the curtains out of his way to take view upon Duel Academy Island, where his fate would take upon that destination.

* * *

"Wonder what's for dinner tonight...?" muttered Hassleberry. As he was heading back towards the Slifer Red dorms, he heard sniffling and sobbing from the nearby forest. Curiosity overtook him as he decided to check out the noise.

Much to his shock, he found Jaden, all curled up and muffling her cries by covering her mouth and trembling like crazy.

"Jaden! Soldier, you alright?" Hassleberry kneeled down besides her. He was always rough and strict on boys, but he was taught to be much more politer and nicer to girls, like that one time when he helped an old lady cross the street.

Hassleberry couldn't exactly tell what Jaden was saying, as she was speaking too quickly and in gibberish while shaking. Clearly, she wasn't stable and too upset to be speaking properly, but he did manage to hear a few words.

"H-Hassleberry...Do you think I'm...stupid? And dumb? And an idiot?" sniffled Jaden.

"What?! No! Serge, you're the best duelist I've dueled yet!" assured Hassleberry. "Why would you think that?"

"B-Because I can't see my Duel Spirits anymore!" wailed Jaden, more tears pouring down her cheeks. "I-I must have done something wrong, right?! Was it because I eat more fried shrimp than I should have?! Because I teased Chazz too much?! Because I didn't do my homework and pranked Crowler a lot?! I don't know what to do..."

Hassleberry didn't know anything about Duel Spirits, so he didn't know how to help her in that department. Despite that, a friend was still a friend, and if Jaden needed her help, then damnit, he was going to help her!

"Jaden, I don't know what's going on, or why you can't duel anymore, but as your friend, I'll help you out!" assured Hassleberry, bringing her a grin. "So what if you can't see any dumb spirits anymore? They're probably a nuisance and troublesome anyways!"

Hassleberry could hardly be blamed for failing to understand duel spirits, or how important they are, since he's become Jaden's friend this year, but his words only made things worse and angered Jaden.

"Why would you even call them dumb?! And they're NEVER a nuisance! Not to me or anyone else!" yelled Jaden before storming off.

Dumbfounded, Hassleberry just stood there. "...Wait, what did I do?!"

* * *

 _In the Duel Spirit World..._

Ever since it was discovered that Jaden lost the ability to communicate with Duel Spirits, things have gotten...bad with her Monsters. A lot of the Elemental Heroes harshly blamed Aster for Jaden's lost cause and felt heartbroken when they could nothing but watch their mistress cry every single night.

Recently, their approach towards the tenacious villains were more rougher than usual. Normally, they would just beat up any bad guy Duel Monsters in their city and send them to jail, but now, they were beating them up to the point where they were forced to go into hospitals.

They couldn't even go after Aster because they didn't know where he was. But more importantly, it was because they weren't allowed to hurt humans without good reason, and vengeance was never a good reason. Plus, Aster didn't know it, but he had protection with him; his own Duel Spirits, their rival heroes, the Destiny Heroes.

Everyone felt helpless, especially Flame Wingman, who actually crushed a building with his bare fists. Luckily, it was an old, abandoned building, and no damage was harmed to the rest of the buildings or the other civilians, but Flame Wingman had to be admitted to the hospital for his injured fists.

As for Winged Kuriboh, Jaden's most favorite and only Fairy-Type Monster, he tried countless times to visit Jaden and tried to get her attention, but there was an invisible force in the human world preventing him from interacting with her.

Upon returning with a flower he planned to give to Jaden, Winged Kuriboh flapped around sadly; tears forming at his eyes before he bawled softly. He truly did miss Jaden's company, and although he had to endure her suffocating hugs, he enjoyed them nevertheless.

* * *

 _That night..._

Jaden didn't look back as she started the boat and took off from Duel Academy, glancing behind her shoulder as the wind wiped away the remainder of her tears. If she couldn't duel, she didn't deserve to stay in Duel Academy any longer.

Perhaps...it was better off if she left.

* * *

 **Short, but bitter sweet! Yeah, sorry if this seemed short to you guys, but I've got tests to study for, but I hope you guys enjoyed this!**


	49. A Greater Porpoise

**Hey! Ready for Jaden to regain her powers yet? I am!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"JADEN!"

"Where are you, Sarge?!"

"Your soon-to-be-boyfriend's looking for you!" both Hassleberry and Syrus exclaimed as they continued roaming around the Slifer Red Dorms, trying to track down Jaden.

Upon hearing that from one another, both males glared at each other with so much intensity, it might as well rip the fabric of space and time. That declaration also sparked their intensity and motivated them to search even harder for Jaden.

"Tell him it's me, Jay!" shouted Syrus, trying to search under the staircase.

Sliding the slide door open with more force than necessary, Hassleberry checked the dining hall. "Yeah! Let half-pink here know that I'm your #1! Specifically your soon-to-be boyfriend!"

"Jaden! You're the kindest person I know! You always know when to trust people and put your faith into them!" called out Syrus, checking the other side of the dorm. "So, remember all the good times we had and pick me! Like...like the time with the Shadow R-No wait, that was actually bad! Never mind!"

Alexis sighed, unable to understand the minds of men and their own possession and definition of love. Why must it come down to this?

First, Jaden gets defeated by Aster, which somehow affected her psyche and caused her not to duel anymore. Then, she mysteriously disappears and hasn't been seen in a while! This troubled her friends greatly, who started searching around campus in order to look for her, but unfortunately for them, Duel Academy island was HUGE.

While Jaden was away, Hassleberry and Syrus somewhat managed to form an intense rivalry with each other, not just with dueling, but also for Jaden's heart as well. Syrus appeared to be getting more bolder and braver each day as he grew stronger, thus getting him match-to-match with Hassleberry, whose admiration for Jaden grew to the point where he truly did have a crush on her.

"Jaden's my soon-to-be girlfriend, got it, twerp?!" shouted Hassleberry. "I'm stronger, faster, and ten times more braver than you'll ever be!"

"Not true! She's going to be my girlfriend!" argued back Syrus. "Besides, who's known her longer? Last I checked, you've only known her for a few months, while I was her best friend for a year! Well, boyfriend later when we find her! Try and counter that, rookie!"

"Gaaaah!"

As much as he hated to admit it, which he won't out loud, Syrus was right. It was a given fact that Syrus and Jaden do spend time with each other, especially since they met last year! He couldn't win against that sort of info, no matter what! Still, like his father said, one can win the battle, but not the war, and Hassleberry was damn sure he was going to win the war!

"Grrr...! I'm gonna kill ya, shorty!" growled Hassleberry. Syrus took that as a challenge and growled back at him, and the two prepared for an all-out brawl.

At least, that would have happened if it weren't for Alexis' intervention. "That's enough, you two! You're acting like babies!"

The two boys grew silent until Syrus spoke up. "He started it."

"You lying little-! No, I didn't!"

Once again, Alexis sighed in exhaustion. Honestly, it was like taking care of two kids! "Be serious! Have you guys even checked _carefully?"_ By that, she was referring to other places and not under rocks or cardboard boxes, which were exactly where Hassleberry and Syrus were searching at.

"Hahahaha! It's a waste searching for that stupid idiot!" announced Chazz, standing atop of the Slifer Red dorm rooftop proudly. "The morning of revolution will come soon! The world will be embraced by clear light! Why continue looking for that fool? She simply didn't see the light! The Society of Light!"

Speaking of which, Chazz has been acting strangely amongst the many changes to the island. Now he was babbling on and on about the Society of Light as well as other philosophical things the others could care less about. Plus his entire wardrobe's changed, as he was now garbed in white instead of his usual black garb.

"Hey, do you know where Jaden is?" asked Hassleberry.

"Who knows? Who cares!" replied Chazz. "Even if she did leave the island, she's probably lost at sea by now! AHAHAHAHAHAH-AAAHHHH!" While laughing maniacally, Chazz made a misstep and almost fell off the rooftop, thus clinging onto the edge and struggling to get back up.

 _'Idiot,'_ everyone else thought, sweatdropping as they hard Chazz's cries for help before proceeding to help him down.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, with Sartorius..._

Shuffling around his tarot cards in a huge pile with his hands, Sartorius tried to find an answer by using his psychic, fortune-telling abilities. He's been curious for Jaden for a while, even though she should be of no more use to him now that Aster's accomplished his task in defeating her and disabling her ability to speak to Duel Spirits.

Even so, Sartorius assumed he should be cautious because Jaden represents The Fool Arcana, meaning she's a wild card, and wild cards are always hard to predict. Essentially, that means that The Fools are always, or at the very least one of, the most dangerous Arcanas to be wary of.

 _'How could Jaden's soul eluded me? Only the cards can explain it,'_ thought Sartorius before one of the cards slipped from his grasp and landed on the ground facedown. _'This one landed...diagonally.'_

Picking up the card, Sartorius flipped it over to reveal The Reaper of Souls card. _'When upside-down, it stands for rebirth. When upright, it signifies for destruction. But it landed in neither direction, so what does it mean? In any case, nobody can escape destiny.'_

* * *

 _In the middle of the sea..._

"I'm soooo hungry!" whined Jaden, staring at her own reflection at the water with a bored and tired expression. Ever since she ran out of gas for the boat, she's been contemplating nonstop and wondering what she should do.

Ever since losing to Aster, she's lost all ability to see Duel Monsters, like her cards which have somewhat turned white, and the fact that she can't even speak to her Duel Spirits. She missed hearing the voices of Winged Kuriboh, Flame Wingman, all her other cute Monsters and Elemental Heroes, and other Monsters! Hell, she'll even vote for hearing the Ojama Brothers!

A shine in the night sky caught her eye as a shooting star flew across amongst the stars above, brightening up her attitude a little. Shooting stars...she never really believed much in them because of childish things, which is ironic considering she's pretty childish herself, but she wanted to hope in any wish.

Had she still been cheerful and more into the mood, she would have wished for a lot of things. For example, she could wish for an endless amount of wishes, which is kinda cheating the system. Then, she could use her first wish to get some food, specifically fried shrimp. Then, whenever Chazz was mean to her, she could counterattack with her own mean way by...turning him into a stuffed plushie or something! Oh, and she could wish for more cute stuffed animals. Yeah, those were nice.

Suddenly, the shooting star was growing closer and appearing more like a red comet...heading straight for her!

"Oh, shit!" she shouted, rushing towards the front of the boat, only to remember it was out of gas. "Oh, come on! Not no-!"

Then the comet crashed on her and everyone died. The End!

Actually, the comet-like shooting star did crash, but not on Jaden. It only hit the sea in a close range near Jaden, causing large waves to engulf Jaden into the ocean water. Within underwater, Jaden felt her movements and thought process were getting close. Her eyes fluttered before her consciousness went dark, hearing various voices and seeing lots of her Duel Monsters and duels beforehand.

When Jaden finally woke up, she found herself lying on something soft but somewhat prickly...which happened to be sand. Hearing the soft waves crashing against each other nearby, Jaden sat up and found herself in a beach of sorts.

"Ugh...Where am I...? Did I somehow manage to make it back to Duel Acad-EH?!" Turning her head, Jaden was shocked to see a huge planet very close to her. Well, not literally close, as it was still in mid-air, but way closer and less far away than in the galaxy where it belongs!

"No way...is that Jupiter?!" she exclaimed. "How?! No wait, yeah! I have to be dreaming all this! Yeah! It's the only explanation! And in order to prove it, I have to pinch myself!" Doing so, she winched at the pain. "Ow! Okay, not a dream. Hmm..."

Last she recalled, she remembered that her boat was shot by a shooting star and everything exploded. Well, she fell into the water too, so did that mean that she died by drowning? After all, there's no such island that had Jupiter nearby, so this must be the aftermath!

"...NOOOO!" cried out Jaden, tossing and turning in the sand as she gave out a childish tantrum. "I had so much stuff to do! Like, buying new stuffed plushies! And eating more fried shrimp! How could I die so young?!"

 _ **"Er, this isn't the afterlife, you know."**_

"Huh?" Getting up, Jaden examined around her surroundings to see if anyone was around, judging from the voice from earlier. However, it was just her and the cute, squeaky dolphins around. "Huh...Could have sworn I heard someone."

 _ **"You did. I'm at the water."**_

Being more clear on where the voice was coming from, Jaden spotted all but one dolphin swimming around and playing with one another. This particular dolphin was staring back at her, causing Jaden to step closer.

"You? You can talk?" asked Jaden cautiously. "I guess I did drown...Oh wait! Am I in Heaven?! Does that mean all animals here can talk?! Sweetness!"

 _ **"No, not quite,"**_ corrected the talking dolphin. _**"This is Neo Space on the Jupiter orbit. Jaden Yuki, you're a welcomed guest here, so you have nothing to fear."**_

With that said, the dolphin sprung out of the water and into land, and to Jaden's surprise, this dolphin wasn't any ordinary dolphin, as he was a bit lean and muscular as well as having legs.

"Whoa! A dolphin with legs! You look like...like...an awesome superhero dolphin-thingie!" gasped Jaden excitedly. "Are ya?! Are ya?! Are ya?! ARE YA?!"

Awkwardly, the dolphin tried to correct her. _**"Er...I suppose in a way. But, let me introduce myself. I'm the inhabitant on Planet Dolphin, this Neo Space. I'm also what you may call a super-evolved Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin. You may call me Aquos."**_

"Whoa...I've just been told the space dolphin superhero's secret identity!" Jaden awed. "Who knew the afterlife would rule?"

 _ **"Once again, this is not the afterlife. For now, please listen to me as I tell you why you are here."**_

Jaden nodded. "Sure, okay!"

Aquos nodded. _**"Jaden, the universe is in danger. There must always be a balance within everything. Earth and Air. Light and Darkness. One cannot exist without the other! The source of all the fighting comes from the opposition of light and darkness. The space is the soft world of darkness where life is fostered. But it's at the edge of destruction because of the threat from the light of destruction. We're seeking for people possessing the right strength of darkness to fight the light. Now that the balance has tipped, we need you, one of the chosen!"**_

"Wait, I'm confused..." said Jaden. "In all the comic books and video games I've played, the light side is always the good guys, while the darkness is always bad. Wouldn't it be better if darkness was gone? And light can be destructive?"

 _ **"Not exactly. Like I said, there must always be a balance or everything goes to chaos. Light cannot survive without darkness, and darkness cannot survive without light. One side can defeat the other side, but never truly destroy it, only render it useless temporarily. And yes, usually light is for the pure and good, but this is a completely different matter. Our enemy is the light of destruction, and the ones who can balance that light is the good side of darkness. In a way, light has both good and bad sides, just as darkness has good and bad sides as well."**_

"So...like a supervillain using the power of light, and a superhero can use the power of darkness for good?!" asked Jaden.

 _ **"Yes, something like that. Jaden, there's an organization called the Society of Light, and these humans are destroying the darkness, thus destroying the balance. Your last duel also comes from a part of the opposition of light and darkness."**_

"Really? I didn't know that," replied Jaden. "After my duel with Aster Phoenix, my brain seemed to be wiped clean. Now, I have no idea why I duel all the time."

Alarmed by the bright light emitting from an incoming UFO which appeared out of nowhere, the other dolphins squeaked in fear before diving underwater for safety.

 _ **"Oh, looks like they found us,"**_ spoke Aquos, standing up.

"Who?" wondered Jaden.

 _ **"The Society of Light. Or rather, the henchman of the Society of Light. They must have sensed your power, Jaden. If we can't protect our Neo Space from them, well...it'll be bad. Jaden, you must lend me your strength!"**_

"Me?" Jaden pointed to herself. "But I don't have a ray gun or anything like that!"

 _ **"We don't need those kinds of weapons to defeat them. It's the Duel Monsters that are needed."**_

"Duel...Monsters?"

Hearing the UFO land, Aquos and Jaden watched as a Duel Robot emerged from underneath the UFO, bathed in its light as it turned its attention onto the two of them.

 _ **"Now's the time for your next duel!"**_ Aquos encouraged, pushing Jaden forward from behind. _**"Show me your strength as a duelist!"**_

"Wait, wait, wait!" cried out Jaden as she was being shoved forward against her will. "I don't even have my deck! Besides, even if I did have them, I can't see them!"

 _ **"Deck? Your deck has landed here from the space with you just now. Here, have a look."**_ Aquos pointed to a small satellite device halfway buried in sand, prompting Jaden to check it out.

Jaden noticed the logo on the device was dusty and old, but she paid more attention to the capsule hidden within the device. Opening up the capsule, she saw a new deck of cards inside, almost as if it had been waiting for her.

 _ **"Jaden, remember that true strength isn't about winning,"**_ advised Aquos. _**"It's about getting back up when you fall down."**_

"I know! Yugi Motou said that before!" replied Jaden. "But still...why me?"

 _ **"Jaden, saving the space means saving the earth! Jaden, I heard that you had lots of fun dueling, but something serious must have happened that caused you to be who you are now. Perhaps this may be your chance to start all over."**_

Nodding, Jaden approached the Duel Robot until she was sure that they were at a fair distance from each other. "Alright! Space Hero Rookie Jaden is back and ready to get her game on-whoa!" As if hearing her wishes, a duel disk appeared on her waist, operational and ready to be of use. "How?!"

 _ **"It's simple! Part of your power grants you what you absolutely need in a situation like this!"**_ replied Aquos. _**"Anyone with the power of Duel Spirits can use this ability!"**_

"Grant me anything I want...?" gasped Jaden before turning to the Duel Robot. "Then, I wish for fried shrimp! Ooh! And lots of cute stuffed animals! Oh! And a million more wishes! And make that robot go boom-boom!"

Nothing happened.

 _ **"Jaden, I don't believe that's how your power works, although that last request would have been helpful,"**_ sighed Aquos.

Sensing a duel about to commence, the Duel Robot spoke up at last. **"Humanoid opponent detected. Identified as Jaden Yuki. Duel."**

"Alright, my wishes didn't really work, but my wish for a duel is about to come true!" said Jaden. "Get your game on!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Duel Robot - 4000 LP**

Glancing at her cards, Jaden thought that perhaps a new deck might change her view, but she was still seeing the same old, white cards as before. Worried, she glanced over to Aquos, who only gave her a nod of encouragement to try her best.

Since she got this far, she might as well. "My turn, draw!" Like before, all she could see was a blank card. However, much to her shock, the card materialized from a cartoonish drawing to an actual Duel Monsters card. "The card...I can see it...I can see it! But wait, this card seems famil-Oh! Timeout! Could you wait for a minute, please?"

Turning around, Jaden rushed back to the satellite device from before, kneeling down to wipe the dust off the logo. "Kaiba...Corporation? Whoa, this is a Kaiba Corp satellite!"

* * *

 _Flashback..._

 _ **"Attention all duelists!"** announced Kaiba, standing out of the huge Kaiba Corp helicopter that was high in the air as he held onto the railings of the helicopter, bringing the attention of the civilians in the city towards him. **"My company will be hosting a global competition for any and all who wish to design new cards! Winners will be hand-picked by me. Then, your card will be launched into space in a time capsule, where it'll be proven that if there's intelligent life-forms out there, they'll learn how to duel!"**_

 _"Awesome! I'm so gonna enter!" said a small child version of Jaden._

 _Pointing his finger high in the sky quite dangerously, Kaiba continued his announcement. **"Don't forget to register and enter in your designed cards, because exactly one month from to-AAAH! MY FINGER! IT CAME CLEAN OFF! SOMEBODY CALL AN AMBULENCE! Mokuba, can't you fly this helicopter properly? I thought you got your helicopter license!"**_

 _"Sorry, bro!"_

* * *

It was such a long time ago that Jaden had forgotten all about it, but she remembered that she did design a bunch of cards before mailing them to Kaiba Corp. Judging from how she recognized the cards, she must have been the winner of the contest.

Not only was she thrilled to learn she was the winner, but now, the blank cards were vanishing and allowed her to see the cards for themselves!

As if reading her mind, Aquos said, _**"Yes, the cards that you have designed then have received the space wave from us and become new Duel Monsters. By the way, you may want to hurry back to the duel. I don't know much about robots, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to get the receiving end of a Duel Robot's wrath."**_

 **"BATTLE MUST COMMENCE! BATTLE MUST COMMENCE! LIGHT MUST CONSUME ALL MATTER!"** shouted the Duel Robot, growing more impatient and enraged, judging from the dangerous electricity wildly spreading from its robotic body.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting!" apologized Jaden. "I summon Chrysalis Dolphin in Defense Mode!"

Chrysalis Dolphin - (WATER/Fish) - LV2 - (400/600)

"EEEEEEEKKKK!" Aquos winched and covered his ears as Jaden couldn't help but rush over and hug Chrysalis Dolphin. "SHE'S SO CUTE! I CAN'T BELIEVE I DESIGNED SUCH A CUTE MONSTER! SQUEEEEEE!~"

 _ **"Humans sure are loud!"**_ complained Aquos. _**"Are all human females like this?"**_

"Not really," said Jaden, backing away once she got her dose of cuteness contained. "Now, back to the duel! I end my turn!"

 **"I draw,"** spoke the Duel Robot automatically. **"I discard two cards from my hand to the Graveyard to Special Summon a Level 12 LIGHT Attribute Monster, Candelato, the Beast of Light."**

Candelato, the Beast of Light - (LIGHT/Beast) - LV12 - (0/0)

"A Level 12 Monster with 0 Attack and Defense Points...that must mean he's got some sort of powerful effect!" said Jaden, having shared some of her harsh experiences in underestimating enemies during previous duels.

 **"Each card in my hand will result in an increase of 1000 Points in Attack and Defense for Candelato, the Beast of Light. I have 3 cards in my hand, so that is to say that he now has 3000 Attack and Defense Points."**

Candelato, the Beast of Light - (LIGHT/Beast) - LV12 - (3000/3000)

 **"However, on the turn it is Special Summoned, he cannot attack. Turn end."**

"My turn!" said Jaden. "I summon Dandelion in Defense Mode!"

Dandelion - (EARTH/Plant) - LV3 - (300/300)

Seeing the frightening-looking Monster as his opponent, Dandelion shivered and whimpered in fear, causing Jaden to feel sympathy for him and for Chrysalis Dolphin as well. If it weren't for this situation, she could have comforted them before proceeding to embrace them tightly with cuteness.

Another memory came across her mind as she remembered that she was proud of the designs she made, like Chrysalis Dolphin and Dandelion. She had so much fun drawing them, just as she had so much fun dueling. What happened to that? Whatever happened happened, but she was willing to change for the better and get back the excitement from which she enjoyed dueling!

"I end my turn!"

 **"When Candelato, the Beast of Light, is on the field, I must skip the Draw Phase."**

"Wait, so as long as that guy's on the field, you can't draw a single card?" wondered Jaden.

 **"That is correct. I don't need new cards to guide you to the burning death."**

Oh yeah, that was right. During the midst of experiencing with her cute new Monsters and dealing with the fact that she could see her cards again, Jaden somewhat forgot that the Duel Robot was out to get her.

 **"Candelato, attack Dandelion."**

Springing into action, the two-headed Monster charged up their blasts together before their blasts merged and destroyed Dandelion.

"Dandelion's effect activates!" shouted Jaden. "When Dandelion is destroyed in battle, I get to Special Summon 2 Fluff Tokens in Defense Mode!"

Fluff Tokens - (WIND/Plant) - LV1 - (0/0) X2

 **"Does no compute. Does not computer. 'Fluff Tokens' not found in Monster database. Turn end."**

"My turn!" Jaden said. "I play Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two more cards. Then, I activate my new Spell card, Contact! This sends all Chrysalis Monsters I control to the Graveyard, letting me Special Summon Monsters from my hand or deck that's written in the card texts of those cards! I sacrifice Chrysalis Dolphin to Special Summon Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin!"

Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin - (WATER/Warrior) - LV3 - (600/800)

"Finally, the door that links this space and Neo Space is opened! Neo Space's new heroes are born! Alright! I sacrifice my two Fluff Tokens in order to summon my new Elemental Hero! Elemental Hero Neos!"

Elemental Hero Neos - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV7 - (2500/2000)

Jaden couldn't help herself when she saw her awesome and cool-looking new hero standing right in front of her. She was squealing and jumping up and down in excitement while crying out gibberish loudly and quickly.

 _ **"Jaden! Jaden! The duel, remember?"**_ called out Aquos.

"Oh, right! Sorry! I just haven't been this excited in a long time!" giggled Jaden.

 **"Emotions are illogical. Proceed with your move,"** spoke the Duel Robot.

"Okay, okay! I activate Aqua Dolphin's special effect! I discard a card in my hand and choose a Monster card from my opponent's hand! If there's a Monster in my field whose Attack Points are higher than that Monster's, I destroy my opponent's Monster card and give that opponent 500 Points of Damage!"

Aquos shrieked, releasing a sonar wave which revealed the Duel Robot's hand, along with the one Monster card in his hand which happened to be Different Dimension Dragon, a Monster with 1200 Attack Points.

With the conditions met, Aquos released another sound wave from his mouth as a beam shot from the gem on Neos' chest, destroying the Monster card in the Duel Robot's possession as well as inflicting 500 Points of Damage.

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **Duel Robot - 3500 LP**

"There's one more thing!" said Jaden. "Because you lost a card, Candelato's Attack Points decrease by 1000!"

Candelato, the Beast of Light - (LIGHT/Beast) - LV12 - (2000/2000)

"I activate Aqua Dolphin's effect again!"

Having discarded another card from her hand, this allowed Jaden to envision another Monster card in the Duel Robot's possession, a Monster card weaker than Neos. The same combo happened again; discard one card, destroy the Monster card in the opponent's hand, inflict 500 Points of Damage, and watch as Candelato grows weaker.

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **Duel Robot - 3000 LP**

Candelato, the Beast of Light - (LIGHT/Beast) - LV12 - (1000/1000)

"And again!"

Once again activating Aquos' effect, the same combo and results were the same, leaving the Duel Robot weakened and Candelato in a state where even a Level 1 Monster could defeat him.

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **Duel Robot - 2500 LP**

Candelato, the Beast of Light - (LIGHT/Beast) - LV12 - (0/0)

"Elemental Hero Neos, show me what you've got! Take down that weird space Monster thingy!"

Complying to her commands, Neos' fist was engulfed with power as he flew upwards and slammed down onto Candelato, destroying the Monster which sent a shockwave throughout the Duel Monster's systems.

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

 **Duel Robot - 0 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

 **"SYSTEM MALFUNCTION! SYSTEM MAL-"**

 **BOOM!** The explosion coming from the Duel Robot was the last Jaden's seen of her opponent as he malfunctioned and exploded, ending the duel once and for all.

"I won? Yay, I saved the universe!" cheered Jaden. "Wait until the others find out! Can't wait to rub it in stupid Chazzy's face!"

 _ **"Unfortunately that wasn't the real enemy,"**_ spoke Aquos. _**"That was but a test. I'm afraid there'll be more struggles for you."**_

"Awww! And I was so ready to brag about saving the universe!"

 _ **"Jaden, you haven't lose the pure heart when you contacted us as a child. After all, your arrival here was predicted eons ago, and you might be able to prevent the space destruction started by the evil light. You may be able to restore balance by defeating the Society of Light!"**_

Spotting some baby dolphins nearby, crying out happily to Jaden, Jaden couldn't help but coo at them. "Awww! So cute! I bet they're saying something like, 'Jaden's the best!'"

 _ **"Actually, they were saying they were going to get more fish, but that works, too."**_

Before Jaden could say anything, she felt her mind growing all hazy, and before she knew it, she fell down, unconscious as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Groggy, Jaden sat up and recalled everything that happened thus far. Was it all a dream? How long was she sleeping in the beach? She recognized the building structure of Duel Academy, so that means that she was in Duel Academy Island.

But even if it was a dream, Jaden was glad she got to experience it, because not only did it bring her back to her senses, that dream reminded her of why she loved dueling so much, and she wasn't forgetting that anytime soon.

Speaking of which, she noticed some dolphins swimming around the ocean and checked out her new deck, surprised to see Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin, or rather Aquos, at the top of her deck.

"Whoa...It totally wasn't a dream, then! I got to actually see alien dolphins and fight off a robot! Hmm...wonder if I could still lie to Chazz while saving the universe?"

 _ **"Oh, no you don't! I'm not letting that pass while I'm here!"**_ told the Duel Spirit of Aquos.

"You're no fun! If you weren't a dolphin, I'd have considered that you were more of a killjoy than you kinda are now! It's a real shame that you're a dolphin because dolphins are one of the cutest animals I love!"

 _ **"I'm going to have to get used to this, don't I? Anyways, your new deck is infused with the power of Neo-Space. And as long as you have it, I shall always be with you as your ally and friend."**_

"Yay!"

 _ **"And to remind you to brush your hair! And get up and exercise more! But for starters, get something to eat!"**_

"Boo! ...No wait, what am I saying? I'm starving!"

* * *

 **Skit: Hero Babysitter**

Being experienced with many things, many considered Elemental Hero Neos a great leader as well as someone trustworthy. In Neo Space, he and his Neo-Spacian comrades helped each other, teaming up and bonding together as well as sharing their experiences.

However, not even Neos could deal with...the excitement of a teenage human girl.

"EEEEEKKKK! OH MY GOD! A NEW HERO! A NEW HERO! A NEW HERO! I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL I INTRODUCE YOU TO MY ELEMENTAL HEROES! A NEW HERO! I SO WANNA KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU! WHAT DO YOU LIKE?! WHO'S YOUR ARCHNEMISIS?! TELL ME! TELL ME! TELL ME!"

Jaden Yuki, the chosen one possessing the power of the Gentle Darkness. At first, he thought of this Jaden Yuki as mature, kind-hearted, and having a sense of justice. Yes, she does have those qualities, a little less on the mature side, but he didn't expect her to act so...childish.

Speaking of Elemental Heroes, when he was created, he was sent off into Neo Space instead of living in Skyscraper City with the rest of his fellow Elemental Heroes. He knew that he was a part of them, but he's lived the majority of his life in Neo Space, where he could truly call it home. If Jaden's been with the Elemental Heroes her whole life, spiritually, then she might know more about them than he does.

 _ **"Jaden, may I ask something?"**_

"YES?!"

Okay, Jaden was way too excited for this. Neos knew that humans were different in many ways, so why did he have to be stuck with the one with the childish personality? Then again, it couldn't be helped what sort of master he'd be chosen for.

 _ **"Just...what are the Elemental Heroes like?"**_

"They're awesome!" exclaimed Jaden, ecstatic. "They're the coolest heroes I know! They fight crime, save people, and stop bad guys! Well, in the Duel Spirit World, at least. Flame Wingman's my favorite!"

 _ **"Oh? What's he like?"**_

"The leader of the Elemental Heroes! He's strong and my favorite Monster to use in a fight! His special ability's wicked! Come to think of it, once a year, they always hold this Elemental Hero leader election thing and it's coming up soon! Ooh! If you get to see Flamey and the others, could you tell them I miss them and want to cuddle Winged Kuriboh?"

Neos nodded. _**"Very well, I shall carry your message."**_

"Yay! Now tell me more about yourself!~"

* * *

 **Skit: Dolphin Flying Part 1**

"Nooooooooo!" cried out Jaden, falling to her knees on the beach.

Aquos, concerned for his new master, asked, _**"What? What happened?!"**_

"Aquos! Neo Space is kinda like the Duel Spirit World, right?! Then, I didn't get a chance to play with any of the cute Duel Spirits there! Especially the dolphins! I always wanted to swim with the dolphins! Waaaahhh!"

Aquos sweatdropped. _**"Er...How about this? How about I take you dolphin swimming right after you completed your task of saving the universe?"**_

Jaden gasped, eyes glittering with excitement. "REALLY?! YOU PROMISE?!"

 _ **"Eh, why not? What's the worst that could happen?"**_

* * *

 **I don't really feel that good guys, which is why this chapter is so short. Sorry, but go ahead and review because now that Jaden's back in action, she's got a couple new cards to boot! The Neo-Spacians are here!**


	50. Camaraderie Contest

**Hey, so this episode isn't really on Jaden, but more on Syrus and Hassleberry. Thanks Thunder Crush for giving me ideas for this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"Man, I'm starving!"

"Let's go to the cafeteria, quick!"

"I wanna chow bread!"

"I hope they don't serve any livers and onions in my sandwich!"

"Does anyone even eat that stuff?"

"I'd barf if I ever got a sandwich served with that stuff!"

Even after the lunch bell already rang, Syrus felt lonesome and was contemplating all by himself, sitting in a set of stairs while everyone else headed for the cafeteria to grab some grub. Nobody but Bastion approached Syrus, offering his hand.

"How about we have some lunch together?" offered Bastion.

"I'm okay. Thanks, though," denied Syrus softly, glancing at the ground.

Seeing Syrus troubled, Bastion sat down next to him in order to comfort his friend. "Let me guess, you're still worried about Jaden?"

Syrus nodded sadly. "Yeah, I just hope that wherever she is, she's sa-Waah! Jaden!"

Actually, the Jaden Syrus pictured just now was nothing more than a picture of Jaden's face implanted onto the back of Hassleberry's Ra Yellow jacket.

"Check it out, soldiers!" called Hassleberry, pointing towards the picture. "I made it by myself. An embroidered picture of Jaden! That way, she can always be with me! After all, she is my soon-to-be girlfriend!"

Bastion sighed and shook his head, knowing where this was going to head. He stood up and walked away. "I'll fetch the three of us some lunch, alright?"

Angered by Hassleberry's previous comment, Syrus shouted, "Haven't I already said that I was going to be Jaden soon-to-be boyfriend? I don't need some plain dumb jacket with her cute picture to prove it!"

"Don't go dissin' on my jacket!" yelled Hassleberry. "And there's only one person who can call me her boyfriend, and that's Jaden! You may be a year ahead of me, but don't you think it's time for you to leave Jaden to me?"

"Who would do that?! You cold-blooded animal!"

"That's it! Wanna throw down?!"

"Bring it on!"

Glancing behind his shoulder, Bastion sighed, upon watching both Syrus and Hassleberry now childishly in a dust cloud while throwing punches and kicks towards one another.

 _'Jaden, wherever you are, you better hurry up and make a decision before the two just get worse,'_ thought Bastion, looking up at the sky, as if she was there.

* * *

 _Later, at the Slifer Red dorms..._

"Ow, ow, ow!"

"Hold still!" scolded Alexis, lightly placing rubbing alcohol with a tissue onto Syrus's bruise on his cheek. "I can't believe you two still fight everyday!"

"It wasn't my fault this time! Hassleberry started it!" accused Syrus.

"That's a lie, and we both know it!" denied Hassleberry, clutching his stomach with one arm as his face was being bandaged by Bastion. "It was bad enough that you had to punch me, but scratching and hair pulling as well?! Dirty tactics, I say! When Jaden gets back, I'm gonna tell her all the horrible things you did, and then she'll be my girlfriend!"

"What?! Not if I tell her the horrible things _you_ did, first!"

"That's enough!" yelled Alexis.

"Come now, we're all Yellow! Can't we get along?" encouraged Bastion.

"NO!" both Hassleberry and Syrus hollered; both agreeing to disagree.

Well, that answered Alexis and Bastion's question as they sighed, unsure what to do. Ever since Jaden disappeared, the two of them were stuck in a sort of love rivalry and downright declared their love out loud for her, determined to see who would win.

"I know just how you boys feel!" called out Atticus, who was spying on top of the wooden ceiling railing before jumping down, much to everyone's surprise. "I could feel your passion for love, and being the Magician of Love, I've come to help!~"

"Atticus, how long were you there?" asked Alexis, deadpanned.

"Oh, I've been there for a while!" answered Atticus "As a messenger of love, it is my sworn duty to help those who's fallen in love, and I always, always get the good results!"

"Last time you helped, Chazz didn't win Alexis' heart, remember?" recalled Bastion.

"Er...a minor setback, but it's alright!" assured Atticus. "But anyways, I could help but notice this little love struggle, so I came here to help! I have a proposal to settle this! The loser gets Alexis, because we all know she needs a little love in her life!"

Irritated, Alexis picked up Pharaoh and walked over to Atticus, squeezing Pharaoh's tail. Shrieking, Pharaoh thought Atticus was the cause of his unnecessary pain and scratched mercilessly at him, causing Atticus to scream girlishly before backing away and taking out a hand mirror from his pocket.

"My face! My beautiful face!" sobbed Atticus.

"Don't make things to complex!" shouted Alexis. "Involve me in one of your love schemes again, and I'll sic Pharaoh on you, I promise you that!"

"A-Alexis sure is scary..." muttered Syrus.

"Man, she really needs to watch that temper of hers," commented Hassleberry.

Overhearing their comments, Alexis angrily turned to them. "And whose fault do you think this is?!"

"Guys, guys! Let's just calm down!" assured Atticus, placing himself between Hassleberry and Syrus and lightly touching their shoulders. "You both want the same thing! Jaden as your girlfriend! So, how about this? We settle this with a duel! Tomorrow morning! Winner gets the right to ask Jaden out on a date while loser must support the winner in any way possible!"

"What? No, that's horrible!" cried out Alexis.

Unfortunately for her, both Syrus and Hassleberry seemed to agree on that plan. "Deal!"

* * *

 _That night..._

Alexis, dressed in her nightgown, was brushing her hair with a comb and getting ready for bed when she received a call from Bastion on her PDA. "Hello?"

 **"Alexis? It's me, Bastion. I'm sorry for calling so late, but I have to ask you something. Have you seen Syrus? He's not at the Ra Yellow dorms."**

Startled, Alexis asked, "Wait a minute! He's not with you?!"

 **"He's not. It seems he got out of the dorm at around midnight. And this isn't the first time he's been like this, either. I thought it was just something that would easily go away in a few days, but I was wrong."**

"Come to think of it, with that business with Hassleberry, ever since Jaden disappeared...Oh! You don't think he went out to find Jaden, do you?!"

 **"Perhaps. He's eaten very little recently and had very little sleep as well. We should hurry and find him!"**

"Yeah, okay!"

* * *

 _The next morning..._

Hassleberry already had his duel disk activated and was waiting for his opponent, Syrus, to show up as Atticus, Bastion, and Alexis stood in the sidelines, also awaiting for Syrus.

"Syrus should have been here by now," commented Alexis. "I'm getting worried."

Ever since she received the call from Bastion late last night, the two of them began searching nonstop, asking people around if they've seen Syrus, but to no avail. Eventually, two hours later, they decided to call it quits and just sleep.

"Come on, soldier! I'm waiting!" called out Hassleberry. "Oh, I see! Little man must have run away from our duel!"

"Yeah, right!" shouted Syrus, emerging from the wood, dirtied with leaves, branches, and some dirt in his hair and clothes. His body seemed weary and tired, but his spirit wasn't as he was more than ready to duel.

Seeing his current state, Alexis thought, _'Was he looking for Jaden until now?'_

Patting away some of the dirt and leaves off his clothes, Syrus put on his duel disk, glaring at Hassleberry with an intense stare that stated he wouldn't give up.

"Let's review the conditions!" said Hassleberry. "I win, I get to be Jaden's boyfriend!"

"Fine, but if I win, I'm the only one worthy to be her boyfriend!" reminded Syrus. "Also, you become my follower and do what I say!"

"Wait, what?! No one authorized that condition, private!"

Coincidentally, Atticus, who was unofficially the referee, raised a white flag. "Condition authorized!"

"Hold on! Who made you the ref?!" protested Hassleberry.

"He prefers to be called 'celebrity judge!'" corrected Syrus, only siding with Atticus because he approved the condition. "If you're a man, neglect the trivial things! Or is it that you're not confident enough to beat me?"

"Oh, I'm more than confident enough!" replied Hassleberry, all fired up. "A Hassleberry never retreats, after all!"

With the two ready to duel, they inserted their decks inside their duel disks and proceeded with the duel.

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Syrus - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Hassleberry - 4000 LP**

"My turn, draw!" Starting things off, Syrus said, "I summon Ambulanceroid in Defense Mode!"

Ambulanceroid - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (300/1200)

"I set a card and end my turn! See the strength of the Tag Duel I won with Jaden, because there's no way you'll break us apart! I love Jaden, so there's no way you'll make me lose to you!"

Moved by Syrus' declaration of love, Atticus proudly proclaimed, "Excellent! Unity is beautiful reliance and love! Three stars for execution and five stars for originality!~"

"Um...what are you talking about, Atticus?" wondered Bastion.

Alexis sighed. "Ignore him. It's his dream to judge a talent search reality show, so he's practicing. Basically, everything my brother says shouldn't be taken so seriously."

"You had a Tag Duel with Jaden, too?!" exclaimed Hassleberry. "I'm so jealous! Fine, so maybe you have a longer history with her! I'll acknowledge that! But as far as my love and affection for Jaden is concerned, I won't lose to anyone! My turn! I summon Archeonys in Attack Mode!"

Archeonys - (WIND/Winged Beast) - LV3 - (300/1300)

"Archeonys holds a special place in my heart because I used him in my first duel with Jaden! I remember it like it was yesterday...but you wouldn't know, because you weren't there that day!"

"Uh, I was there!" corrected Syrus. "And I saw everything! I'm a vital witness!"

"Oh...Well, even if you were, I still don't remember you!" said Hassleberry. "Now I activate the Spell, New Ultra Evolution! All I have to do is Tribute a Winged Beast-Type Monster and then I get to Special Summon a Dinosaur-Type Monster from my hand! I Special Summon Black Tyranno to the field!"

Black Tyranno - (EARTH/Dinosaur) - LV7 - (2600/1800)

"I dedicate this move to Jaden, in honor of the day we met! Because she's the one who inspired me to evolve!"

Waving his white flag around, Atticus shouted, "Nice! The beautiful encounter of fate! A meeting of fate is often the love at first sight meeting!"

Continuing on with the duel, Hassleberry said, "I activate Black Tyranno's effect! If all your Monsters are in Defense Mode, then Black Tyranno can attack you directly!"

"Huh?!"

"This'll teach ya to try and outrank me! You should have surrendered when you had the chance! Black Tyranno, attack him directly!"

Marching forward, Black Tyranno complied with his master's wishes before crushing Syrus, dealing critical damage to his Life Points.

 **Syrus - 1400 LP**

 **Hassleberry - 4000 LP**

"Ha! I took out most of your Life Points without breaking a sweat!" bragged Hassleberry. "This'll be easier than I thought!"

Wiping away the dust with a couple of swings from his arm, Syrus didn't seemed fazed. "Ha! Not impressed! You used that same strategy on Jaden, remember?"

Come to think of it, Hassleberry did recall a certain someone besides his gang cheering on Jaden at the time...Okay, fine! Maybe Syrus was there, but even so, Hassleberry couldn't remember!

"My turn, draw!" said Syrus. "I summon Submarineroid!"

Submarineroid - (WATER/Machine) - LV4 - (800/1800)

"And now his special ability activates, which allows him to attack you directly!"

Diving underground as though the ground was water, Submarineroid made his way towards Hassleberry, taking him off guard by a sneak attack that cost him his Life Points.

 **Syrus - 1400 LP**

 **Hassleberry - 3200 LP**

"Next, another Monster effect! After the end of the attack, Submarineroid is switched into Defense Mode! Next, I set two cards facedown and end my turn!"

"Heh, so you managed to deal 800 Points of Damage to me! So, what?" scoffed Hassleberry.

"A duel isn't over until the last card's played!" Syrus shouted those words with courage and vigor.

"That's gotta be the most pathetic advice I've ever heard!" shouted back Hassleberry. "Those are the words of those who are persistent, like you!"

"You do know that it was Jaden who taught me that, right?"

Refracting his own words, Hassleberry tried to make up a good excuse. "W-Well of course! That's why it sounds good! It does make sense!"

"Yeah, right! I bet you just made an excuse not to make yourself look bad!"

"Jaden's pretty popular with the boys!" replied Atticus, impressed. "First Syrus, then Chazz, and now Hassleberry! It's like she's starting a harem of some sort, which I don't mind. Come to think of it, if Chazz was here, this would be a three-way duel!"

"Yeah, let's not go too far, Atticus," deadpanned Alexis.

"Besides, Jaden's such a person whom you'll never forget after a duel," said Bastion, speaking out of personal experience.

"Yeah, and didn't you duel with Jaden before?" Alexis told Atticus. "Don't you remember?"

"Er...not really, since I was under the control of Nightshroud at the time."

"My turn, draw!" said Hassleberry before examining the field. _'Those set cards are dangerous. Is he luring me in to attack? If so, I have to be extremely careful! This is gonna be a risky maneuver!'_ "I summon Giant Rex to the field!"

Giant Rex - (EARTH/Dinosaur) - LV4 - (2000/12000)

"Giant Rex, destroy Submarineroid!"

With a swing from his tail, Giant Rex easily destroyed Submarineroid with a huge explosion at the end.

Prepared for something like that, Syrus said, "I activate my Trap card, Supercharge! This activates only when your Monster attacks a Machine-Type Monster I control! I get to draw two cards!"

Hassleberry could have ended the duel by activating Black Tyranno's effect once again, but he wanted to check and make certain that Syrus' set cards wouldn't be much of a threat. Now that he tested Syrus, he was sure that none of the set cards could destroy his Black Tyranno. "Black Tyranno, attack him directly! Anyone who gets between me and Jaden's love should be squashed like a bug!"

"Five points for word choice!" cheered Atticus. 'That'll get you in the spot in the semi-finals! Your dedication and love for Jaden truly is astounding!"

"As if I'll let you!" yelled Syrus. "Go Continuous Trap card, Cyber Summon Blaster! Each time a Machine-Type Monster is Special Summoned, I get to inflict 300 Points of Damage to you!"

Okay, so the second card wasn't something to trap his Monster, but the third and final set card Syrus had must have something to do with his strategy. "Ha! Got ya cornered!" said Hassleberry confidently. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Dino Stomp! Whenever a Dinosaur-Type Monster declares an attack, I can select a Spell or Trap card you control and destroy it! If you thought you were going to get me with that last card, you're sadly mistaken! I win!"

"Heh, you totally fell for it!" said Syrus, smirking. "Because the card you just destroyed was a Trap called Wonder Garage! When this card is sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or below Machine-Type Monster from my hand! So I Special Summon Drilloid!"

Drilloid -(EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1600/1600)

"That means my Continuous Trap, Cyber Summon Blaster activates!"

The machine Trap that Syrus had activates fired its machinery and unleashed an electrical wave at Hassleberry, dealing him some damage.

 **Syrus - 1400 LP**

 **Hassleberry - 2900 LP**

"Big deal! 300 Points is nothing!" said Hassleberry. "Black Tyranno, destroy Drilloid!"

Drilloid was thrashed into the air by a heavy swing from Black Tyranno's tail, thus self-destructing upon being mid-air.

 **Syrus - 400 LP**

 **Hassleberry - 2900 LP**

"I'll end with a facedown. Done."

"My turn!" said Syrus. "I play Polymerization and fuse Ambulanceroid with Rescueroid in order to Fusion Summon Ambulance Rescueroid!"

With the combination of two great helper trucks, they formed an even bigger and better roid Monster that would surely help out Syrus.

Ambulance Rescueroid - (FIRE/Machine/Fusion) - LV6 - (2300/1800)

"Just to let you know, Fusion Summoning counts as Special Summoning, so my Cyber Summon Blaster activates!"

 **Syrus - 400 LP**

 **Hassleberry - 2600 LP**

"Now, Ambulance Rescueroid, attack!"

Ambulance Rescueroid, being stronger than Giant Rex, drove over the dinosaur, reducing him into nothing more than a pancake.

 **Syrus - 400 LP**

 **Hassleberry - 2300 LP**

"It's not over yet!" continued Syrus. "Next, I summon Decoyroid in Defense Mode!"

Decoyroid - (WIND/Machine) - LV2 - (300/500)

"I end my turn with a facedown card! Oh, and as long as Decoyroid is on the field, you can't attack any other Monsters on the field!"

Scanning the field, Hassleberry muttered, "With Ambulance Rescueroid out in Attack Mode, I can't really use Black Tyranno's effect unless I destroy him first. But I have to destroy Decroyroid first, which is pretty easy! I'll just summon another Monster on my next turn, and then-"

"Yeah, about that, you should probably know something," informed Syrus. "Ambulance Rescueroid has a special ability! Once every turn, he can Special Summon a Monster that was destroyed in battle and sent tot he Graveyard."

"What?! So, even if I destroy Decoyroid, you can use that Ambulance Monster to revive it? And since Decoyroid's the only Monster I can attack, I'm trapped!" cried out Hassleberry. "It seems you won't give up your love for Jaden, after all! My turn, draw! I sacrifice Black Tyranno in order to activate the Spell card, Big Evolution Pill! Now, for three turns, I don't need to sacrifice any Monster to summon dinosaurs! I summon Ultimate Tyranno!"

Hassleberry's eyes reverted to sharp slits, resembling the dangerous, predatory gaze of his Ultimate Tyranno as he made his first debut as an even more dangerous opponent than Black Tyranno.

Ultimate Tyranno - (EARTH/Dinosaur) - LV8 - (3000/2200)

Roaring, Hassleberry commanded, "Ultimate Tyranno, devour his Decoyroid!"

Reaching down, Ultimate Tyranno had Decoyroid in his jaws before chomping down with little to no effort.

"I activate Ambulance Rescueroid's effect to Special Summon Decoyroid back to the field!" said Syrus.

Decoyroid - (WIND/Machine) - LV2 - (300/500)

Because Decoyroid was Special Summoned, Cyber Summon Blaster activates, costing Hassleberry 300 of his Life Points.

 **Syrus - 400 LP**

 **Hassleberry - 2000 LP**

Even though he was stuck in this predicament, Hassleberry wasn't worried. "You can only use that trick once per turn! The effect of recovery once a turn is nothing! Ultimate Tyranno has an effect which allows him to attack each Monster once! I win! Soon, I'll be Jaden's new boyfriend!"

"You're forgetting something!" said Syrus. "The duel isn't over until the last card's played! Now I activate the Quick-Play Spell, De-Fusion! I defuse Ambulance Rescueroid in order to bring back Rescueroid and Ambulanceroid in Defense Mode!"

Ambulanceroid - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (300/1200)

Rescueroid - (FIRE/Machine) - LV6 - (1600/1800)

"And because this was a Special Summon twice, Cyber Summon Blaster activates twice!"

"Oh, come on!" complained Hassleberry.

 **Syrus - 400 LP**

 **Hassleberry - 1400 LP**

"Fine! The battle rages on! Black Tyranno, destroy Decoyroid again!"

Obediently and hungry for more, Black Tyranno chomped on Decoyroid again.

"Ha! End of the line!"

"Are you sure about that?" questioned Syrus. "I activate Rescuroid's special ability! Whenever one of my Monsters is destroyed, that Monster is returned to my hand from the Graveyard! Ambulanceroid's special ability then activates! When a roid Monster is added from my Graveyard to my hand, I can Special Summon that Monster!"

Decoyroid - (WIND/Machine) - LV2 - (300/500)

"Now Cyber Summon Blaster activates again!"

 **Syrus - 400 LP**

 **Hassleberry - 1100 LP**

Having figured out Syrus' devised strategy, Bastion explained, "So every time Decoyroid is Special Summoned, Ultimate Tyranno has no choice but to attack it, which triggers Syrus' two other cards."

"It's an infinite loop!" gasped Alexis.

"I'm done for!" cried out Hassleberry, upon realizing he had no way to end the infinite loop.

"Haha! This is punishment for trying to separate me and my love for Jaden!" declared Syrus. "Syrus' roid ambush strategy! Go!"

Ultimate Tyranno would destroy Decoyroid first, and because of his special ability, Ultimate Tyranno can't attack any other Monster until Decoyroid was destroyed first. This would trigger Rescueroid's ability, bringing Decoyroid back to Syrus' hand, and since he was sent to Syrus' hand, Ambulanceroid's effect kicks in and allows Syrus to Special Summon Decoyroid again. This would then activate Cyber Summon Blast, dealing Hassleberry 300 Points of Damage while Ultimate Tyranno has to attack Decoyroid all over again.

"I don't know how, but Syrus won," replied Alexis, knowing where this was going.

"He knew exactly how Hassleberry would deal," said Bastion. "Therefore, he set up a trap that not even Hassleberry could get out of. Syrus...what an amazing combo you thought up of!"

"Well, the votes are in, folks," announced Atticus. "Our show's almost through."

Still confused, Bastion questioned, "What? WHO IS VOTING?!"

The infinite loop Syrus devised continued onwards until Hassleberry was down to his last Life Points, and even he was starting to grow tired and exhausted.

 **Syrus - 400 LP**

 **Hassleberry - 200 LP**

"Damnit! I have no choice!" cursed Hassleberry.

"Ha! Just one more blast, and it'll be my win!" declared Syrus. "Jaden will be mine!"

"Oh, yeah? Well, you haven't seen nothing yet! Jaden's gonna be mine you hear? I activate-!"

"STOP! THAT'S ENOUGH!" hollered Alexis, stomping over and getting between the two duelists. Because the duel could sense a lifeform interrupting the duel, the programming had to cease temporarily until Alexis left the stage, which she wasn't for some time.

"Hey, what gives? I was about to win!" said Hassleberry.

"You? Last time I checked, I was going to win!" shouted Syrus.

"I can't believe you two!" scolded Alexis, glaring sharply at the two duelists. "You guys are disgusting! How could you even live with yourselves over this stupid deal you're making?!"

"What are you talking about?" wondered Syrus.

"I'm talking about Jaden! You're treating her like...like some sort of trophy object! I knew that your love rivalry for her was ridiculous, but I didn't think you guys could stoop so low! Jaden might forgive you, but I won't ever forgive you if you continue treating her like a trophy!"

"We're not treating her like that! We're dueling to decide who gets to be her boyfriend!" argued Hassleberry.

"And that's exactly the point!" said Alexis. "You guys haven't even considered her feelings, have you? What, if Jaden returns, you're just going to waltz up and decide you're her boyfriend? That's not right! You can't just force someone to love you! And you can't place bets on their love, too! Plus, because Jaden's naïve, she doesn't truly understand what love is because she's never been in a relationship! If you try and go out with her right now, there won't be any love between you two because you two will only be satisfied to get your 'trophy.' It'll be a one-sided love!"

"..." Both Syrus and Hassleberry stared at each other regret in their expressions. They...they were so focused on themselves and their love interests in Jaden that they haven't considered how Jaden would feel. Alexis was right; they are disgusting. How could they consider their own feelings instead of what Jaden wants? It wasn't right nor fair.

Seeing that the two of them were began to contemplate on their actions, Alexis left, a little satisfied as her job was done. Sure, she was still disappointed in the boys, but at the same time, she knew they would do the right thing in the end.

Bastion saw Syrus's body swaying back and forth and saw the exhaustion expression taking over his regretful one. "Syrus! Are you alright?!"

"I'm fine...I just haven't slept in a while," assured Syrus tiredily.

"Huh? Did you really went out searching for Jaden instead of sleeping?" wondered Alexis.

"And I've noticed that you've been eating very little," said Bastion.

Overhearing these new facts, Hassleberry was surprised to learn Syrus doing so much for Jaden. "Wait, what? A search and a rescue? But why? She might not even be on the island!"

"Jaden is definitely on this island!" argued Syrus. "Because...dueling is Jaden's life. Nothing makes her happier than dueling! I don't know about you guys, but I know Jaden's going through a tough time right now, so she'll need all the support she can get! That's why I'm trying to find her! To help her find her place!"

"Truesdale...You truly are one true best friend," mumbled Hassleberry as he allowed the last of his Life Points to deplete.

 **Syrus - 400 LP**

 **Hassleberry - 0 LP**

 **Winner: Syrus**

"I won!" cheered Syrus before seeing Jaden up close. "Jaden? How?"

 _"Syrus...lemme give you a reward...~"_

Moaning, Syrus closed his eyes and puckered up, trying to kiss Jaden. "Oh, Jaden! I miss you so much!"

In reality, Syrus fainted after learning he won and was cradled in Bastion's lap , attempting to kiss Bastion, whom he mistaken as Jaden due to being delusional from lack of sleep and hunger.

"Gotta get him something to eat! Now!" cried out Bastion, pushing Syrus' face away. He did NOT want to waste his first kiss on someone a little younger than him!

"I got a granola bar!" said Alexis.

Seeing that Syrus was going to be alright, Hassleberry glanced at the Trap card he was originally going to use. _'Jurassic Impact. This card would destroy all Monsters on the field and inflict 1000 Points of Damage for every Monstter destroyed to each owner. If I had used this card, maybe I would have won, but then it wouldn't feel right.'_

Pointing the white flag at Hassleberry, Atticus announced, "Minus 5 stars for not having faith that Jaden's still out there!"

Sighing, Hassleberry said, "You know, this dilusion of yours is getting real annoying! But yeah, maybe I'm not ready for Jaden's love quite yet. I haven't given up, but right now, I think Truesdale deserves her more than me."

* * *

 _The next day..._

Dressed in safari garb, Syrus stood in front of the forest entrance while eating a riceball. "Lunch box...sack...tent...You got everything, Hassleberry?"

"Why am I carrying everything?!" complained Hassleberry, who was forced to carry a large backpack of supplies necessary for the search for Jaden.

"Because you lost!" reminded Syrus. "That makes you my servant! And servants obey their masters! And I command you to carry the stuff!"

Noticing Syrus was eating, Hassleberry pointed out, "Why are you eating, anyways?! Shouldn't you save that for later?"

"And what? Wait for me to collapse like yesterday? I don't think so! I need all my strength if I'm going to lead this expedition!" replied Syrus. "Unless you want you want to carry both the supplies AND me?"

"Gah! I should have taken him out when I had the chance!"

Apparently, after the duel and after Syrus rested up, both Hassleberry and Syrus agreed to change the conditions of the duel. Instead, they were going to try and win Jaden's heart and then have her decide whom she would pick, but they would try fair and square. Secondly, Hassleberry had to be Syrus' slave for about a week, and no more than that.

Unknown to any of them, Jaden was trying to get back to the Slifer Red dorms...only to end up in a dead end again.

* * *

 **So, no skits this chapter, and next chapter, it won't be the whole Aster vs Jaden rematch thing At least, not yet. Also, I'm totally skipping over the whole Wheeler episode and the curry episode, because come on, there's not much importance in them!**

 **That said, read and review!**


	51. Return Reunion

**Sorry, guys! Been busy with other school stuff and all that stuff! This won't be a very long chapter, by the way!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

Ever since arriving in Duel Academy, Jaden found out one simple fact about herself that others have been trying to tell her throughout the years...She has a habit of misleading and going through bad directions. What should have been a simple walk back to the Slifer Red dorm actually lasted more than a few days!

But, there was one good thing about her misdirection skills. It's that they always lead her to some new Neo-Spacian location somewhere on Duel Academy Island. For the past few days, her deck and her instincts have silently guided her through each different location.

First, she met her second Neo-Spacian on the volcano on the island, where she saw a faint smoke trail up in the air leading towards that area. Climbing up the steep, rocky ridges of the volcano, Jaden found a crater hole from where the smoke trail led and climbed downwards, soon finding herself deep within the volcano as there was a pool of lava right beneath her feet.

 _ **"Jaden Yuki, only you can restore balance,"**_ spoke an unknown voice somewhere within the volcano. _**"Phase 2 of your mission begins now."**_

"Huh? Who said that?" wondered Jaden, looking around before a small wave of lava rose up as a tall figure emerged from the lava, completely unaffected as the lava dripped from his body and vanished.

The figure that appeared before her appeared to be some sort of black armored bug man fit for combat and since he was living in lava, he must have been associated with the Attribute of FIRE.

 _ **"I am the Neo-Spacian of fire, Flare Scarab,"**_ introduced the stranger.

"Wow, so cool! Are you associated with Aquos? I mean, Aqua Dolphin?" asked Jaden. "I mean, he did say that he's a Neo-Spacian, too!"

Flare Scarab nodded. **_"Of course. He is a being of water, while I am a being of fire. For awakening us, we will lend you our powers. Follow me, and I shall guide you towards some of your new companions."_**

With that said, Flare Scarab transformed into a small ball of red light before floating past Jaden and towards a different path, prompting Jaden to follow after him. Soon, after escaping out of the volcano and heading towards some other rocky areas outside of the volcano, Flare Scarab vanished, and in his place came great winds.

Glancing upwards, Jaden saw a red, muscular bird-like Duel Spirit with angel-like wings.

 _ **"Jaden Yuki, I've been waiting for you,"**_ spoke the new, bird-like Duel Spirit.

"Whoa...it's a birdy..." awed Jaden, amazed.

 _ **"I am Air Hummingbird, the Neo-Spacian of wind. Come, Jaden. Let us protect this world from the Light of Destruction together. After all, only you can restore balance to the world."**_

Air Hummingbird became a trail of wind and green light as his power merged with the rest of Jaden's deck, joining with his brethren, the Neo-Spacians.

 _ **"Jaden...come to the forest..."**_

Thinking it was another Neo-Spacian calling out for her, Jaden headed out from the volcano and deep within the forest. Entering the shadows of the forest, she could hear faint whispers which she was sure belonged to the Neo-Spacian.

Arriving in a large field illuminated by the moonlight, Jaden glanced around, wondering which direction to go to when something approached her from the shadows and towards her. He wasn't too big nor small, but he was as dark as the darkness while donning a dark cape that was held up by a golden collar. He...was...

"MR. KITTY!" squealed Jaden, pouncing onto the black panther-like Duel Spirit before he could so much as yowl in surprise. "Awww! You're so cute!~ I love you already, Mr. Kitty!"

 _ **"GAH! I am not 'Mr. Kitty!' I am Neo-Spacian Dark Panther, the Neo-Spacian of darkness, and-Ohhhh...Ohhhh! Yeah, that's the spot!"**_

Just as Dark Panther was introducing himself, Jaden couldn't resist the urge the rub behind his soft, furry ears which seemed to please him as he was somewhat nuzzling against Jaden, urging her to scratch him some more.

Suddenly remembering his role, Dark Panther backed away from Jaden. _**"E-Enough of that! I am a Neo-Spacian, and I am duty bound to serve you! So...So, don't tell anyone of our encounter!"**_

Dark Panther disappeared into a mist of darkness that whirled together and entered Jaden's deck before Jaden could so much as blink. Laughter echoed throughout the area before a mole-like creature popped out of the ground.

 _ **"Aw, man! That was so hilarious! I am so going to tell the others when I meet them again! Oh, by the way, I'm Neo-Spacian Grand Mole, the Neo-Spacian of earth! Nice to-"**_

"Ooh! You're so adorable!" Jaden squealed, hugging Grand Mole in a tight grip.

 _ **"Ack! Now I know what Dark Panther feels like when squished!"**_

Once Jaden was relieved of all her cute disease symptoms, she backed away from Grand Mole, who had gotten dizzy from her tight hugs before he shook his head rapidly to get himself back in control.

"Sorry, I just couldn't help it! You're just...so cute!~" said Jaden, clasping her hands together with excited eyes.

 ** _"That's okay...I'm gonna have to get used to this, aren't I?"_** sighed Grand Mole. _**"Well, at least you're a pretty cute one. I'll see you around, Jaden! Right now, I gotta tell something interesting to the other Monsters in your deck!"**_

After Grand Mole vanished into her deck, another being flew down from the skies and towards Jaden, causing her to admire the strange alien-like silhouette Duel Monster.

"An alien..." muttered Jaden in amazement before slowly pressing her index finger forward.

 _ **"...Jaden Yuki, what are you attempting to do?"**_

"Hmm? I got this from some alien movie where a human and an alien touch fingers together. I thought it might apply to the same thing here!"

 _ **"Er, no. I am Neo-Spacian Glow Moss, the Neo-Spacian of light. I am at your service as long as we work together to defeat the evil threatening the world-no, the entire universe."**_

Jaden nodded. "Yeah, okay! You're a pretty awesome alien dude, you know that?"

 _ **"I am designated as a female gender, you know?"**_

"Eh?! I didn't know you were a girl!"

 _ **"Yes, I get that a lot. Well, should you require my assistances, know that we will always be available."**_ Like all the rest of the Neo-Spacians, she disappeared back into Jaden's deck.

Jaden shuffled through her deck as the last of the Neo-Spacians now existed within her deck until she came across one blank card. It was certainly strange, because when she fought that Duel Robot in Neo Space, she should have fully recovered her sight and her ability to communicate with Duel Spirits, but the one card she couldn't see was Winged Kuriboh's card.

Just when she was contemplating about unable to see Winged Kuriboh, she heard the familiar cries of Winged Kuriboh and hurried forward, hoping that his cries might lead her towards him. Sure enough, she found a light veil of a mixture of aurora-like colors pouring from the ground upwards to the night skies.

Emerging from the veil of light was her beloved partner, Winged Kuriboh, who flew downwards to cuddle with Jaden after being separated from her for so long.

"WINGED KURIBOH!" cried out Jaden, tears springing from her eyes as she embraced Winged Kuriboh in a death-like hug, unable to let him go. She nuzzled close to him and began crying. "I miss you so much! Waaaaaah!"

Winged Kuriboh, missing her dearly and her habits, also cried out loud. No matter what, they would always have each other's back and love each other dearly, for they were partners for life.

* * *

 _In the Duel Spirit World..._

 _ **"Grrr! When I get my hands on you, you're dead meat! You hear me?! DEAD. MEAT!"**_ growled Blazeman as he was pounding away at the floor with his fists alongside with his cousin, Heat, as the two Elemental Heroes were trying to catch, or rather, beat up a certain mole rodent.

 _ **"Haha! Catch me if you can!"**_ taunted Grand Mole, popping up and down in numerous holes throughout the floor. _**"Can't catch me, can you? You're not gonna get me!"**_

 _ **"You know what I like about this?"**_ said Heat, glancing over to Blazeman. _**"This is similar to Whack A Mole, and I'm a champion at Whack A Mole!"**_

In another corner of the meeting room, Dark Panther and Wroughtweiler were playing a simple game of chess, moving the pieces with their paws and ignoring the rest of the noisy sounds in the background.

 _ **"That's checkmate for me. You are a most worthy adversary. Never had I met someone whose skills rivaled mine,"**_ praised Dark Panther, offering his paw.

Wroughtweiler nodded and touched his paw, both shaking paws as a sign of their friendship unlike most cat/dog hate relationships.

Aquos was chatting with the rest of the WATER Attribute Elemental Heroes, discussing about their abilities and possible new strategies since they were going to be working together.

Glow Moss appeared to be forming a nice, quiet book club with some of the quietest members of the Elemental Heroes, such as Elemental Heroes Necroshade, Escuridao, and Clayman.

If possible, Air Hummingbird would have had a flying competition with Avian and Tempest, but they were currently discussing the possibility and terms of the competition.

Unlike some hot-headed people, Flare Scarab wasn't really hot-tempered and was getting along with some of his fellow Elemental Hero comrades, slowly becoming friends with them.

Soon, Flame Wingman and the brand new Elemental Hero, Neos, entered the meeting room, causing everyone to quiet down and pay attention, right after Heat managed to grab Grand Mole and punch his face in.

 _ **"Ow!"**_

 _ **"Ladies and gentlemen, I like to introduce the Neo-Spacians, who will provide us assistance to defeating another great evil that will come across this world and threaten everyone we love! And by that, we mean our mistress, Jaden,"**_ announced Flame Wingman, causing a glance from Neos. _**"But first, we should thank the Neo-Spacians properly for restoring our belove-I mean, Jaden's sight back. Without them, she would never have regained her Duel Spirit ability ever again."**_

Everyone else besides the Neo-Spacians applauded for their new comrades, welcoming their new comrades-in-arms right into their new community.

 _ **"I believe that you've all been informed, but I'd like to mention is again. The Society of Light seeks to destroy all of darkness, and while that is normally a good thing, without darkness, there cannot be a balance and it will disrupt things. Plus, the Society of Light is revealed to be committing heinous acts such as brainwashing. If we wish to protect Jaden and the world, we must provide all the power we can to support our mistress and guide the world to a safer place. I know it won't be easy, but we must always be there, no matter what."**_

 _ **"That is why me and Flame Wingman decided to come to a compromise,"**_ spoke Neos. _**"From now on, the Elemental Heroes and Neo-Spacians will join together in two factions and will work together, so that this entire group will be controlled by two leaders. Myself and Elemental Hero Flare Wingman. It wouldn't be fair to just leave everything to one man alone, so it's best that we provide assistance as much as we can to both leaders and more importantly, our allies. If there is anyone who wishes to object, please say so."**_

Nobody in the audience spoke, for it was reasonable and understandable why there was now two leaders. All the stress and pressure would have piled onto Flare Wingman if he were to handle this situation alone, so it was more assuring to have someone by his side, and who better than the leader of the Neo-Spacians, Elemental Hero Neos?

 _ **"Thank you for your support,"**_ thanked Neos. _**"By the way, Flame Wingman, you keep mentioning Jaden over and over. Could it be that...you harbor family-like feelings for her?"**_

 _ **"He's overprotective of her, and so are some of the other Elemental Heroes!"**_ answered one Duel Monster.

 _ **"I see. So, I assume that from amongst thousands of your meetings, most consist of...Jaden, correct?"**_

 _ **"...Yes. But it's only to assure her safety,"**_ admitted Flame Wingman.

Neos nodded. _**"I see. But the leader cannot always focus on Jaden. You're telling me that most throughout Jaden's life, you've held meetings consisting of her protection and even broke the Duel Spirit rules to ensure her safety?"**_

 _ **"I will not lie, Neos. Yes, that is true. While I am duty bound to my team, I cannot help but feel as though Jaden's grown to be a daughter to me-no, to the rest of us."**_

 _ **"I see. Why didn't you ask us for earlier assistance? Why did you decide to burden everything on your shoulders? Why...did you deal those hormonal teenagers...WITHOUT ME?!"**_

 _ **"WHAT?!"**_ exclaimed the rest of the audience except for the Neo-Spacians, who sighed and facepalmed.

 _'Here we go,'_ thought the Neo-Spacians.

 _ **"Let me clarify. As guardians of Neo Space, we have looked over Jaden ever since she was born because we knew she would be the chosen one, so naturally, we have developed some...parental feelings for her as well, and wish to assist you even after the Society of Light is finished and disbanded,"**_ explained Neos proudly.

Flame Wingman couldn't believe that there was finally someone out there who understood what he felt. _**"Yes...Yes! We do have a lot to discuss!"**_

 _ **"Oh, man! Two overprotective leaders?! I mean, they're still cool and all, but seriously! We get it! Give Jaden some space!"**_ complained Heat.

 _ **"Eh, you'll get used to his antics. He's been desperate to meet Jaden after so long,"**_ replied Air Hummingbird. If he could handle an overprotective leader like Neos, he could handle Flame Wingman just as much as the rest of the Neo-Spacians could.

Just when the situation got better, at the same time, it kinda grew worse, but they'll learn to adapt to it.

* * *

 **Whew! The introduction's all set! Next chapter won't be for a while, but it's the rematch you've been waiting for! Read and review!**


	52. Homecoming Duel

**Are you guys ready?! Ready?! It's the rematch we've been waiting for!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"Look, it's Chazz!"

"Yeah, I heard he's been acting strange, lately."

"Why's he wearing all white? Doesn't he usually wear a black coat?"

"Heh, I bet he actually bleached his clothes! Should have worn pink, instead!"

The newly reformed Chazz, who had somehow and mysterious changed for the crazy worse ever since Jaden disappeared, was minding his own business, walking past a group of Obelisk Blues who were teasing about his strange set of white clothing. Considering he was already being tormented before from demoting into a Slifer Red and suffering losses from Jaden, the teasing certainly gotten a new low.

Somehow, Chazz wasn't getting all irritated and yelling at his former Obelisk Blue colleagues, but instead, he was maintaining his cool composure while holding some anger inside.

"You know, I'm not afraid to get this outfit dirty," threatened Chazz, smirking as he was basically challenging his teasers. "I've got three more."

It was bad enough that Chazz can beat their sorry asses in a duel, but in a fight? There was no way they stood a chance! They tried that once, and...well, it was an experience they would never forget. Frightened, the Obelisk Blues ran for it, bypassing Chazz as he calmly walked away.

Well, it didn't matter if he dealt with them right now or not because eventually, even those Obelisk Blues will be wearing white soon enough. Well, even if they do dress as white, it still won't be as grand as his.

Meanwhile, Bonaparte was contemplating on the next move on how to take down the Slifer Red dorm when a bright idea popped into his head. "I got it! A chance to take down the Red Dorm!"

Crowler, who was signing stacks of paperwork, questioned, "What do you mean?"

"Well, Jaden's whereabouts are still unknown and Princeton's been acting weird. We'll take this opportunity to wipe out the whole Slifer Red dorm business and raise this school's reputation!"

"And how do you suppose we do that?" wondered Crowler, still focused on his paperwork before finally signing the last of the paperwork. "Yes! Mama mia! I've finally finis-"

"There's still more," interrupted Bonaparte, piling another stack of paperwork onto Crowler's desk. "Now, would you please pay attention to my plan?! We'll solve this with the same way we deal everything around here!"

"With a duel!" gasped Crowler, realizing what Bonaparte was trying to say. "A fight for the fate of their dorm! But, even if Jaden and Chazz aren't around, that dorm still has Alexis Rhodes, and we all know she's the best amongst the female students! There are almost no duelists that can stand up against her, and even if there are, they've all resolved themselves to protecting the Slifer Red dorm!"

"I know. That's why I've made arrangements to have her challenge duel her tonight. You'll be surprised to know who it is."

* * *

 _Meanwhile, with Sartorius..._

Sartorius barely had to turn around to notice Aster walking in his private white room. "Thank you for coming on such short notice, Aster. Last month, I went to Duel Academy and found something interesting within that school. For now, I've booked you a last minute match at Duel Academy, so your flight to Duel Academy will leave at exactly 10 P.M. sharp."

"Wait, why make me go there? Isn't my business done with that place?" questioned Aster.

"Not exactly. The cards are telling me something of dire importance. At the school, something against my predictions are happening."

"Something that was even impossible for you to predict?"

Sartorius nodded. "There is someone who can overcome the fate I predicted. If you're interested in such a person, then go to Duel Academy to find your answers."

Unsatisfied, yet curious, Aster turned around and left, wondering who might it be to overcome fate. After all, it's impossible to simply twist around destiny like that!

* * *

 _That night..._

"What's this? A notice?" wondered Alexis as she, Chazz, and Hassleberry stared at the wooden post standing right in front of the Slifer Red dorm.

"It says, 'The dormitory leader of this dorm and the representative of the school will duel. If your side loses, we will mercilessly crush this dorm,'" read Hassleberry. "Figures the enemy in charge of all of this would use this to their advantage!"

Chazz merely chuckled at the amusement of such a duel. "It doesn't matter which side wins or loses. In the end, the Society of Light will triumph! I don't really care about this dorm anymore, so you can do whatever you want."

Watching him leave irritated Alexis, but she figured Chazz might act this way. "Fine, whatever. This duel, I will accept. Aside from me, there is nobody else who can defend this dorm."

It was a little different for Hassleberry since he can't duel in Alexis' place because she was more experienced than him, so he was sobbing in joy at her pure words. "Alexis, thank you so much! Man, where did the Serge go at a time like this?!"

The message did also state that the duel would take place early tomorrow morning, so Alexis and Hassleberry arrived at the entrance of Duel Academy, where it was a foggy morning that day, awaiting for the Bonaparte, Crowler, and that mysterious duelist Alexis had to face.

"Alexis! Alexis!" called out Syrus as he and Bastion ran towards where Alexis and Hassleberry were.

"Alexis, we heard the news," spoke Bastion. "I can't believe they would still continue to do this!"

"That just goes to show how persistent we can be!" laughed Bonaparte as he and Crowler emerged from the entrance of Duel Academy.

"I'm here, just as promised," assured Alexis in a serious tone. "Who's the opponent I'm supposed to face?"

"That's me!" announced Aster, stepping out from the fog and making a shocking entrance before turning to Alexis. "I'm your opponent, so let's just hurry and get this over with!"

While everyone else was shocked by Aster's appearance, Crowler pulled Bonaparte aside for a quick talk. "How and when did you manage to get Aster Phoenix here?!"

"Well, let's just say that I heard that he's looking for a person in order to avenge his father," mumbled Bonaparte. "Since I know the boss of the duel underground, I told him that if he won the duel, I'd tell him about the person he's been searching for."

"Bonaparte! I didn't think you knew some shady people."

"That's because I don't. I _lied."_

"YOU LI-"

Quickly, Bonaparte covered Crowler's mouth on time before he could babble anything else. "T-That's enough! Come on, everyone! Time to get moving! Let's head to the duel stadium!"

As everyone else headed inside, Aster stopped when he saw Chazz casually leaning against a large stone-like wall. "Have you come here on Sartorius' orders?"

Now that was an interesting way to start a conversation. "Wait, his orders? What do you mean?" asked Aster.

"The Society of Light's orders," answered Chazz.

"The Society of Light? What's that about?"

Standing up straight, Chazz was a little conflicted and confused as Aster. "What, really? I thought for sure that you came on Sartorius' orders to obliterate Jaden."

"Why would I need to duel her when I've already beaten her? There's no more reason for me to duel her when I have to duel that Alexis girl."

"When you fought with Jaden the other day, Sartorius' power slipped into your deck," revealed Chazz. "But even though Jaden lost to you, she didn't become a member of the Society of Light as planned. In other words, Sartorius' power doesn't work on Jaden."

"Wait, what do you mean when you said that his power slipped into my deck?" wondered Aster, growing suspicious. It's true that Sartorius did have some sort of fortune telling ability that was unlike any other fortune tellers in the world, but could there actually be more to his power?

"Do you seriously not know?" asked Chazz, a little annoyed. "Well, whatever. The school will eventually belong to Sartorius, anyways. Jaden will show herself soon enough, but if you don't duel her, I'll take over your place."

"What...Hey, answer my question!" yelled Aster, watching Chazz leave while maniacally laughing. _'Just what is with that guy? But...the person that Sartorius mentioned that will change fate...Could it really be Jaden?'_

A few minutes later, everyone else seated at the auditorium seats, watching as Alexis and Aster got on the dueling platform, preparing for their match to decide the fate of the Slifer Red dorm, though Aster was mostly here for the deal Bonaparte promised him.

Upon meeting eye-to-eye with Aster, Alexis could sense the tension and focus behind Aster's fighting aura and knew she was in for a really tough duel, especially since she's about to face off against a Pro Duelist.

"The duel wagering the continuance of the Slifer Red dorm will not take place," announced Bonaparte.

"I'm ready!" said Alexis.

"Bring it on!" said Aster. Both fiercely glared at each other once more before inserting their decks in, ready to duel to determine each other's futures.

"WAAAIIIIIITTTTTTTT!"

Surprised by the outburst that interrupted the start of their duel, everyone looked at the intruder when their gazes changed to surprised looks. "JADEN?!" everyone exclaimed upon seeing the familiar girl burst in.

Panting and placing her dirtied hands on her knees, Jaden tried to say something but needed to catch her breath first. She was truly a mess; her hair all tussled up with a few twigs on it, her clothes a little ripped and caked with dirt, and her expression begging for a drink of water.

Once she recovered her breath, Jaden spoke up with a grin on her face. "Time out! Time out!" She rushed past Aster, giving a short "Hi!" at him before retreating to her friends' side, who rushed up to her.

"Jaden! I missed you so much!" cried out Syrus, leaping into Jaden's arms and snuggling into her...rather flat chest.

If it weren't for their happy reunion, Hassleberry would be snarling at Syrus and pulling him away, but instead, he had a better idea as he took a half-empty water bottle from his pocket and threw it at Jaden, who caught it. "Here, Serge! You need it! You deserve a drink!"

Bastion turned to Hassleberry. "Wait, didn't you drink half of that wat-"

"Shush! I'm enjoying the moment! Besides, every soldier can't complain when it comes to surviving!" said Hassleberry, dreamily staring at Jaden as she gulped down the last contents of the water bottle. _'If what girls say are true, then that was truly an indirect kiss!~'_

"Where did you go anyways, Jaden?" asked Syrus.

"The truth is, after I drifted in the sea on a boat, I came across a new Hero deck!" squealed Jaden, unable to get over the fact that she got new, cool alien-like Monsters, especially a new Elemental Hero.

"Wait, how? I possess all of the available Heroes there are! Including the rare, expensive ones!" said Aster.

"Yeah, but this is different! See, a huge light went 'Pow! Powtch! Bam!' from outer space and once I got caught in the light, a new Hero appeared and breathed new life into my deck!"

Okay, everyone was understandably confused by what Jaden meant, especially Bastion, who was supposed to be the smartest of them all. "Jaden...we don't know what you're talking about."

"Wait, wait! Jaden! If you're back, then does that mean you can duel again?" asked Syrus.

"Yeah! Can you see your cards now?" Hassleberry asked.

Jaden nodded. "Yup, yup, yup! When I returned to the island, I heard a lot of voices calling out for me! Like, Winged Kuriboh, and Mr. Kitty, some alien girl who I thought was a guy at first, a bird man, a fire bug, a cute mole, and yeah! Oh, and before I met those guys, I met Aquos, a dolphin guy, and dueled this robot thing from the Society of Light! With new cards, I've got a new and improved deck that I can't wait to try out on!~"

"Wow, as whacky as that story is, I at least believe that she's got a new deck," admitted Syrus.

"Hey, Aster! I want you to be the first one to experience and see my new deck!" called out Jaden. "Even though you were a bit of a jerkish asshole who tricked me, I still want to thank you! It's thanks to you that I met this new Hero deck!"

"I should have told you already that there are no heroes stronger than the Destiny Heroes on Earth!" called back Aster, irritated.

"And I'm telling you that this deck came from space!" protested Jaden. "I won a card contest from Kaiba Corp when I was a kid and they sent my fanmade cards up in space, and that's how I got my cards!"

"Wait, that international card contest that was infamous a couple years back?" wondered Syrus. "Wow, you must have been a great drawer if your cards won! What'd you draw?"

"Hmm...A pink dolphin and a dandelion!"

"...How did I lose to those?!" cried out Syrus, falling to his knees in despair.

"Calm down there, Truesdale," sobbed Hassleberry, since he lost the contest as well. "You're not the only one experiencing from childhood loss."

Ignoring the two and their childish antics, Bastion turned to Jaden. "Um...Jaden? The existence of aliens hasn't been confirmed yet..."

"Then, why did Kaiba say that he wanted to send the fanmade cards up at space so that aliens could learn how to duel?" wondered Jaden. "And don't you try and tell me that's not possible! It was made on official international news, too!"

"W-Well..." He had to admit, Jaden was right. Why did Seto Kaiba make such a ridiculous proclamation to the world? "Actually, hold on! If that announcement was made when you were a kid, how did you remember it?"

"Oh, I remembered when I saw my new cards! And also about Seto Kaiba's helicopter finger cutting incident."

Ah, yes. Right after Kaiba made that announcement to Domino City, he was about to say more news when his ego accidentally caused his finger to be sliced off by one of the helicopter wings, making him stop the announcement to go to the nearest hospital. People proclaim it was actually his second time his finger was cut off.

Turning to Alexis, Jaden got on her knees and began bowing her head up and down. "PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE LEMME TAKE YOUR PLACE! I WANNA TEACH THAT JERKISH ASSHOLE A LESSON!"

"Hey, you do know I'm standing right here, right?" called Aster.

"And you do know that I don't care, right?"

After listening to Jaden's pleading, Alexis sighed and allowed the girl to switch places with her, despite already deciding to let the girl switch places. This bothered Bonaparte, as this was not part of the plan. Alexis was supposed to duel Aster, not Jaden!

"Hold up! This isn't fair!" called Bonaparte.

"Actually, it is," spoke Bastion. "Remember, this is a duel risking the Slifer Red dorm, and Jaden is still technically a Slifer Red member, so she has every right to participate!"

Noting nothing was wrong in the argument Bastion presented, Crowler nodded. "Yes, I see! Very well, I approve of the duelist change! Is that alright with you, Vice Chancellor Bonaparte?"

Sighing and left with no other choice, Bonaparte nodded. "Fine, fine. I guess it wouldn't hurt."

"Awesome!" Smiling at Aster, Jaden told him, "I hope we can enjoy this duel together!~"

"We all know how this happened last time, so I'll make sure it happens again!" promised Aster.

"Jaden, catch!" called Alexis, tossing a duel disk over to Jaden, who thanked her afterwards.

Standing up, Crowler announced, "Alright, that's enough! Let the duel commence!"

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Aster - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"My turn, draw!" said Aster. "I summon Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude!"

Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1400/1600)

"I then activate Diamond Dude's effect! I can check the top card in my deck, and if it's a Spell card, that card goes to the Graveyard and will be activated next turn. The card I drew was Graceful Charity, so I send it to the Graveyard and end my turn."

Excited to draw one of her new Monsters, Jaden quickly drew her card faster before anyone could blink. "MY TURN! DRAW! YES, YES, YES! Okay! I'm gonna summon one of my new friends! Here comes Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin!"

Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin - (WATER/Warrior) - LV3 - (600/800)

"He's part of my new friends, the Neo-Spacians!" announced Jaden, proudly looking at Aqua Dolphin. "Now, I activate the Spell card, Fake Hero! I get to Special Summon an Elemental Hero Monster from my hand, but he can't attack, and he returns to my hand at the End Phase! So, I Special Summon Elemental Hero Bladedge!"

Elemental Hero Bladedge - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV7 - (2600/1800)

"Next comes up Aqua Dolphin's effect! I discard a card, then I get to look at your hand and choose 1 Monster card. Then, I get to select another Monster on my side of the field and if that Monster's Attack Points are higher than the Monster card I've chosen from your card, your Monster card's destroyed and you get hit with 500 Points of Damage!"

To Aster's shock, Jaden had chosen one of his Destiny Heroes, Captain Tenacious, and selected her Bladedge, thus destroying Captain Tenacious and being inflicted with 500 Points of Damage.

 **Aster - 3500 LP**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"I set two cards and end my turn!"

"My turn!" said Aster, drawing his card. "Now the effect of Diamond Dude kicks in, and I get to activate Graceful Charity from within my Graveyard! I draw three cards and discard two! Then, I activate the Field Spell, Mausoleum of the Emperor!"

The entire playing field exploded with bursts of mist that surrounded the field, fading away only when the new field appeared, resembling some sort of Egyptian, pyramid fortress with a bridge between both duelists as there were countless, old statues underneath them.

"According to this Field Spell's effect, each players can Normal Summon or set Monsters without sacrificing any Monsters by paying 500 Life Points x the number of Monsters needed for the Tribute Summon!"

 **Aster - 2500 LP**

 **Jaden - 4000 LP**

"Come on! Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster!"

With the monstrous entity slamming feet on the field and returning, Jaden's side took a turn for the worse since Dreadmaster is Aster's ultimate Destiny Hero.

Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster - (DARK/Warrior) - LV8 - (?/?)

"When Dreadmaster is summoned, I get to Special Summon up to two Destiny Hero Monsters from my Graveyard! I Special Summon Captain Tenacious and Doom Lord!"

Destiny Hero - Captain Tenacious - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (800/800)

Destiny Hero - Doom Lord - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (600/800)

"Now, Dreadmaster's Attack and Defense Points are equal to the combined original Attack Points of all other Destiny Heroes I control"

Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster - (DARK/Warrior) - LV8 - (2800/2800)

Pointing at Jaden, Aster declared, "It's a match between your new heroes and my Destiny- Heroes! Dreadmaster, finish off her Aqua Dolphin!"

"I activate the Trap, Negate Attack!" shouted Jaden. "It negates the opponent's attack and ends the Battle Phase!"

"Damnit! You just got lucky!" muttered Aster, gritting his teeth.

"My turn, draw! Hey, Aster! Thanks for letting me have use of your Field Spell, because now I can do this! I pay 1000 Life Points and sacrifice these creepy statue guys to summon a really strong Monster! Come on out, power that protects Neo Space, Elemental Hero Neos!"

"What?! There's no way there's such a thing! You're bluffing! There's no way-!"

Elemental Hero Neos - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV7 - (2500/2000)

"...Well, fine!" said Aster, accepting that there really was an unknown Elemental Hero right in front of him. _'How is this possible?! Even I, who uses Heroes, have never seen this Elemental Hero!'_

"You know, there's something interesting with Neo-Spacians and Neos!" explained Jaden. "Elemental Hero Neos has already received the wave of the universe and can make contact with any Neo- Spacian to make a new Elemental Hero! Now I can fuse my Neo-Spacians and Neos without the use of Polymerization!"

"What?!"

"Here, lemme show ya a demonstration! Aqua Dolphin! Neos! Contact Fusion to create the new Aqua Neos!"

Emerging from the waters, Aqua Dolphin flew high into outer space with Neos, where their presences became a blur before a new powerful entity combined with their traits and bodies merged arrived.

Elemental Hero Aqua Neos - (WATER/Warrior/Fusion) - LV7 - (2500/2000)

"This is Jaden's new deck?" wondered Alexis, amazed.

"I activate Aqua Neos' effect! By discard a card from my hand, I can randomly destroy 2 cards from my opponent's hand!" called out Jaden, wanting two random cards from Aster's hand vanish. "Then, I activate my facedown card, H - Heated Heart! Now Aqua Neos' Attack Points increase by 500!"

Elemental Hero Aqua Neos - (WATER/Warrior/Fusion) - LV7 - (3000/2000)

"Now attack Dreadmaster!"

Raising his arms above his head, Aqua Neos summoned a powerful surge of water which sent Dreadmaster flying and burst into nothing but glass.

 **Aster - 2300 LP**

 **Jaden - 3000 LP**

"Wow, did you see that?!" cried out Syrus.

"Yeah! She just took out his ace Monster in seconds!" praised Hassleberry.

Shaking with anger at the defeat of his Monster, Aster growled, "How...dare you...?! My most powerful Monster, defeated by the likes of you?! I won't accept it! Other than the Elemental Heroes and the Destiny Heroes, nothing else can compared to them! Especially my Destiny Heroes!"

"But my _Elemental Hero_ Aqua Neos just defeated yours. So-huh?" To Jaden's shock, right when her turn was just about over, Aqua Neos' body began glowing before becoming a trail of light that entered her deck, surprising everyone. "Uh, Aqua Neos?! What gives?! Hey! Hey! I still kinda need you!"

"Wait, why did her Monster return to her deck?" wondered Syrus, panicking.

"Could it be that Jaden doesn't have extensive knowledge on her own deck?" theorized Bastion.

"If that's the case, then Jaden's in real trouble, because her field's empty!"

Aster didn't understand what happened, but if this sudden change of events would make his victory smoother, he'd gladly embrace it. Grinning sinisterly, Aster drew his card. "My turn! Oh, I am so going to enjoy this...Diamond Dude! Captain Tenacious! And Doom Lord! Attack her directly all at once!"

"N-Now hold on, I'm sure-GAAAH!"

Unfortunately, Aster wasn't known to show any hint of mercy, and neither do his Destiny Heroes as they mercilessly pummeled her with their blows, sending her crashing to the ground with less than a few Life Points left.

 **Aster - 2300 LP**

 **Jaden - 200 LP**

"I end my turn! My victory has already been decided!" declared Aster confidently.

"No way!" said Jaden, growing excited despite her disadvantage as she jumped to her feet to face Aster. "I still haven't shown you all the tricks my deck has! This is only the beginning!"

Despite her words, Jaden still felt a bit of pain from the three successful rough attacks laid onto her, and it didn't help that Aqua Neos had a serious weakness that only allowed him on the field for one turn. Guess there had to be a price to pay for every power.

With Jaden completely defenseless and having no cards in her hands, Aster thought that this might be his easier victory yet. _'Jaden, you don't understand the weight of faith that is carried by the Destiny Heroes. I swore to avenge my father's death and eliminate anyone that gets in my way, including you!'_

"My turn, draw!" said Jaden, hoping for a miracle. "I drew Bubbleman, and if he's the only card in my hand, I can Special Summon him!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"Also, if there are no other cards on my field, I can draw two more cards! Then, I activate the Spell, Pot of Greed, letting me draw two free cards!"

Why was it that fate always had to make things difficult for Aster? _'Jaden refreshed her hand in less than a few seconds! How?! By plain luck?!'_ thought Aster, growling lowly in frustration.

"Now, I equip Bubbleman with the Equip Spell, Bubble Blaster raising his Attack Points by 800!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1200)

"And since I never got to Normal Summon this turn, now's a good time as ever to introduce my newest Neo-Spacian! The Neo-Spacian of wind, Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird!"

Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (800/600)

"Another one of Jaden's new Monsters!" gasped Syrus.

"Even after we already met, you're still cool-looking!" squealed Jaden to Air Hummingbird.

 _ **"Now that we can fight side-by-side, I can now support you! Use my special ability!"**_ proposed Air Hummingbird.

Jaden nodded. "I activate Air Hummingbird's effect! For each card in your hand, I gain 500 Life Points each!"

Much to everyone's surprise, since Aster held three cards, three pink flowers sprouted in mid-air, allowing Air Hummingbird to suckle onto the three flowers and grant Jaden more Life Points.

 **Aster - 2300 LP**

 **Jaden - 1700 LP**

"Her new Monster has a life-recovering effect?" wondered Aster.

"Now it's time to attack! Bubbleman, shoot down Captain Tenacious!" ordered Jaden.

Unleashing a blast of water from his Bubble Blaster, Bubbleman succeeded in taking out one of the most troublesome Destiny Heroes, leaving no more room for revival anymore.

 **Aster - 1500 LP**

 **Jaden - 1700 LP**

"Air Hummingbird, take down Doom Lord, next!"

Taking flight up in the air, Air Hummingbird spread his wings and then swooped downwards towards Doom Lord, taking him out with one strike.

 **Aster - 1300 LP**

 **Jaden - 1700 LP**

"I set a card facedown and end my turn!"

"Unbelievable!" cried out Alexis, astonished by everything that's been happening thus far. "Under such a terrible situation, Jaden was able to turn things around in one turn!"

"Neo-Spacians...they truly uphold powers and strengths that we cannot understand!" muttered Bastion.

"I don't know what's going on, but if Jaden's winning, that's good! Go get him, Jay!" cheered Syrus.

"Yeah, go teach that guy a lesson!" agreed Hassleberry.

"My turn, draw!" said Aster. "It doesn't matter what sort of new Monsters you put into your deck, because no hero is better than the Destiny Heroes! I activate the Field Spell, Dark City!"

The monumental, pyramid-like setting with the old statues underneath vanished as darkness filled the skies above and dark buildings rose up around them.

"If a Destiny Hero's weaker than the opposing Monster, that Destiny Hero gains 1000 Attack Points!"

"So it's just like my Elemental Hero's Skyscraper?! Cool!" squealed Jaden.

"No, it's nothing like-Actually, you know what? It kinda is. But anyways, I sacrifice Diamond Dude to Tribute Summon Destiny Hero - Double Dude!"

Destiny Hero - Double Dude - (DARK/Warrior) - LV6 - (1000/1000)

"Double Dude, destroy Bubbleman! And thanks to Dark City's effect, Double Dude gains 1000 Attack Points because he's weaker than Bubbleman!"

Destiny Hero - Double Dude - (DARK/Warrior) - LV6 - (2000/1000)

"Not so fast! Bubbleman's Bubble Blaster's effect kicks in! Instead of Bubbleman being destroyed, it's Bubble Blaster that does, and I take no damage!"

True to Jaden's word, Bubble Blaster did get destroyed the instant Double Dude managed to land an attack on Bubbleman, with the Elemental Hero still standing, yet have a reduction in strength."

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"I know that!" said Aster. "But you should know Double Dude's effect! He can attack twice in the same Battle Phase! But I'm not aiming for Bubbleman anymore! Double Dude, attack Air Hummingbird!"

Switching targets, Double Dude, who had become a rad warrior, turned back into his gentleman-like state before slashing at Air Hummingbird, and since Double Dude's original Attack Points were higher than Air Hummingbird, the effect of Dark City didn't course through him.

Destiny Hero - Double Dude - (DARK/Warrior) - LV6 - (1000/1000)

 **Aster - 1300 LP**

 **Jaden - 1500 LP**

"I set a card and end my turn!"

"My turn!" said Jaden. "I play Graceful Charity, letting me draw three cards, but discard two! I then activate the Trap, Disgraceful Charity! This turn only, both players can all all cards from their Graveyards that were discarded by the effect of a Spell card! I then activate the Spell, Common Soul, and Special Summon another Neo-Spacian from my hand! Neo-Spacian Flare Scarab!"

Neo-Spacian Flare Scarab - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (500/500)

"Hey, hey! Aster! It's another one of my hero Monsters! Sure, he doesn't have the Elemental Hero name, but he's still considered a hero to me!"

Angered, Aster questioned, "Jaden, are you really that happy with your own heroes? You're living in a childish fantasy! I don't acknowledge heroes with no destiny!"

"Jeez, there you go again, talking on and on about destiny!" complained Jaden, getting annoyed. "That's starting to get real annoying, you know! If you love destiny so much, why don't you make your own?"

"What...do you mean?"

"Look, the story with your Dad is really sad, I know. But he must have created the Destiny Heroes to make you happy instead of upsetting you. I mean, isn't it always nice to meet new heroes?"

Come to think of it, Aster's never thought of forging his own destiny before, but come to think of it, his card-designing father always wanted to make his own son happy, which is why he made the Destiny Heroes and other Monsters in the first place. His father was kind and never wanted any harm, but Aster's harmed too many people and never once used the Destiny Heroes for fun. What would his father say now if they ever met again?

Now that Aster was lost in thought, he glanced back at Double Dude, one of his Destiny Heroes. He practically burdened his Destiny Heroes with his own selfish goals and used them for himself, not for good. Yes, he was a professional Pro Duelist that used his cards to their fullest potential, but not exactly in a good way. He dealt with justice, yes, but he ended up harming people instead of doing any actual good.

"If you're not too busy, can we get back to the duel?" called out Jaden. "I activate Flare Scarab's effect! For each Spell and Trap card on your field, he gains 400 extra Attack Points!"

Neo-Spacian Flare Scarab - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (1300/500)

"Neo-Spacians have the ability to support their allies! Now, Common Soul's effect activates, and Flare Scarab can share his Attack Points with Bubbleman!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (2100/1200)

Bubbleman, attack Double Dude!"

With surging energy pouring in thanks to Flare Scarab, Bubbleman unleashed a volley of bubbles at Double Dude, taking him out.

 **Aster - 200 LP**

 **Jaden - 1500 LP**

"I activate my Trap, Destiny Signal!" said Aster. "When my Destiny Hero gets sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Monster from either my hand or deck! I Special Summon Destiny Hero - Defender!"

Destiny Hero - Defender - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (100/2700)

"Oh, cool! Your Monster has even higher Defense Points than my Clayman!" praised Jaden.

"Yes, but in exchange for such high defense, you get to draw an additional card in every one of your Standby Phases," explained Aster. "My turn, draw! Double Dude's effect activates! When he was destroyed last turn, I get to Special Summon 2 Double Dude Tokens on my next Standby Phase!"

Double Dude Tokens - (DARK/Warrior/Token) - LV4 - (1000/1000) X2

"Next, I play Mystical Space Typhoon and destroy that annoying Common Soul card!"

A rushing wind blew onto the field and instantly destroyed Common Soul, returning Flare Scarab to Jaden's hand. "When Common Soul's removed from the field, the Neo-Spacian Special Summoned from its effect returns to my hand."

"Well, that just makes it better for me," said Aster cockily. "Because without that Common Soul card or your Flare Scarab, Bubbleman's Attack Points return to normal!"

Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)

"Go, Double Dude Token! Destroy Bubbleman! And second Double Dude Token, attack Jaden directly afterwards!"

Both Tokens set out to commit to their duties; one slashing and destroying Bubbleman, while the other attacking Jaden, leaving her with just as much Life Points as Aster has.

 **Aster - 200 LP**

 **Jaden - 300 LP**

"You're lucky none of my Tokens have the same ability as my Double Dude!" said Aster. "I end my turn!"

"My turn!" grunted Jaden. "And thanks to your Defender, I'm allowed to draw an extra card! I activate the Spell, Shallow Grave! Now, both players can Special Summon a Monster from their Graveyards in Defense Mode! And I choose Hero Kid!"

Hero Kid - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV2 - (300/600)

"And since he was Special Summoned, I can Special Summon any number of Hero Kids from my deck, so here's two more!"

Hero Kid - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV2 - (300/600) X3

"Big deal! I Special Summon Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster! And if he's summoned, I get to destroy all non- Destiny Hero Monsters on my field, like the two Tokens I have! But, I get to Special Summon 2 other Destiny Hero Monsters from my Graveyard! Diamond Dude and Captain Tenacious!"

Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster - (DARK/Warrior) - LV8 - (?/?)

Destiny Hero - Captain Tenacious - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (800/800)

Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1400/1600)

"And Dreadmaster's Attack and Defense Points are the sum of the Attack Points of all other Destiny Heroes on my field!"

Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster - (DARK/Warrior) - LV8 - (2300/2300)

"Fine, but I now summon Flare Scarab back to the field!" said Jaden.

Neo-Spacian Flare Scarab - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (500/500)

"And because of the existence of the Spell card, Dark City, he gains 400 extra Attack Points!"

Neo-Spacian Flare Scarab - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (900/500)

"Flare Scarab, attack Captain Tenacious!"

Rousing in power, Flare Scarab's fire power shot out arrows of fire that exploded all over the battlegrounds before finally hitting and taking out Captain Tenacious.

Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster - (DARK/Warrior) - LV8 - (1500/1500)

"I set two cards and end my turn!"

"My turn!" said Aster. "I activate Pot of Greed to draw two cards! Then, I sacrifice Dreadmaster, Diamond Dude, and Defender to Special Summon Destiny Hero - Dogma!"

Destiny Hero - Dogma - (DARK/Warrior) - LV8 - (3400/2400)

"Dogma, destroy Flare Scarab!"

Energy charging within Dogma, once the new Destiny Hero prepared himself, he rushed head-on towards Flare Scarab, intending to finish this duel once and for all.

"I activate a Trap!" interrupted Jaden quickly. "Kid Guard! With this Trap, all I have to do is sacrifice one of my Hero Kids to negate your attack! Then, I can add an Elemental Hero Monster from my deck to my hand!"

Hero Kid quickly stood in front of Flare Scarab, glancing at him once before taking the full blow. Resolved by Hero Kid's sacrifice, Flare Scarab promised, _**"Your sacrifice won't be in vain. Jaden, it's time to harness Neos' power once more!"**_

Nodding, Jaden announced, "I add Elemental Hero Neos to my hand!"

"Then, I set a card and end my turn!" said Aster.

"Remember, for each Spell and/or Trap card in your field, Flare Scarab's Attack Points increase by another 400 points!"

Neo-Spacian Flare Scarab - (FIRE/Warrior) - LV3 - (1300/500)

"My turn!" said Jaden. "Now-" Suddenly, she was engulfed by a beam of violet light that sprung from underneath her feet, bringing forth pain throughout her body.

"Dogma's effect activates!" stated Aster. "For each of your Standby Phase, Dogma takes away half of your Life Points!"

 **Aster - 200 LP**

 **Jaden - 150 LP**

"Oh no! Jaden only has a few Life Points left!" cried out Syrus.

"This is bad!" said Hassleberry.

"If Jaden takes one more sort of Damage, whether it's from battle or effect, it's over," said Bastion.

"Hehehe!~ This is so much fun, Aster!" giggled Jaden.

Smirking a bit, Aster admitted, "I didn't think you'd still find fun while you're on the verge of losing."

"Yeah! I've seen a lot of Heroes clashing against each other, but I feel bad, because you haven't seen all of my new heroes!"

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"You'll see! For now, I activate the Field Spell, Neo Space!" said Jaden; Dark City vanishing, or rather, illuminating as a strange aura of multiple colors mixed together surrounded the field. "Neo Space makes it so Neos and his Fusion Monsters gain 500 Attack Points! I sacrifice my two Hero Kids to summon Elemental Hero Neos!"

Elemental Hero Neos - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV7 - (2500/2000)

"And like I said before, Neos gains 500 extra Attack Points!"

Elemental Hero Neos - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV7 - (3000/2000)

"But even if you increased his strength, he still isn't any stronger than my Dogma!" reminded Aster.

"True, but I'm gonna show you the possibilities of Neos right now!" promised Jaden. "So Flare Scarab and Neos! Merge together using Contact Fusion!"

"Hey, wait! You can't fuse without a Polymerization card! That's against the rules!"

Jaden shook her head. "No, it's Contact Fusion! Contact Fusion makes it so you don't have to use Polymerization to fuse! But it's only legit with a Neo-Spacian and Neos!"

Covering part of his eyes as the shining light from the Contact Fusion was commencing, Aster felt warmth within himself as he was reminded of his past childhood. "Yeah...I remember that I always used to be excited over the new appearances of heroes! So, this is your new hero, Jaden?"

"Yup! This is just one of Neos' new brands of strengths! Elemental Hero Flare Neos!" announced Jaden.

Elemental Hero Flare Neos - (FIRE/Warrior/Fusion) - LV7 - (2500/2000)

"For each Spell and/or Trap card on the field, he gains 400 extra Attack Points! And there are three out on the field! Plus, Neo Spaces makes it so Flare Neos gets an additional 500 Attack Points boost!"

Elemental Hero Flare Neos - (FIRE/Warrior/Fusion) - LV7 - (4200/2000)

"Flare Neos, destroy Dogma once and for all!"

Just as Flare Neos was about to initiate one more attack, Aster still had another plan in mind. "I activate the Trap, D-Shield! Now, when a Destiny Hero I control is attacked, I can switch that Monster into Defense Mode and D-Shield is equipped onto Dogma, making it so he can't be destroyed in battle!"

"Awww! I was so close, but good comeback!" praised Jaden. "I end my turn! Neo Space has another effect, making it so any fused Monsters with Neos won't disappear after one turn."

"I see. Jaden, Neos certainly is a great hero, but just because he is, doesn't mean he's undefeatable!" said Aster, drawing his card. "I switch Dogma into Attack Mode and equip him with Heavy Storm Blade!"

"Flare Neos' effect activates!" reminded Jaden. "For each Spell and/or Trap card on the field, he gains 400 more Attack Points!"

Elemental Hero Flare Neos - (FIRE/Warrior/Fusion) - LV7 - (4600/2000)

"Here I go, Jaden! The last punch will determine the result between us!" promised Aster, determined. "Dogma, finish off Flare Neos!"

"Wait, why would he attack with a lower Attack Point Monster?" wondered Bastion.

"This is the fatal sword I've chosen to defeat you! Heavy Storm Blade's effect activates! The Monster equipped with Heavy Storm Blade will destroy all Spells and Trap cards on the field when he attacks except for Heavy Storm Blade!"

With most of the Spells and Traps being blown away by the spinning blade Dogma equipped with, Flare Neos' Attack Point significantly decreased a lot, making him the weaker one of the two.

Elemental Hero Flare Neos - (FIRE/Warrior/Fusion) - LV7 - (2900/2000)

"Now, Dogma attack!"

When Dogma was about to slice Flare Neos in half, Flare Neos blocked with his arms, not only blocking the attack, but also coming close to shattering Heavy Storm Blade as evident of the cracks forming onto the huge blade.

"W-what?! How?!"

"Sorry, Aster, but Flare Neos' Attack Points are actually _3700."_

"How?"

"With this!" said Jaden. "My set card was Spell Calling, and when it was destroyed by the effect of a Spell or Trap, I get to select 2 Spells from my deck and set them, granting my Flare Neos a boost!"

Elemental Hero Flare Neos - (FIRE/Warrior/Fusion) - LV7 - (3700/2000)

 _'Wait, but then that means Jaden wins!'_ thought Aster, shocked. _'Neos and Jaden...could Jaden actually be the strength to overpower Sartorius' destiny? Is she the person Sartorius was talking about?'_

Flare Neos, now having the power to defeat Dogma, overwhelmed him, destroyed the Destiny Hero for good as Aster fell to one knee, utterly being defeated.

 **Aster - 0 LP**

 **Jaden - 150 LP**

 **Winner: Jaden**

"That's game!" said Jade, winking and doing her usual hand gesture.

"She did it! She won!" cheered Syrus, hugging Hassleberry.

"Yeah! My future girlfriend's growing up!"

"Hey! What do you mean 'your?' I'm gonna be her future boyfriend!"

"That was a splendid duel," said Bastion.

Alexis nodded. "Thanks to Jaden, the Slifer Red dorm's safe for now."

Waving to her friends, Jaden didn't notice Aster until he tapped her on the shoulder. "Hmm? What's up?"

"Jaden, I don't intend on losing next time," promised Aster. "So, enjoy this victory while it lasts. This doesn't mean that the Destiny Heroes are weak though, so keep that in mind."

"Yeah! Oh, and that first duel we had? We shouldn't count that one because you let me win!" said Jaden. "For now, we have a tie record, okay?"

"...Fine by me," agreed Aster before bending over and pecking her on the cheek. "I don't usually do this, but...I guess it's to make up for all the lying and terrible things I've done and said to you."

Glancing up a little, he could see Jaden's friends' shocked expression before Syrus and Hassleberry were snarling and hissing, angered while Alexis and Bastion were just plain surprised. Well, looks like Jaden's got a few fans of her own.

"I don't get it," said Jaden, confused as she wiped the kiss from her cheek, shocking Aster and making Hassleberry and Syrus happy. "Well, whatever! Next time you do something horrible, I'm gonna punch you in the face!"

"...You weren't supposed to actually wipe away the kiss," said Aster, dumbfounded. "Wow, you are unlike any of my fangirls, huh?"

"Who said I was your fangirl? I didn't like you that much until today."

Ouch. That's gotta wound on Aster's pride as he winched. "Okay, I deserved that. Well, I have to go. And maybe I'll see you again at school some other time, Jaden. After all, I will be attending here as a student, after all."

Jaden's face brightened as Hassleberry and Syrus' cries of "No!" were heard from the background. "Okay! I can't wait! See ya!"

Now that that business was over, Aster had a ton of questions to ask for Sartorius...

* * *

 **Finished!~ No skits today, but need more relationship bonding before anything happens! I think I'll do the whole Bonaparte vs Crowler duel episode, so we'll see! Read and review!**


	53. Dormitory Demolition

**Sorry! I still had exams studying up, so that's why I couldn't update this story!**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"THAT DORM IS STAYING PUT!"

"OVER MY DEAD BODY!"

'FINE BY ME!"

"Now, gentlemen..." one of the professors tried to calm down Crowler and Bonaparte, who have been continuously glaring and arguing with each other over the Slifer Red dorm ever since another one of their monthly teacher meetings happened, with the professors and other co-workers forced to do nothing but watch as Bonaparte and Crowler went at it.

"Just what do you mean that the Slifer Red dorm's going to be demolished?! You can't do that! You lack the authority!" yelled Crowler, showing his full support for the Slifer Red dorm.

"Oh? The existence of Slifer Red is of no value to this academy!" argued back Bonaparte.

"How can you say that?!"

"Our school will follow the direction of elite cultivation! That way, none of our students becomes third-rate duelists!"

"It's been proven over and over that the Slifer Red students are just as strong as Ra Yellow or even Obelisk Blue!" shouted Crowler. "Take Jaden and her friends for example! Heck, even Jaden managed to defeat Aster Phoenix and he was a Pro Duelist!"

'Pure luck!" shouted back Bonaparte. "Besides, while I've been doing most of the work, what have _you_ been doing? Give me one good thing you've done to increase the reputation of our school! As well as a reason why we shouldn't be abolishing that dorm!"

"I...don't have to tell you anything! I'm the Chancellor, so I say we shouldn't take down the Slifer Red dorm anymore!"

"Hmph! Well, it's clear now! You obviously hold a soft spot for those Slifer slackers!" scoffed Bonaparte. "Well, in tradition of this school, let's settle this with a duel!"

"Fine! Your annoying face needed to be kicked in, anyways!"

"What was that?!"

 _'When is this meeting ever going to end?'_ wondered the rest of the faculty. Unknown to any of them, especially to the bickering duo, Syrus happened to eavesdrop on the meeting and rushed back to the Slifer Red dorm as soon as possible.

* * *

 _Later..._

"What?! They're still planning on tearing down our dorm?!" exclaimed Jaden.

Having gathered his friends, an exhausted Syrus, who was still trying to catch his breath from running all the way from the Duel Academy building to his dorm, revealed all that he learned from spying on the meeting.

"You sure you heard this right?!" wondered Bastion.

"That's a shocker!" said Hassleberry.

"Is what you said true?" asked Alexis.

Finally gulping in air and standing up straight, Syrus further explained, "It's the truth! I heard them arguing about it during the meeting! Although, Crowler wanted to oppose tearing down our dorm while Bonaparte was full-on obsessed with the idea of destroying it!"

"I can understand Bonaparte, but why Crowler? He had a change of heart or something?" wondered Bastion. "It doesn't seem quite right. Are you sure you heard their talk properly?"

"If you ask me, it's probably just nonsense!" replied Hassleberry. "They're all bark but no bite!"

"-if! I won't let you abolish the Slifer Red dorm!"

"I'd like to hear you say that again after I've beaten you!"

Hearing rather loud noises along with two figures approaching their dorm, Jaden and her friends saw Crowler and Bonaparte arguing with each other as it appeared that their destination was the Slifer Red dorm.

"That's why we're dueling!" said Crowler.

"Of course! My goodness, you're making a huge deal out of nothing!" complained Bonaparte.

"Jeez, those guys are loud," commented Syrus, though a bit more worried over the fate of their dorm.

"Why would they be dueling for the dorm? Unless...Crowler really is on our side!" gasped Alexis.

"What? Really? The girly man that tried to take down our dorm numerous times before? Why change sides all of a sudden?" wondered Hassleberry.

"If Crowler really has defected to our side, I suppose that's a good thing, but the bad news is that none of us knows Bonaparte's deck," reminded Bastion.

Standing up, Jaden's eyes danced with excitement. "Bonaparte vs Crowler?! Awesome! I get to finally see someone kick Crowler's ass!"

Everyone sweatdropped at Jaden's comment, though considering the way Crowler treated most of them badly last year, they had to agree that a little revenge was satisfying. "Jaden...you do know that if Crowler loses, we lose our dorm as well?"

It didn't take long for the two senior duelists to square off against each other as the spectators, which were Jaden and her friends, watched with worry in their eyes as they were somewhat secretly egging on Crowler.

"This time, Crowler is definitely on our side, right guys?" wondered Syrus, just wanting to make sure.

"You sure we can rely on that guy?" asked Hassleberry, unsure.

"Yeah, we can! Crowler's definitely strong! But I bet that Bonaparte is just as strong, too!" cheered Jaden.

"Jaden, we're cheering on Crowler, not Bonaparte!" scolded Alexis.

"Yes, Bonaparte is the enemy! ENEMY!" emphasized Bastion so that even Jaden could understand.

Jaden awed, nodding. "Ohhhhh! Gotcha! Both sides, do your best! Vice-Chancellor Bonaparte, we're not cheering for you, but still kick Crowler's butt anyways!"

"Uh..." Syrus stared at a strange group of construction workers nearby doing some stretching exercises as there was a steam shovel nearby. "Who are those guys?"

"I still can't believe that you would side with a couple of Slifer Red rejects, Crowler! I expected more from you!" called out Bonaparte, clearly disappointed. "Just don' come crying to me when you get humiliated!"

"Hmph! What are you saying? In fact, you should be prepared to be humiliated when I defeat you!" said Crowler.

"If you're going to surrender, now's the time! It's too late for these kids, anyways!"

Turning to Syrus, Jaden snickered, "Ten bucks that Bonaparte managed to deliver the first blow to Crowler! I wanna see him get hit by an attack!"

"Ooh! You're on!" agreed Syrus.

"HEY! Why are you betting on me when I'm on your side?!" yelled Crowler. "No, wait! What am I saying?! I didn't come here dueling for you slackers! This is just a way to get back at the tubby shorty! That's all!"

"Tubby shorty?! That's it! I'm gonna get you for this! Don't expect any mercy from me!" hollered Bonaparte, both angry and insulted.

"DUEL!"

 **\- DUEL -**

 **Bonaparte - 4000 LP**

 **VS**

 **Crowler - 4000 LP**

"MY TURN!" screamed Bonaparte, causing everyone to winch from his loud shrieking. "I summon Toy Soldier in Attack Mode!"

Toy Soldier - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (800/300)

"Awwww!~ He's so cute!" squealed Jaden.

"He may be cute, but don't underestimate him based on his looks," warned Bastion.

Alexis nodded. "Cute things are often dangerous."

"I place three cards facedown and end my turn!" finished Bonaparte.

"My turn!" said Crowler, drawing his card. "I play the Spell card, Graceful Charity! I draw three cards and discard two! And then I activate the Spell card, Premature Burial! I pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon a Monster from my Graveyard and equip Premature Burial with it! I Special Summon the Trojan Horse, which just now came from my Graveyard!1"

Trojan Horse - (EARTH/Beast) - LV4 - (1600/1200)

 **Bonaparte - 4000 LP**

 **Crowler - 3200 LP**

"Oh, I forgot to mention one more thing!" called out Bonaparte. "I'm going to dismantle a corresponding portion of the Red dorm every time you lose Life Points!"

As if on cue, the steam shovel seen earlier went to work, slamming down on a piece of the Slifer Red dorm, destroying a large part of it which caused protests amongst the spectators.

"Hey! He can't do that!"

"The duel's still going on! There's no winner yet!"

"Oh, so that's what the steam shovel was for!"

Seeing the Red dorm being teared down, even if a little, brought great joy to Bonaparte. "Wonderful! Every time you lose Life Points, the Red dorm will be destroyed a bit!"

"Hold on! You can't decide that while we duel! We never even agreed on that term!" protested Crowler. "Ergh! Fine! If I choose to summon an EARTH Attribute Monster, then Trojan Horse counts as two sacrifices! I sacrifice him in order to summon Ancient Gear Golem!"

Ancient Gear Golem - (EARTH/Machine) - LV8 - (3000/3000)

"If you think your ace Monster is going to help you this time against my army, you're badly mistaken!" said Bonaparte confidently. "I'll make it the target of my cannon and enhance the morale!"

"You realize you only have one Monster, right? And my Monster can't be affected by any of your Traps and Spells during the Battle Phase, so I'd say that you're cornered like a mouse, Bonaparte!" spoke Crowler, proud of his own ace Monster.

"True, but now I activate my own Trap! Toy Cannon!" called Bonaparte as more miniature toy soldiers appeared near a cannon, ready to open fire. "Toy Cannon lets me select a Monster you control and change it into Defense Mode! Also, you lose 400 Life Points!"

Crowler shrieked and ducked for cover as the toy soldiers unleashed a cannonball from their cannon, striking Ancient Gear Golem across the face and forcing him to kneel down.

 **Bonaparte - 4000 LP**

 **Crowler - 2800 LP**

"Men! Destroy part of the dorm now!" ordered Bonaparte. The construction worker riding the steam shovel drove forward a little and swung the large scooper, causing the Slifer Red dorm to collapse a little, causing more debris.

"Wait a minute...I just realized something!" gasped Jaden. "All my cute stuffed animals are inside! If they destroy the dorm, they'll be ruined! Nooooooo!"

"Seriously?! You're worried about that?!" everyone else exclaimed, annoyed.

"Hold on...OH NO!" cried out Syrus and Hassleberry. Both thought in horror, _'My Jaden collection is inside! Everything will be ruined if the dorm is torn down!'_

Immediately, Jaden, Syrus, and Hassleberry pulled out banners and pompoms out of nowhere and began frantically cheering for Crowler. "Crowler! Crowler! Crowler! You can win! You can win!"

"Ahahaha! Look at them! Being all pathetic cheering for a pathetic man such as you, Crowler!" laughed Bonaparte. "You're like rotten oranges before the perfect elites! Too fragile to bear a punch!"

"Oh, yeah?! Just wait next turn! My Ancient Gear Golem will be ready to fight soon enough!" shouted Crowler.

"Yeah, about that...Trap card, activate! Gulliver Chain! Now, if your Ancient Gear Golem tries to switch in Attack Mode, he'll be instantly destroyed! And there's nothing you can do about it!"

Left with no other choice, Crowler bitterly conceded. "I...end my turn."

Having examined the duel thus far, Bastion spoke up. "Crowler's summoning of Ancient Gear Golem at a small price of his Life Points is incredible, but..."

"Yeah." Alexis nodded. "Bonaparte's practically sealed his movements, so there's not much he can do."

"Still, this is an awesome duel! It's been a long time since I've seen Crowler getting owned like this! I mean, it was pretty hilarious seeing him get knocked down earlier!" giggled Jaden.

"Jaden! We're cheering for Crowler, remember?" reminded Syrus. "Oh wait! Don't you own me money, Jaden? You said you wanted to bet whoever got first blow on Crowler, and Crowler did it to himself, so you own me 10 bucks!"

"Uh...GO CROWLER! GO CROWLER!"

"Don't ignore me!"

"Honestly, are they cheering for me or aren't they?" pondered Crowler, growing annoyed with their constant cheering.

"It's my move!" reminded Bonaparte, drawing his card. "I activate the effect of my Toy Soldier! When he's on the field during the Standby Phase, I can Special Summon two more Toy Soldiers from my deck to my field!"

Toy Soldier - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (800/300) X3

"By the way, Crowler, do you know the necessary abilities in battle? If you don't know, let me teach you! Battle effectiveness, mobility, and most importantly, determination! But it's such a shame that you, who's the Chancellor, lack all three necessary battle ability skills!"

"Grrr! You're not going to shut up unless I stop you, right? Save all of your blabbering after you win!" shouted Crowler. "Of course, that's _if_ you win!"

"Then, I activate the Spell card, Forced March!" said Bonaparte. "At the price of reducing their Attack Points this turn, I can force all of my Monsters to attack you directly! Everyone, advance!"

Being somewhat boosted by the Spell card, Bonaparte's three Toy Soldiers charged forward as Crowler screamed and cowered, only to peek one eye out to see the Toy Soldiers all tuckered out.

Toy Soldier - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (400/300) X3

Smirking, Crowler got back up and taunted, "Haha! That means nothing! Lower Attack Points means a lower chance of attacking!"

"True, but who said I was attacking yet?" said Bonaparte. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Fife and Drum Corps! This Spell doubles all of the Attack Points of any of my Monsters that have 1000 or less Attack Points!"

A marching band full of Toy Soldiers rushed up to the fallen Toy Soldiers, rejuvenating their energy and giving them inner strength by playing a song dedicated to them, thus raising their morale.

Toy Soldier - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (800/300) X3

"Now, FIRE!"

The three Roy Soldiers aimed and fired "bullets" from their rifles, which were actually corks, and they all hit one at a time; hitting at the one place where it would hurt the most for Crowler...the spot between his legs.

"Ooh! That's gotta hurt!" cried out Hassleberry as he and the other guys winched in pain.

"Even Crower doesn't deserve this," admitted Bastion, feeling sorry for the professor.

"I almost feel bad for him!" said Syrus. "... _Almost."_

"I don't get it. Why's he acting hurt?" wondered Jaden, confused.

"...Jaden, you-Ugh! Never mind," sighed Alexis, annoyed.

 **Bonaparte - 4000 LP**

 **Crowler - 400 LP**

Bonaparte laughed at Crowler's misfortune. "Ahaha! Soon, your Life Points will be like dust in the wind!"

"No, I can't lose! I'm gonna stand tall and fight for my students! ...In a few minutes!" declared Crowler, still crotched down and holding his "special spot" while everyone sweatdropped.

"I get he was trying to be serious, but after that last part, I feel more bad for him," said Hassleberry.

"Yes. A man's jewels should never be tampered with," agreed Bastion.

"What jewels? Crowler doesn't have any!" said Jaden, causing everyone to groan. "What? What?"

Due to Crowler losing a huge chunk of his Life Points, the construction workers responded by slamming and taking away chunks of the dorm, thus destroying at least 1/4 of the dorm.

"Back to the duel!" announced Bonaparte. "I activate the Continuous Trap, Unequal Treaty! Every time you draw a card, you lose 100 Life Points, and then I gain 100 Life Points! Truly fitting for such a card! I set a card and end my turn! Ha! I've carefully analyzed your tactics, Crowler, so it's hopeless for you!"

Right as it's Crowler's turn, he was hesitant to even draw his card, knowing the consequences of what might happen. He didn't like it, but the circumstances have quickly turned on him, and he had no chance of winning!

"Don't give up, Crowler!" called out Jaden. "You're the one who taught us that we should never give up no matter the duelist we encounter! And that makes the real duelist! Now, come on! Show us an exciting duel!"

Recalling memories of his lectures from the past year, despite Jaden being her usual lazy self, Crowler was quite fond of those memories, which brought him to what he is today. "Hmph! Looks like I learned something important from my students again!"

"What are you going on about?" wondered Bonaparte, thinking he was just wasting time. "It's the teacher's duty to guide the students!"

"That's true, but there's more to a teacher than just that!" said Crowler. "Everyday, a teacher grows alongside his students, making or having the same experiences! I'll show you my answer! I draw!"

"The Continuous Trap, Unfair Treaty, activates!" reminded Bonaparte. "You drew, so you lose 100 Life Points, and I gain the same amount! Ha! Your chances of winning are close to 0 now!"

 **Bonaparte - 4100 LP**

 **Crowler - 300 LP**

"But a true duelist wouldn't give up, no matter how low his chances were! I activate the Continuous Spell card, Ancient Gear Castle!"

"What good will that do?" questioned Bonaparte.

"Simple! This card can increase any Ancient Gear Monster I have by 300 Points! To demonstrate, I'll summon my Ancient Gear Soldier!"

Ancient Gear Soldier - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (1600/1300)

"Next, I equip him with Ancient Gear Tank! With it, his Attack Points increase by 600 Points!"

Ancient Gear Soldier - (EARTH/Machine) - LV4 - (2200/1300)

"Now attack! The soldier in the middle will do!"

"Not so fa-" Bonaparte stopped when he suddenly remembered Ancient Gear Soldier's effect. _'Darn it! I just remembered! When Ancient Gear Soldier's attacking, I can't activate any Spells or Traps until the end of the Damage Step! My facedown Trap is useless!'_

Using the equipped Ancient Gear Tank, Ancient Gear Soldiers fired at the soldier Crowler wished for him to fire, destroying the miniature toy-like soldier instantly in a huge explosion.

 **Bonaparte - 2700 LP**

 **Crowler - 300 LP**

"And since you tried to destroy the dorm by taking down my Life Points, I'll do the same offer by rebuilding the dorm with every Life Point _you_ lose!" shouted Crowler. "Come on, carpenters!"

Eagered to do some work around the area, the carpenters immediately set off to work by Crowler's command, sawing wood, building up the walls, and so forth, and within seconds, the Slifer Red dorm was as good as new, although it appeared to have a huge upgrade compared to the old one.

"Wow! I can't believe how fast they work!" said Jaden, impressed.

"I end my turn by setting one card facedown!" finished Crowler.

"Hmph! Useless struggles! My turn!" said Bonaparte. "I activate the Spell, Crowning of the Emperor! I sacrifice one Toy Soldier in order to Special Summon Toy Emperor from my deck!"

Toy Emperor - (EARTH/Machine) - LV6 - (2300/800)

"Toy Emperor! Destroy his Monster!"

Raising his sword in the air, Toy Emperor signaled his horse to charge forward before leaping up high in the air, slashing Ancient Gear Soldier as though he was nothing.

 **Bonaparte - 2700 LP**

 **Crowler - 200 LP**

Since Crowler lost some Life Points, the construction workers destroyed half of the dorm with another swing of their machine, thus making the carpenters' efforts seem nothing moments ago.

"Oh, yeah?! Since Ancient Gear Tank was sent to the Graveyard, you lose 600 Life Points!" said Crowler, getting a little retribution in all of this chaos.

 **Bonaparte - 2100 LP**

 **Crowler - 200 LP**

Despite the dorm being half-destroyed again, the carpenters didn't seem to complain as they enjoyed rebuilding the dorm again.

"Fine! Then, I'll activate Toy Emperor's effect!" said Bonaparte. "I get to add a Trap card from my deck to my hand whenever he destroys a Monster in battle! I switch my other Toy Soldier into Defense Mode and end my turn!"

"I draw!" said Crowler.

"And once again, Unfair Treaty's effect activates, meaning you lose 100 and I gain 100!"

 **Bonaparte - 2200 LP**

 **Crowler - 100 LP**

"It's all over, Crowler! No matter how you look at it, I win! I won't even have to do anything if you end your turn!" laughed Bonaparte.

 _'I must win this turn!'_ thought Crowler; his choices limited. "After Ancient Gear Castle is activated, each time a Monster was summoned to my field, I had placed a counter on the castle, so for Tribute Summoning an Ancient Gear Monster, I can substitute Ancient Gear Castle for the Tributes required for each counter it held! I Tribute Summon Ancient Gear Engineer!"

Ancient Gear Engineer - (EARTH/Machine) - LV5 - (1500/1500)

"Just what I was waiting for!" said Bonaparte happily. "I activa-"

"It's no use!" interrupted Crowler, surprising Bonaparte. "I knew that you'd try something like a Trap to stop me, which is why I prepared for this! Ancient Gear Engineer will negate and destroy a Trap card activation! Now, Ancient Gear Engineer, attack Toy Soldier!"

Ancient Gear Engineer raised its fist, which quickly transformed and spun into a drill that pierced the weak Toy Soldier.

"Useless struggles!" shouted Bonaparte.

"Oh, I'm far from done!" said Crowler excitedly. "When my Ancient Gear Engineer destroys a Monster in battle, he can destroy a Spell or Trap card on the field! And I choose Gulliver Chain!"

"Ha! You made a basic tactical mistake!" scoffed Bonaparte. "Ancient Gear Golem is still in Defense Mode, so he can't shift modes during battle!"

"Yeah. It should have been Unfair Treaty!" agreed Bastion. "As long as that card exists, he won't make it to the next turn!"

"No, I'm pretty sure Crowler will find a way!" assured Jaden.

Smirking, Crowler pointed out, "Remember, the word 'mistake' is not in my dictionary! I activate the Trap, Zero Gravity! Now all of the positions of every Monster on the field are switched! And because this happened during the Battle Phase, it's still my turn!"

"Well, it doesn't matter, anyways! My Toy Emperor is in Defense Mode, so I won't take any damage!" said Bonaparte.

"No! And here I thought you were an expert on my deck! Guess I was wrong to assume that! You've got a long ways to go! When Ancient Gear Golem attacks a Monster in Defense Mode, he can inflict piercing damage!"

"No! It can't be! But I made absolute sure there were no mistakes on my part!" cried out Bonaparte.

Huffing out of anger, Crowler scolded, "Well, clearly you were mistaken about that! And now, regret calling my important students rotten oranges!"

Touched and motivated by Crowler's short, yet effective speech as well as him defending them Hassleberry stared in awe at him. "He really does care about us!"

"Ancient Gear Golem, finish off Toy Emperor!"

With a fist full of fury, Ancient Gear Golem rotated his machine-like arm and swung it towards Toy Emperor, who had to take the full blunt force of such a powerful fist. The fist was strong enough to bypass his defenses as well as knock Bonaparte to the ground.

 **Bonaparte - 0 LP**

 **Crowler - 100 LP**

 **Winner: Crowler**

Crowler wiped sweat off his forehead and sighed in relief. "That's it."

"He did it! He won!"

"Awesome duel, Crowler!"

Jaden presented her finger signature at Crowler and grinned. "Way to play! That was awesome!"

Crowler smiled and couldn't help but almost give the finger signature back at Jaden before realizing what he was doing and quickly looked away in embarrassment. "I-It was nothing!"

Later, after reconstruction and redesigning of the new and improved Slifer Red dorm finished, everyone celebrated by enjoying the tasty food Dorothy made, as seen by her passing down rice balls to the hardworking carpenters and construction workers.

"I can't wait until I see my new room!" squealed Jaden. "Now that there's a bigger dorm, everyone has their own room!"

"Yeah..." trailed off Hassleberry and Syrus, a bit sadden that they were no longer sharing rooms with Jaden.

"Well, this is probably the one and only improvement that the dorm will get, so don't expect anymore in the future!" said Crowler, staring at the dorm he had protected with a proud expression.

"I can tell he acts tough, but he really likes us AND the dorm!~" teased Jaden. "He's just like Chazz!"

"You mean, a tsundere?" wondered Syrus.

"Is that what Chazz's like? If so, then yeah! Crowler's a tsundere!"

"As if! And I am not a tsundere! How dare you call me by such a name!" said Crowler. "And-"

"Meow!~" Showing his affection and as a way to thank Crowler, Pharaoh trotted up to Crowler and nuzzled his face against his boots.

"AIYEEEEEEEE!" screamed Crowler, swinging his leg up and down frantically while trying to get Pharaoh off him, which he succeeded seconds later before running away. "I HATE CATS! I'M OUTTA HERE!"

Everyone watched and laughed in light humor, knowing that deep down, Crowler cared for them.

* * *

 **Skit: Room Horrors Part 1**

"Ah!~ My new bed is so comfty!~" giggled Jaden, jumping onto her bed and snuggling with the soft scented blankets while her stuffed animals surrounded her.

After some redesigning from the generous workers, Jaden got her personal dream room, which consisted of a single girls only bedroom that had magenta colored walls, a red bed full of her stuffed animals and pillows, a pink carpet on the white furred floor, a chair and desk on one corner, drawers, red curtains on the windows, and there were even a bathroom installed in her bedroom.

"I can get used to this!"

While Jaden was enjoying her new room, she was being watched over by her Duel Spirits, particularly a few of her overprotective ones such as Neos and Flame Wingman.

 ** _"This is perhaps the best news all week,"_** said Neos. **_"It isn't normal for a girl to share a bedroom with two strangers. Particularly male ones."_**

 ** _"Okay first, those strangers happen to be Jaden's friends,"_** reminded Lady Heat. _**"Second, a girl sharing with males for a room is called a co-ed room, but you are right. Jaden does need to live by herself."**_

 _ **"I say we celebrate later tonight about Jaden no longer sharing rooms with boys!"**_ encouraged Flame Wingman happily.

 _ **"A party for such a dumb reason? I'm in!"**_ agreed Grand Mole. _**"Mmm! I can't wait to eat Fish and Chips!"**_

Aquos glared at Grand Mole. _**"How dare you suggest such a thing! Those could be my friends you're eating!"**_

 _ **"Aquos, Duel Monsters and animals from the human world are completely different,"**_ reminded Flare Scarab.

 _ **"Still, as a water mammal, I take offense to that!"**_

Jaden got off from her bed and headed out her door. "Time to explore the other rooms!~"

 _ **"We should follow her just in case,"**_ declared Flame Wingman.

 _ **"Don't we always do that?"**_ sighed Air Hummingbird. _**"And Jaden should really learn to lock her doors at times!"**_

* * *

 **Skit: Room Horrors Part 2**

Jaden was humming a tune as she made her way towards Syrus' bedroom door, knocking on it. "Sy? Can I come in?"

Upon hearing no response for a couple of seconds, Jaden cautiously twisted the doorknob and found that it was unlocked, thus opening the door before noticing a note at her feet. Walking inside his room, Jaden read it out loud, "Dear anyone, I'm going card shopping with Alexis. Will be back later. Syrus. Oh, okay!"

Glancing up, Jaden saw a normal boy's bedroom, with Syrus' bedroom walls being sky blue with the floor being a darker shade of blue. His desk and chair were on a different side of the room and his bed was blue as well. On another side of the bedroom wall was a closet, which caught Jaden's curiosity before she went over and walked towards it, opening both doors.

Shocked and horrified by what was behind Syrus' closet doors, Jaden's Duel Spirits were unable to speak for a while.

 _ **"Dude..."**_ said Hero Kid #1.

 _ **"Is that...?"**_ spoke up Hero Kid #2 before trailing away.

Hero Kid #3 nodded. **_"Yup. That is definitely a shrine. A shrine dedicated to Jaden."_**

Inside of Syrus' closet was just as Hero Kid #3 described. There was Syrus' drawer full of clothes, of course, but on top of the drawer was the shrine for Jaden. Several pictures of her were posted on the closet wall as well as a main picture frame on top of the drawer, with several other things such as some rotten food that Jaden chewed into like part of an apple, a ripped up glove that once belonged to Jaden, and so forth.

Of course, Jaden, being oblivious, had no idea what the items were and assumed that Syrus truly cared for her, judging from the pictures.

"Awww! How cute! He truly does care for me!" giggled Jaden before closing the closet doors and walking out of Syrus' room, shutting the door behind her and unknowingly leaving behind her stunned Duel Spirits.

Immediately, Neos and Flare Wingman snapped out of their horrified states and began to issue orders. **_"I-Increase security around Jaden whenever she hangs out with Syrus! This is a direct order!"_**

 ** _"You know, it may be creepy and all, but I kinda don't blame the kid. He must really be desperate for a girl,"_** commented Sparkman.

 _ **"I feel bad for him, but at the same time, we must protect our Master!"**_ said Bubbleman.

* * *

 **Skit: Room Horrors Part 3**

 _ **"Men! And, ladies, I guess. We must brace ourselves for what's to come! We are entering on enemy territory and must be ready for anything!"**_ declared Flame Wingman. **_"Remember, the owner of this room happens to be in love with our Mistress, so we locate for anything dangerous and-"_**

 ** _"Yeah, while you were talking, Jaden already entered Hassleberry's room,"_** noted Grand Mole.

 ** _"What?! Okay, everyone! No more pleasantries! CHARGE!"_**

If they were actually in physical form, Jaden's Duel Spirits would have a hard time getting through the door, but since they're mostly active in spirit form, they phased through the doors and walls and caught a glimpse of Hassleberry's room.

His room was...all dinosaur-related. The walls and floor were brown or orange colored and already, his bed was a mess, so it was likely Hassleberry probably took a nap and didn't bother cleaning his bed. Much to everyone's relief, there was no closet or shrine located anywhere, but what they saw next still shocked them nevertheless.

Jaden was standing near Hassleberry's bed, picking up what seemed to be a plush version of herself.

"Awwww! So cute! Hassleberry had a stuffed animal about me? That's so sweet!" giggled Jaden, putting down the stuffed animal on the bed before leaving his room.

 ** _"...Well, it wasn't a shrine, so it could have gone worse,"_** commented Grand Mole.

 _ **"...INCREASE SECURITY AROUND HASSLEBERRY!"**_ ordered Neos.

" _ **Oh, come on, Neos! It was just a harmless doll!"**_ said Air Hummingbird.

 ** _"We cannot take any chances! I refuse to allow any corruption to come for Jaden! Now, follow my orders!"_**

* * *

 **Skit: Room Horrors Part 4**

 _ **"Okay guys, what do you think it'll be this time?"**_ wondered Hero Kid #1.

 _ **"Well, Syrus had that shrine, and Hassleberry had the plushie, so I assume it'll be something different,"**_ said Avian.

 ** _"...I think it's porn,"_** suggested Glow Moss bluntly.

Everyone stared at her, shocked at her suggestion. Then again, it might not be a far off guess. The thought of Jaden discovering such a...horrible topic in the next room shuddered everyone to the core.

 _ **"No! Not my baby girl! She must never learn of its existence!"**_ cried out Flame Wingman, panicking.

 ** _"None of us will allow such a thing!"_** declared Neos.

"Ooh! What's this?" wondered Jaden from inside the room.

Immediately, everyone flew into the dreadful room of Chazz Princeton and saw...white.

No, their lives didn't flash before their eyes. Everything inside of Chazz's room was nothing but the color white. The floors were white, the walls, the curtains, the desk, drawer, and chair, everything was white colored.

 _ **"...I know he's corrupted by the Society of Light, but seriously, that cult has too much of an obsession with the color white,"**_ commented Grand Mole.

Meanwhile, Jaden was examining a small statue of Chazz posing, fully clothed, of course, and possibly due to Chazz's influence, the statue was colored white.

 ** _"Oh, thank God it wasn't anything weird!"_** sighed Blazeman.

Suddenly, the bathroom door burst open, and steam escaped from the bathroom and out in the open as Chazz stepped out, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.

"Oh, hi Chazzy!" said Jaden, smiling at him as she set down his statue.

"GAAAH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" screamed Chazz.

"Exploring!~"

"Get outta here! I just took a frickin' shower!"

"Awwww! Okay!"

Chazz watched Jaden leave his room before slamming his bedroom door shut. For a second, he thought he saw some other...folks in his room, but it was probably the steam that got to his head. He should probably stop the habit of staying in hot showers for too long.

 _ **"...I can't believe that Jaden saw a guy naked,"**_ muttered Neos.

 ** _"Technically, he was half-naked,"_** corrected Aquos.

 _ **"And that isn't the first time Jaden's seen half-naked guys. Remember that time when she went to that spa house and she played with Chumley, Syrus, and Chazz?"**_

 _ **"WHAT?!"**_

 _ **"...Oops, was I not supposed to mention that?"**_

* * *

 **Whew! Alrighty, done with this chapter, so good night folks and read and review!**


	54. Second Year: CHRISTMAS SPECIAL!

**Merry Christmas, everyone! I might post this before or on the day of Christmas, but I kinda want to keep this a short one because I wanna spend time with my family!**

 **By the way, in this chapter only, it'll basically be normal! That means no Society of Light.**

 **Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!**

* * *

"Merry Christmas!" everyone cheered towards each other, staying in the new and improved Slifer Red dorm. A lot has happened thus far that year, and surely, more was to come next year.

For starters, after the renovation of the Slifer Red dorm, things have turned for the better. Aster began attending more classes, thus spending time with Jaden and her friends. Well, more specifically, Jaden.

Because of the Christmas holidays, students had the option of leaving the island to spend time at home for the holidays or stay, and Jaden and her friends among with several other students stayed to spend the holidays together.

Several weeks before Christmas, Jaden and her friends agreed that it was difficult to get everyone presents, except for Aster, but to make things fair, they all agreed to do one Secret Santa and write down their names on small scraps of papers. That way, they could rearrange them so everyone gets one random Secret Santa to send their present to.

That was part of why they gathered in the dining hall, not just for their Christmas breakfast, but also to reveal who got whose Secret Santa.

"Okay! Okay! Let's see what our Secret Santas are! Eeep! I can't wait!~" giggled Jaden.

"Me first! Me first!" said Hassleberry, taking the present with his name on it before ripping the wrapping the shreds.

"Hey! Watch it! That was very delicate wrapping!" scolded Alexis. "...Oops."

Hassleberry looked up to her. "Alexis, you were the one who gave me a gift? Gosh, thanks!" Glancing down at his opened present, Hassleberry gasped. "Is this...a plushie of a dinosaur?!"

Alexis nodded. "Yup. I sewed and made it out of scratch. I knew your favorite Monster was Black Tyranno, so I made a small version of him. Isn't it nice?"

"It's awesome! Thanks!"

"Hey, I wanna have a go, next!" declared Chazz. "Oh! Nice! I got two presents! I'm opening the bigger one!"

"Hey! We all agreed to have one present each!" reminded Atticus, seeing as he was the one who suggested the whole Secret Santa scenario. "Who decided to give him an extra gift?"

Nobody spoke a word as Chazz unwrapped the big present he received...only to get another present within that present, which is a little smaller. He opened that small present to receive another box smaller than the previous. This process continued over and over as everyone watched until there was only one small box the size of a ring box.

"Goddamnit!" yelled Chazz, frustrated with the pile of presents below his feet. "This has got to be the last one! Aha-? Okay, what's this?" He saw nothing but a piece of paper that said nothing but a word: Clue.

"It's a clue!" chirped Syrus happily. "...You need one."

It took a moment for everyone to pause and ponder about the meaning before they burst into laughter as Chazz's face redden from anger as he threw down the paper.

"Oh, fuck you!" Chazz growled. "My detective skills aren't that bad!"

"Chazz, when I asked you to help me find my hairbrush, it took you three hours to find it, and you spent that time interrogating everyone you knew when the hairbrush was on your table," pointed out Alexis.

"Oh...Whatever! I'm opening my other present! It better not be a joke one!" yelled Chazz.

"Don't worry! This one's legit!" assured Syrus.

Sure enough, what Syrus spoke of was the truth as Chazz found were a bunch of cheap card packs inside. Might not be rare cards inside, but Chazz did need to change his deck every now and then, and it was better than the first "gift" he had.

"Thanks," he grumbled, taking the card packs and stuffing them in the his coat pockets. "Alright, who's next?"

"Me! Me!" said Atticus, raising his hand before quickly opening his present before anyone could protest. "A...book on physics?"

Bastion nodded. "Yes! Everyone should know more about Einstein and more knowledge of the world!"

 _'Of course he'd pick something smart for me. Well, it's not all bad,'_ thought Atticus. "Thanks...I guess." There was slight disappointment and glum in his tone. "Anyone next?"

"I want to go!" said Alexis, eager to open her gift. Upon delicately removing the wrappings, she discovered a bunch of jewelry in present along with a card that stated it was from Chazz. "Oh, they're so beautiful, Chazz!"

"Yeah! I wanted to make it special!" said Chazz confidently, wanting to impress Jaden with his skills of how to handle a lady properly.

"Wait...Hey, are these my jewelry?!"

Chazz began mentally sweating, trying not to lose his cool. Truth be told, he couldn't always rely on his brothers to buy everything for him, so he had no choice but to resort to thievery, but technically, he was returning the jewels in a way that didn't seem like stealing.

"...It could be a coincidence!"

"Hey! These are my jewelry! My signature's in here!" shouted Alexis. Seeing this as his cue to leave, Chazz rushed off with Alexis chasing him. "Get back here!"

"I suppose it's my turn," sighed Bastion, opening his gift. "...Hassleberry, this is just a bandana."

"Right? It's to help join my squadron!" said Hassleberry. "An honorary member always wears a Troop Tyranno bandanna like this one!"

"I'll...consider it. Thank you, though."

"Ooh! Ooh! My turn!" said Syrus, unwrapping his present quickly. "Whoa! Uh...I'm just gonna...Uh...Read this later, okay?" He quickly stuffed all of the wrappings back inside his present to hide his gift inside before pulling Atticus aside to the corner of the room. "Atticus! Why did you give me _porn?!"_

"It's not shameful for a man to want to get to know his desires! I knew that someday, teenage boys like you will get to that age, and it would be natural!" replied Atticus. "Besides, you should consider that manga as practice! Just imagine the heroine as Jaden, and everything will go smoothly!"

The look on Syrus' red expression, his bleeding nose, and the drool escaping from his lips was all that Atticus needed to confirm that his present was a success!

"Alright! Here, Aster! I made this for you!" Jaden said, handing her gift to Aster.

"Huh, what a coincidence. My Secret Santa was you, Jaden," Aster said, giving her a small gift.

 _'Lucky,'_ thought Hassleberry, Syrus, and Chazz as they glared at Aster. If looks could kill, Aster could have died three times over, and if Aster had noticed them glaring at him, which he had, then he would have granted them a sneer successful smirk, which further pissed them off.

Aster opened his first, and inside was a small dark chocolate heart sweet. If Jaden made this with all of her heart, then it must be good! Before anyone could protest, Aster quickly swallowed the sweet, which...actually was just a little sugary, but nothing more than that.

As for Jaden, when she opened her gift, she was confused and held up...mistletoe.

 _'THAT CHEAP SON OF A BITCH!'_ thought all three boys from before, snarling and ready to pounce on Aster like he was prey. Directly giving mistletoe to someone they liked...why didn't they think of that? Oh, right. Because Jaden was Aster's Secret Santa. But still!

As Aster was leaning in for a kiss...Jaden quickly gobbled down the berries from the mistletoe.

* * *

 _Later, in the infirmary..._

"How could you not know that mistletoe berries contain POISON?!" yelled Hassleberry to Aster as both he and Jaden were laying in separate infirmary beds.

After Jaden ate the berries, Hassleberry panicked and quickly explained that the mistletoe berries contain a weak sort of poison in which consuming a small amount would have a small effect, making everyone panic and take Jaden to the infirmary. Also, the chocolate that Aster ate had a timely effect where he suddenly suffered stomach pains and was also taken to the infirmary, where Fontaine took care of both of them.

"How was I supposed to know she would eat them? NOBODY eats mistletoe berries!" argued back Aster before curling up in bed, wrapping his arms around his stomach as he groaned in pain.

Jaden was about to speak up when she felt something bile in her throat once again and grabbed the already stinky trash can nearby, vomiting all over. To rid Jaden of her poison, Fontaine had Jaden drink some emetic medicine, which the effect caused Jaden to puke, making her throw up anything she ate in the previous few hours, including the poison, thus saving her life.

Despite the...unexpected twists in their Christmas, everyone still had a happy time regardless and hoped that next year would be better.

* * *

 **In case you guys were confused, here's the round of Secret Santas!**

 **Chazz's Secret Santa: Syrus**

 **Hassleberry's Secret Santa: Alexis**

 **Atticus' Secret Santa: Bastion**

 **Bastion's Secret Santa: Hassleberry**

 **Syrus' Secret Santa: Atticus**

 **Alexis' Secret Santa: Chazz**

 **Jaden's Secret Santa: Aster**

 **Aster's Secret Santa: Jaden**

 **Well, how's that? Merry Christmas, everyone! Okay, it may not have been a long chapter, but I already explained my reasoning and all that! Have a good holiday!**


End file.
